AFC Champions
New England Patriots
v.
NFC Champions
Seattle Seahawks
Please take a look at my article on the Super Bowl for the Guardian Liberty Voice:
Super Bowl Ending Very Memorable and Controversial:
New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
Ultimately, I cannot say anything new about Super Bowl XLIX, because my take on it, and in particular, the crucial play that will now forever define this game, is pretty much the same as what everyone else is saying.
Why in the world would you pass on that play, when you have the likelihood that Marshawn Lynch would simply pound the ball into the end zone, and give you the game, which would have likely capped Seattle's back-to-back Super Bowl championships - a rare feat indeed!
Of course, we all know what happened instead.
What was strange about that play was that it just happened, and felt so out of place in an otherwise brilliant contest. It happened so quick, that it felt like one of those things that everybody else saw and was amazed at, but you somehow missed. It took several viewings of that play again to understand better what had actually happened.
I know that I am not a professional football coach, and that these guys make millions to make risky decisions that they weigh and agonize over. But that said, we watch the game for a reason. We watch it to see what happens. How players execute, and how coaches come up with a game plan. And yes, we watch it to make some judgments, for certain.
Given that, I do not think it is any stretch to call it the worst call in the history of the NFL, and that is not an exaggeration. Some people were saying that this was probably the worst call in Super Bowl history, but that, too me, is not strong enough. I could really only think of one call that was could even remotely compare, and that was Washington's Joe Theismann throwing from a few yards outside of Washington's end zone with seconds left before halftime of Super Bowl XVIII, which Jack Squirek, of course, picked off to score an unbelievably easy touchdown for the Raiders. That is literally the only call that stood out in any way, and that was in the first half of a game that the Raiders were dominating anyway. Here, this was in the final seconds of the Super Bowl, and Seattle was in control of what was going on in the field! Given the gravity of that instance, and what was at stake, Seattle had to exercise extreme caution. Yes, Pete Carroll is known for having an aggressive style, but the game was pretty much won at that point, assuming Lynch can pound it in (which he likely could have done).
It was surely the worst call in NFL history, and surely had to be one of the worst calls in all of sports history! People will be talking about this for years.
No, you have to run the ball. Give it to Lynch, and either he gets it for you, or he does not. But at least you are not taking unnecessary risks. And again, nobody is going to blame you for trying that. After all, Lynch is one of the best players in the league, and probably the best running back in the league. You have to go with that option. Even Butler, the guy who intercepted the ball to clinch it for New England, had said that he, like the rest of his team, like the rest of the stadium, and like everyone watching at home, expected Seattle to run the ball.
Instead, Carroll opted to put the ball in the air, into a thick crowd. Low and behold, it was intercepted. Game, set, and match. Super Bowls are a rare opportunity for teams, no matter how good the team or big the names. Many great players never even make it to a single one, and many others never win one. Even when you win one, you are never guaranteed of winning one, or even making one, ever again, no matter how good you are. Case in point, the best team that I ever saw, the 1985 Chicago Bears, never made it back again after their one and only Super Bowl title that season. I will admit to assuming that they were going to by a dynasty. Instead, they only made it as far as the NFC Championship Game one more time, years later after the 1988 season, and they got dismantled at home against San Francisco in that one.
So, knowing how rare this opportunity is, and knowing how critically important it is to be incredibly cautious, to play it safe, when you seem to have the game in hand, how can you not question Carroll for that absurdly risky call last night? He even admitted that the Seahawks seemed to be in control at that point, and there was very little that the Patriots could do to change that. This Super Bowl was the Seahawks to lose.
They lost it.
No, the Seahawks did not lose this game because of that one play. There were a lot of plays by both teams that led up to that moment. And remember, the Seahawks had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, and their "Legion of Boom" defense, which was vying for the elite status of being regarded as one of the best defenses ever, suddenly looked very average, allowing Brady and the Patriots 28 points overall, with two of those touchdowns being in the fourth quarter. I'm sorry, but the best defenses that I ever saw, which would be those for the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, would not have lost a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
This Seahawks defense looked sloppy surprisingly often last night. They missed quite a few tackles. They did not contain Edelman, and Brady had a monster day, particularly at the key moments in the fourth quarter, where he was nearly perfect. Seattle's defense could have probably iced the game by stopping the Patriots even once in the final quarter, but they failed to do that. Then, when the last gasp was riding on their being disciplined after that key interception, they jumped, they showed a lack of focus, and gave the Patriots some much needed breathing room (they were backed into their own end zone, and had to worry about a safety, which would have given the Seahawks two points, as well as the ball back). Finally, once all hope was lost, the "Legion of Boom" defense initiated an ugly brawl with Patriots players.
So, can Seattle's defense truly be considered among the upper tier of elite defenses of all time?
No. This game will likely go a long way towards defining them, probably more than last year's dominance against Denver in the Super Bowl. Yes, I know they had issues with injuries. But the best teams find a way to get it done. The Packers were hobbled with injuries for Super Bowl XLV, but they found a way. The 1990 Giants won the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback, and the 1992 Bills reached the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback that led them to the greatest comeback victory ever. Injuries are part of the game. Seattle's defense was not as solid as many expected them to be when it most needed to be.
But let's also be honest: the Seahawks also got lucky having that chance so close to the end zone at the end of the game in the first place. It took a miracle completion to get them that close to begin with. Truth be told, I was half expecting an interception earlier in the drive, and it would not have greatly surprised me. But at least you would not hear everyone questioning a horrendous, really blown call today. For Carroll, he will likely hear criticism of that play for the rest of his career. If he manages to bring the Seahawks, or perhaps even some other team, to the Super Bowl, he will be relentlessly questioned on that call. Because it does not even take a great football mind to recognize that you have to run on that play.
Yet, still, despite all of that, the Seahawks had a chance to win it at the end. Despite a game that showed their vulnerabilities, they were in position to become only the ninth team in history to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
Instead, they suffered one of the most humiliating and demoralizing losses ever. It was not the only play, as I already mentioned. But it just so happened that the game was effectively decided on that one play.
And yes, on that play, Carroll made the wrong call. An unnecessarily risky call. No one would have blamed him, or thought less of him, had he chosen to run Lynch at least once to try and secure the winning score. But now, a hell of a lot of people are blaming him for failing to do so.
Sadly, the Seahawks, who seemed to be a budding dynasty going into this game, are likely to be defined by this painful Super Bowl loss at least as much as the Patriots were defined by their two losses to the Giants prior to this game, and particularly that year when they failed to complete the undefeated season.
Congratulations!!!
Super Bowl XLIX Champions
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