Did Seattle's last minute interception cost them the Superbowl in 2015?

[Greg Bernhardt]

I loathe the Patriots so I'm going with Seattle 31-28

If anyone hits their prediction on the dot, they will get gold membership!

Don't forget to watch the Puppy Bowl.

 

[Borg]

I loathe the Patriots so I'm going with Seattle 31-28

If anyone hits their prediction on the dot, they will get gold membership!

Seattle 17 - 10 over the Patriots.

Don't forget to watch the Puppy Bowl.

To miss it would be sacrilege! :w

 

[Drakkith]

Patriots 21 - 10 over the Seahawks.

 

[Matterwave]

Well...pretty horrible decision to make that passing play eh? ...

 

[BobG]

Well...pretty horrible decision to make that passing play eh? ...

No.

1) They had enough time to run three plays, but only if one of them was a pass play that fell incomplete.

2) You want at least one of those plays to be Marshawn Lynch running the ball.

3) You want at least one of those Marshawn Lynch running plays to be the type of running play Lynch excels at; not just a pile up at the line of scrimmage any running back could run, since it's the offensive/defensive lines that would determine the result of the play.

4) Both teams know the type of running play the Seahawks would really like to see Lynch run.

The line-up the Seahawks used gave the best chance of setting up Lynch for his best type of running play, but only if the Patriots responded by choosing a more spread defense over a traditional goal line defense. I'd also have to concede the chance of the Patriots playing into the Seahawks hand and setting up in the defense the Seahawks wanted was small.

But that also meant the play the Seahawks called had a viable chance of succeeding and they were going to have to use at least one plassing play if they hoped for three chances to score.

The Patiots practiced that particular set-up, though. In fact, Butler got burned on it in practice and chewed out on it (which he mentioned in a post game interview). He was already shading inside before the ball was even snapped. That was designed to be a pick play, with Kearse/Browner getting in the way of Butler. That didn't happen because Browner made a great play to jam Kearse at the line of scrimmage, giving Butler a straight line route to his man - and he beat his man to the ball.

Aside from Butler doing his job (and doing it well), he made a great play to hang onto that ball in spite of colliding with the Seahawks receiver he was covering.

You got to give him (and Browner) credit. He just made a great play.

Kind of funny how things work out sometimes. Butler doesn't play that much. He played a lot this game because he's a big cornerback. The cornerback that should be in the Patriots line-up, Arrington, is smaller. Chris Mathews, a seldom used receiver for the Seahawks, is big and was taking Arrington to town on plays to designed to take advantage of the size difference. Mathews forced the Patriots to switch to a bigger cornerback, which is why Butler got so much playing time.

 

[DiracPool]

I live in Tacoma, I can't believe we lost, what a bummer

 

[Matterwave]

No.

1) They had enough time to run three plays, but only if one of them was a pass play that fell incomplete.

2) You want at least one of those plays to be Marshawn Lynch running the ball.

3) You want at least one of those Marshawn Lynch running plays to be the type of running play Lynch excels at; not just a pile up at the line of scrimmage any running back could run, since it's the offensive/defensive lines that would determine the result of the play.

4) Both teams know the type of running play the Seahawks would really like to see Lynch run.

1) So the solution is "Let's make a passing play towards the most dangerous/risky/well covered area of the field"? lol? If they HAD TO make a passing play, then at least pass towards the side lines?

2) - 4) This is just asking to be too clever for your own good. "Well, what if the other team HAPPENS to give me the defense I want so I can HAPPEN to burn EXACTLY 32 seconds off of 3 plays so I can make a TD on 4th down and make sure Tom Brady can't get on the field?". Where as if you run the ball on 2nd down, and Marshawn fails to get a TD, you still have 1 timeout and 2 downs left to get that TD you need. There's also almost no chance Marshawn can't get a measly .5 yards in 3 downs.

The play was absolutely a horrible call, if not the worst of all time.

EDIT: I'd like to also point out that although Butler deserve full credit for that amazing interception, this fact does not change the fact that the OC deserves to be fired for this horrible horrible horrible play.

 

[SteamKing]

I think Bill Belichick used one of his Jedi Mind Tricks on Pete Carroll before he sent in that last play for the Seahawks. ;)

Either that, or Belichick sent some pictures of Carroll in a compromising position to one of those MS Surface tablets the Seahawks use.

Or maybe the Patriots found a hack which allowed them to substitute a bad play on the Seahawk play list for that last down.

 

[BobG]

The play was absolutely a horrible call, if not the worst of all time.

I can think of at least two that were worse that had no logic at all.

Browns trailing Raiders 14-12 in the 1981 playoffs. Browns have the ball around the Raiders 10 with less than a minute to go. It's only 2nd or 3rd down, so why not try for the TD instead of settling for a FG? Sipe throws an interception on a timing play when the defensive back reads the play and jumps the route. Justification? It's around 10 degrees and they're playing on a horrible field. The holder could have botched the snap or the placement on such a lousy field in such bad weather. Raiders go on to win the Super Bowl - the Browns have still never been to a Super Bowl.

My favorite "worst" play of all time was the play that created a brand new cuss word: Pisarcik! Giants have a four point lead and the ball with about 30 seconds left and the Eagles are out of time outs. Most quarterbacks successfully kneel down with the ball in that situation. Joe Pisarcik chooses to hand off in that situation, fumbles the ball, and Herman Edwards of the Eagles picks it up and runs the length of the field for an Eagles touchdown! I don't think the Giants even tried to justify that one. I think they just mumbled a lot.

Actually, I could think of a third. Green Bay trailing Dallas by 3, Green Bay on the 1 on 4th down with about 15 seconds left. The FG to send the game into overtime would seem like a no-brainer. Instead, Bart Starr runs a quarterback sneak - except he actually scored and won the game. Justifcation? It was about 15 degrees below zero and the players may not have survived playing overtime. They seriously had to end that game one way or another.

 

[Matterwave]

I can think of at least two that were worse that had no logic at all.

Browns trailing Raiders 14-12 in the 1981 playoffs. Browns have the ball around the Raiders 10 with less than a minute to go. It's only 2nd or 3rd down, so why not try for the TD instead of settling for a FG? Sipe throws an interception on a timing play when the defensive back reads the play and jumps the route. Justification? It's around 10 degrees and they're playing on a horrible field. The holder could have botched the snap or the placement on such a lousy field in such bad weather. Raiders go on to win the Super Bowl - the Browns have still never been to a Super Bowl.

My favorite "worst" play of all time was the play that created a brand new cuss word: Pisarcik! Giants have a four point lead and the ball with about 30 seconds left and the Eagles are out of time outs. Most quarterbacks successfully kneel down with the ball in that situation. Joe Pisarcik chooses to hand off in that situation, fumbles the ball, and Herman Edwards of the Eagles picks it up and runs the length of the field for an Eagles touchdown! I don't think the Giants even tried to justify that one. I think they just mumbled a lot.

Actually, I could think of a third. Green Bay trailing Dallas by 3, Green Bay on the 1 on 4th down with about 15 seconds left. The FG to send the game into overtime would seem like a no-brainer. Instead, Bart Starr runs a quarterback sneak - except he actually scored and won the game. Justifcation? It was about 15 degrees below zero and the players may not have survived playing overtime. They seriously had to end that game one way or another.

Did any of these plays single handidly lose a Superbowl? Even if we accept that these plays are worse, that would make the Seahawk's play yesterday the 4th worst play of all time then?

 

[gravenewworld]

In order for Seattle to have made 3 plays with the amount of time they had left, they would have had to pass at least once. If they ran the ball on 2nd down and they didn't make it in they would have had to use a time out. That means it would have been impossible for them to run the ball on 3rd down, because if they did and didn't make it in, they would have had no time left for another play on 4th down meaning NE would have known they were defending for a pass play on 3rd down. By throwing it on 2nd down, Seattle was trying to keep NE guessing--by having to defend against both the run and the pass--and guaranteeing (somewhat) that they'd still have the chance for 3 plays. In the end it just didn't work out, but if it did, all the headlines would have been calling it the greatest play call of all time. They should have simply picked a safer passing play...like a rollout with options to run if there is room or throw it away if no one is open.

Not saying I agree with their call at all, but just trying to explain where Seattle was coming from. If it were up to me, I would have pounded it in with Marshawn in 2 tries, but then again, we're not the coach in the SB.

 

[BobG]

They should have simply picked a safer passing play...like a rollout with options to run if there is room or throw it away if no one is open.

Not saying I agree with their call at all, but just trying to explain where Seattle was coming from. If it were up to me, I would have pounded it in with Marshawn in 2 tries, but then again, we're not the coach in the SB.

Or a play action pass. If New England was intent enough on stopping Lynch that they stayed in their goal line defense against a 3 receiver set, then Seattle could have at least given them a look at Lynch coming down the middle whether he had the ball or not.

The play they ran is still a low risk play. It should be a TD or an incompletion, with very little chance for interception (but not zero). It also reduces the risk of a sack or a holding penalty, which, statistically, is a higher probability than an interception.

The pass should be low, though. You don't want a collision between defender/receiver sending the ball up into the air. The pass wasn't incredibly high, but it was getting up into that higher risk zone (obviously, given that Butler intercepted it).

 

[JLowe]

They could have ran the ball, and still had enough time for two passing plays. If that ball isn't caught, numerous bad things can happen in that area of the field. I understand Lynch doesn't excel at the goal line, but IMO you got to run it there with the time they had left and the timeout.

 

[206PiruBlood]

I loathe the Patriots so I'm going with Seattle 31-28

If anyone hits their prediction on the dot, they will get gold membership!

Nice had Seattle scored on that last play you would have been dead on.

Also, I'm still sad.