Seahawks ‘just don‘t understand’ the Super Bowl-losing play call

nypost.com ^ | February 2, 2015 | Paul Schwartz

[Berlin_Freeper]

There were plenty of explanations offered, first by Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, then by offensive coordinator Darren Bevell and quarterback Russell Wilson, but at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, with everyone left breathless, the question still hanging out there along with the confetti falling on the victorious Patriots:

How in the world does Marshawn Lynch, as fearsome a runner as there is, not get the ball on second down from the New England 1-yard line in the final seconds?

“We had it,’’ Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin said. “I don’t know how you don’t give it to the best back in the league on not even the 1-yard line? We were on the half-yard line and we throw a slant. I don’t know what the offense had going on, what they saw. I just don’t understand.’’

[Servant of the Cross]

Malcom Butler was in absolute awe every second from the time God gave him the ball until the camera's finally stopped trying to get him to say something .. I saw him point to the sky twice

[RetSignman]

Seahawks ‘just don‘t understand’...
++++
Follow the money.

[kenmcg]

Great game! I’ll bet Packer fans slept well last night after seeing the Hawks blow a 10 point lead. Some of these coaches are great at out managing themselves.

[Red Steel]

[lepton]

Wilson didn’t throw into a crowd on the goal line. The play isolated the defender with a pick and hit a hole wide of the linebackers.the closest aside from the locked-up Browner, was Hightower just crossing the far hash mark.

The defender just made an excellent play.

[knarf]

Now, now, now ... THAT'S a desperate cry for help and an attempt to grab HIS hand for salvation from what he KNOWS is abject, embarassing defeat.

... NO ... SOMEone will come up with the screen shot of Malcom's almost bowed and awestruck countenance pointing to the sky .. a definite recognition and identification of WHO is responsable

[chimera]

No question about that. Butler held his position, he didn't get excited and jump into the pile. You could see he was reading where Wilson was looking to throw and just beat Lockette to the spot. He kept control of the ball, too, which was important. Just swatting it down would have stopped the clock with time left and Seattle having timeouts to spend.

[Cincinatus]

Must really stink being a Seahawks fan.

Indeed. Two weeks ago, it was really hard to be a Green Bay Packers fan.

[Future Snake Eater]

The thinking here is that they tried to outwit the Pats Defense

Except they telegraphed it with a shotgun formation. Granted, you can still run from a shotgun, but it's one hell of an indicator.

[grania]

the Hawks thought they could be dramatic and spectacular...

It's kind of symmetric. The Hawks did intercept what would've been the Pats first touchdown of the game.

[King Moonracer]

Obviously the Patriots cheated. They hypnotized Wilson with dreams of deflated on the down low.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Money changed hands, somewhere. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it...

Thanks for the Monday morning chuckle. Laughing is a good way to start the day.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Only 2 justifiable calls there.

Lynch up the middle, or spread the field and send Russell Wilson sprinting for the corner of the end zone as fast as he can go.

[knarf]

Good point ... and wording

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I wonder if there ever was a team that had needed as much dumb luck to get as far as they did

Sure. Try the NY Giants on for size. David Tyree in SB XLII.

[lepton]

But do you really think the only NFL team to be fined for cheating,

---

Huh? So vehement, yet so unaware. Multiple teams have been fined for breaking rules just in the past couple of years. The Chargers got caught putting stickum on balls in 2012. Multiple teams have been fined for violating the salary cap. Heck the Seahawks were fined practice time and $300,000 this year for illegal OTA practices in violation of the contract. Heck, coaches have been fined for verifiably falsely accusing the Pats when said coaches got caught violating rules.

[lepton]

That’s a cruel gif.

[chimera]

No question Butler made the best play on the ball we've seen in that position for awhile. He just read Wilson's look and stepped into the path of the ball. Not bad for an undrafted rookie from a Division II school, playing in the big game.

Looks like there were two players a few yards into the end zone, and a Pats player closing from the top. A few yards away so yes, not a "big" crowd, but any kind of a deflection and a number of Pats players could have made the pick.

[Red Steel]

Waah.

[Red Steel]