Parity in the NFL: Seahawks over Saints Shows Us the Beauty of the NFL

The Seattle Seahawks today dismantled the defending Super Bowl champs.  They beat New Orleans at its own game.

It wasn't Leon Washington providing a spark or Earl Thomas picking off a pass—it was Matt Hasselbeck and his arm that won the game.

Hasselbeck out-dueled Drew Brees to the tune of 272 yards four touchdowns and one interception. Brees tossed up 404 yards, but it took him nearly double the amount of attempts to get there.

Hasselbeck was given the starting nod in the middle of the week after missing Week 17 of the regular season due to an injured hip.  

Marshawn Lynch has been rather pedestrian all season.  He decided to slap the Saints and the Buffalo Bills in the face with one mammoth run. If you missed it, don't worry. It will be on SportsCenter for the next four days. 

But the Seahawks' embarrassment of the Saints is just the tip of the iceberg.

The real story line here is the beauty that is the NFL.  Who would have thought that a 7-9 NFC West winner would take down the defending Super Bowl champions?  The parity that the NFL is built on is what makes it the pinnacle of all sporting leagues.  

In a best-of-five series, the Saints would most definitely come out on top.  Series play is designed so the favorite has an upper hand.

In the NFL, it's any given Sunday—or in this case Saturday.

Wild Card Weekend is proving to be one for the ages.