Bingo, the Seahawks should have never beaten the Packers.
The Hawks won and lost by the big play. They did not win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
The Pats had complete control of the game in the first half. The momentum changed at the end of the first half with the Hawks going for and getting the touchdown when every other coach would have kicked the field goal. The stats when you compare them: runs, pass attempts, completions, sacks, etc. were not even close. The Hawks gained all the offense on three big pass plays. Brady was picking apart them apart. Brady passed the ball 50 times against the best defense in the league.
The Hawks should have won the game at the end, but they got cute. Instead of running the ball or boot leg, they tried to throw it into tight coverage and lost.
I just wanted Brady to go up to Richard Sherman and ask him: “Are you mad bro?”.
Had the Seahawks won 31-28, my wife and kids would have won $6,000 in a SB pool. I didn't know about it until the Seahawks had the ball first and goal.
I was proud of my 25 YO son after the game. He said to me, "I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Whoever won probably needs the money a lot more than I do."
We've been so blessed, there wasn't a whole lot of "what-ifs" or moaning after the game. No doubt, the money would have come in handy, but it wouldn't have changed our lives.
It used to be axiomatic that if you have to put the ball up fifty times, you lose. The game has really changed. I have to hand it to the Patriots: in succession, they beat the Ravens while rushing for less than 20 yards (?!) and without sacking Joe Flacco; manhandled the Colts; and picked apart the vaunted Seattle D. If not for those two Brady picks, the Patriots would have won going away.