Pete Carroll's Final Play Call Will Add to the Legend of Bill Belichick's Genius

Rush Limbaugh.com ^ | February 2, 2015 | Rush Limbaugh

[Kaslin]

RUSH: So we had the Super Bowl last night. Folks, I don't quite know how to express this. I still feel cheated. I don't think that ended up being a pro-football game. I mean, it was, but that last call -- I've looked at it every number of ways. I've listened to every excuse offered. You know, it would be wonderful if Obama would actually stand up and take responsibility for his mistakes like Pete Carroll has. If Obama had made that call last night and it blew up, Obama would say (imitating Obama), "I knew nothing about it. I found out about it when you did when I watched the replay on TV from the sideline." He would totally divorce himself from any responsibility.

I don't think it was Pete Carroll's call. It might have been what the offensive coordinator thought Pete Carroll wanted, but it was the offensive coordinator's call. If I were the quarterback, I would have protested. I would have said, "No way, we're not running this play." And I've heard them say that, yeah, second down we have to throw the ball, it's a wasted play. Wasted play? You've got 40 seconds left. You've got a time-out left. You're on the one yard line after your best running back has just gained four yards and just barely missed scoring, you're gonna waste a play because protocol calls in that situation for at least one pass play?

Why would you even think about stopping the clock? You would want to run as much time off the clock as possible, in the event you do score, give the Patriots as little time as possible to march down into field goal range. But the play call itself -- you know, I've watched it. I've watched that play in a gif format, it just loops, and that cornerback, the rookie, Butler, he knew that play was coming. If you get a chance and watch that play, look at how far off the line of scrimmage he was from the defensive perspective on the left side and look how far he had to go to get there. He could have only made that play if he knew it was coming.

And for the life of me, if you are going to throw the ball in that situation, why in the world do you make it obvious Marshawn Lynch is not part of the play at the snap? Brian, did you see this? At the snap, Marshawn Lynch, who everybody thinks should have gotten the ball, is jogging out to the left flat, totally out of the play. It's instantly visible to the defense so you don't have to worry about him. And that's one of the keys, I think, for this rookie cornerback. He saw Lynch not even be part of the play, but they had watched tape. They knew the Seahawks ran that play in goal-line circumstances, and it was part of the preparation. When he saw that the quarterback was gonna throw, he knew exactly what was coming, quick slant. I think the offensive receiver didn't run an aggressive root. He didn't get there quick. I've watched it. He didn't really get a good start off the line.

[Kaslin]

Long article, more in the link

[Impy]

Carrol should line up to get kicked in the pills by everyone in Seattle.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Dang you Seahens!

[workerbee]

Look, I know so little about football it isn't even funny (ask my husband!) But even I was floored at the STUPIDITY I saw last night. "They threw it?!?! One foot from a TD, on the first down, with a timeout, and they threw it?"

And I just know I was the first person to say "that will go down as the WORST call in NFL history". ;-)

[duffee]

Some people can’t handle prosperity.

[GRRRRR]

I have been playing and watching sports of every type since I was about 8 years old AND, being a long suffering Chicago Team fan, have never seen such a boneheaded lapse in judgement.

It does border on throwing the game by being so cavalier, oh...we’ll waste a play..sure.

Seattle fans would be right to shun Pete thereby causing him to disappear to where bad coaches go to mold.

[Impy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_at_the_Meadowlands

That one is pretty bad too, wasn’t the Superbowl though.

[Mears]

“. “They threw it?!?! One foot from a TD, on the first down, with a timeout, and they threw it?””

—

Your post had me laughing so much I have tears in my eyes.

I saw the play but your description is priceless.

.

.

[workerbee]

What really kills me is the play (or two?) beforehand where the Seahawks guy was tackled but still able to recover the ball before it hit the ground. I mean, talk about a gift from God! And for the coach (or whatever bonehead) to completely throw that away.... arrghhh!

[TaMoDee]

Mrs. TaMoDee said the same thing and knows the same about football as you. (She threw in the F-Bomb a couple of times in the same rant as in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.)

[workerbee]

Yeah... I probably wasn’t completely immune from those bombs myself...

[MAKOTHEDOG]

I understand the wasted play but the pass could have been sent out of the endzone and that would have stopped the clock if that was the intent. The intent to set up a play for the running back. If that is what they were thinking why not just have the Quarterback spike the ball? That is a wasted down without the risk. I would think if you are not going to do that then throw to the back side of the endzone and if the WR’s are not open send it over their heads.

I am just second guessing like the rest to the football fans.

That was a great football game.

[rabidralph]

[campaignPete R-CT]

we been snowed in all day and plows still not here. never happens in CHItown right>?

[sergeantdave]

The Seahawks should’ve deflated the ball so that rookie cornerback Butler couldn’t intercept it.

[TigerClaws]

It wasn’t a fade to the corner. It was a cross in the middle of the field, chest level thrown by a quarterback that had FOUR interceptions in the NFC Championship game.

Was the worst call in football history. Run it up the middle with Lynch and win.

Some have suggested they (Seahawks management? NFL?) didn’t want Lynch to the MVP because he’s a thug loser. But Wilson still could have been MVP even had Lynch run it in.

But at least that’s a somewhat plausible explanation for throwing when you just ran FIVE YARDS and are one yard away.

I’d have lined up and run 3 times. You stop the best back in the NFL, you beat us. Good game.

But no way in heck would I have put my QB in that position. This now defines his and Pete Carroll’s career as losers.

Russell Wilson is not an ‘elite’quarterback. He’s actually a below average QB for the NFL. I wouldn’t pay him any big bucks.

[Kenny Bunk]

Well, as a Certified Graduate Practitioner of the American Academy of Cosmetic Embalming, and former NFF&TL* QB, I would have called The Statue of Liberty play, morphing into a Double Reverse, with the Flea Flicker option with pitchout to the Eligible Tackle on the opposite side and eventual Drop-Kick.

The last time I tried this it fooled my sisters completely. Unfortunately, half of them were on my side, half on loan to a less fecund family on the other, which family has been bitching about it for the past 35 years.

*National Family Flag & Touch League ... it's big, just not as big as Rush.

[Colonel_Flagg]

At the snap, Marshawn Lynch, who everybody thinks should have gotten the ball, is jogging out to the left flat, totally out of the play. It's instantly visible to the defense so you don't have to worry about him. And that's one of the keys, I think, for this rookie cornerback.

It's instantly visible because the defensive back, and the rest of the defense, read the quarterback's eyes as he telegraphed the route. Nothing to do with Lynch.

The player was lined up as the second DB against a receiver stack. It was obvious from the alignment that the Hawks were going to run a pick play and try to rub the receiver off the defensive back.

Lynch is on the other side of the field and not his responsibility. And I'll bet a copy of Rush Revere that Pete Carroll did not call that play. Darrell Bevell did, and he wishes he hadn't.

[NormsRevenge]

Lol

Thanks for the reality check.

[MAKOTHEDOG]

I agree.

It was the wrong play call. The pass should have been put in a place where it wouldn’t be intercepted (the corners) or just air mail it out of bounds if no one is open. They should have ran the ball but if the receiver caught the ball it would have been a brilliant call but it all went bad, real bad.

If you are going to waste a down just spike it and setup the next play. That is the safest thing to do.

They should have just ran the ball with the beast mode. They would have won. Hell fake to beast and the QB runs it in. The game is one the line, FFS

:)