Jeff Porter's Football Talk

[JNR]

Yep, agreed on your points. Also, Seattle chose to let the clock run down for at least 25 seconds before that pass play. And yes, it was a good idea to let the clock run down, because they didn't want to leave much time for Brady to bring the Pats back for a tying field goal attempt.

Here's a likely scenario: Seattle chooses to run the ball instead of throw on that play, and let's say NE stops them. Now it's 3rd down from the 1 or 2 yd line, Seattle stops the clock with their last timeout, there's around 20 seconds left. You can try a run play then, but that would pretty much be the last play of the game if they don't get it. Can you see it coming? People would then be saying "oh, you've run the ball on 1st and 2nd down, and didn't make it... why did they run again on 3rd down, knowing that if you don't make it there, the game's over??!!" lol It's what we humans do best.

It's a big chess match for the coaches: at any point in the game, maybe you're trying to look like a pass when you want to run on offense, trying to line up to stop the run then drop 7 into pass coverage on defense. For this particular play, it's 2nd and goal from the 1 yd line. Most football minds say the offense is going to run the ball. After that, it's a guessing game for the coaches.

Carroll and the Seahawks honestly thought the pass play called was a "waste" play... if a TD, great. If no TD, it's incomplete and the clock stops. They still have 1 timeout, maybe they caught NE looking to stop Lynch. It's really not the much of a stretch. It was a just an amazing defensive play by the NE player.

As a Pats fan, my initial reaction was thank you Pete Carroll for that stupid call, but as time passed I realized what you and Ty have said. I also initially thought Belichick was stupid for not calling a time out.

Other than the Celtics, my first 30 years of life was watching one championship disappointment after another and had become accustomed to second guessing (taking injured Bill Buckner out of game 6 for defensive purposes, Grady Little leaving Pedro in for too long against the Yankees, etc...). However, the last 15 years has helped to give me a more relaxed outlook.

There are many possible outcomes, but for me it comes down to #1, it is just a game, and #2 luck is involved, and #3 it does depend on execution. Think about Kearse's catch to get it to the 6 yard line, if Patriots #30 Duron Harmon kept playing the ball, Kearse probably would have never caught the ball. The interception by Butler is a great play and probably would not happen more than 1 out of every 100 plays, Browner kept Kearse from setting a pick of Butler that allowed the interception to occur. Butler also perfectly timed the play and was hit pretty hard upon catching the ball. Think about how often DB's can't catch a ball because their hands just aren't as good as receivers.

 

[Mike W]

I'm convinced too that giving it to the Beast would have been the way to go but let's not let Wilson off the hook for the play. The receiver was open and free enough that Butler couldn't have gotten to it if he had maybe even started the play from the shotgun and added some mustard to the pass. We've all seen quarterbacks get the pass to the guy that was even in tighter defense than that. So maybe not the best play call in the world but certainly not the worst. Wilson certainly didn't help things along, except for Butler. Oh, I arbitrarly cheered for the Pats this Super Bowl.

 

[Ty]

Yep, agreed on your points. Also, Seattle chose to let the clock run down for at least 25 seconds before that pass play. And yes, it was a good idea to let the clock run down, because they didn't want to leave much time for Brady to bring the Pats back for a tying field goal attempt.

Here's a likely scenario: Seattle chooses to run the ball instead of throw on that play, and let's say NE stops them. Now it's 3rd down from the 1 or 2 yd line, Seattle stops the clock with their last timeout, there's around 20 seconds left. You can try a run play then, but that would pretty much be the last play of the game if they don't get it. Can you see it coming? People would then be saying "oh, you've run the ball on 1st and 2nd down, and didn't make it... why did they run again on 3rd down, knowing that if you don't make it there, the game's over??!!" lol It's what we humans do best.

It's a big chess match for the coaches: at any point in the game, maybe you're trying to look like a pass when you want to run on offense, trying to line up to stop the run then drop 7 into pass coverage on defense. For this particular play, it's 2nd and goal from the 1 yd line. Most football minds say the offense is going to run the ball. After that, it's a guessing game for the coaches.

Carroll and the Seahawks honestly thought the pass play called was a "waste" play... if a TD, great. If no TD, it's incomplete and the clock stops. They still have 1 timeout, maybe they caught NE looking to stop Lynch. It's really not the much of a stretch. It was a just an amazing defensive play by the NE player.

I think that the defensive guy just happened to be standing in the right spot and managed to hold onto the ball. Still good but not miraculous.

 

[Coss]

One thing I feel that really took away from Butler (that was the Patriot that made the interception) was in a post game interview Belicheck he claimed "we knew that play was coming, that's why we had our people covering that close".
BS!! They had no idea that play was coming, it's just a way for upper management to grab glory away from those that deserve it.
Pro Football is a business; and just like any other business, upper management never gives credit to those that truly earn it.

 

[JEBar]

link to a thought provoking article :

"3 reasons the Seahawks are done as we know them"

much of the info given makes sense to me, it will be interesting to see if it proves to be correct

 

[Coss]

A lot of that is speculation. And they have already been working on how to deal with the cap next year (no, I don't have specifics, no one outside of the head office does).
I agree most with the final comment they made ......."we'll just have to wait and see".

 

[ross]

Go back and watch the last few minutes of the game, the Hawks had 2 timeouts left, if Russell had thrown the ball half a micro jiffy earlier and half a stride for the receiver earlier, different outcome, also watch Marshawn go to the left side of the end zone completely untouched, open and we know he can catch a football. As a farmer, a Seahawk fan, and an Elio fan, I know how to wait 'till next year.

 

[Coss]

Best comparison I have come up with is; remember last year when Sherman popped up in front of Crabtree in the end zone?
Now we know how the 49er's fans felt.
I know it does nothing to help with this year, but possibly gives us a perspective when the shoe is on the other foot.

I've been a Seahawks fan ever since day one of the franchise starting in 1976; back when the Nordstrom's owned the team; then the dark era in 1988 when Ken Behring owned the team and we saw it get stripped to junk status because he wanted us to say "screw the hawks; they're a worthless team" so that he could move the team out of Seattle. We went hunting for a new owner because even though they were the bottom of the pond scum at the time and he priced it like it was gold plated; we were lucky enough to get Paul Allen to step up and make them whole again.

So waiting till we see is not a problem for me; I'm a diehard Seahawks fan and always will be no matter how bad or however awesome they become.

Go Hawks!!

 

[JP]

A little late but this was my favorite moment from Sundayhttp://i.imgur.com/67xNyNf.gifv
http://i.imgur.com/67xNyNf.gifv

 

[ross]

Best comparison I have come up with is; remember last year when Sherman popped up in front of Crabtree in the end zone?
Now we know how the 49er's fans felt.
I know it does nothing to help with this year, but possibly gives us a perspective when the shoe is on the other foot.

I've been a Seahawks fan ever since day one of the franchise starting in 1976; back when the Nordstrom's owned the team; then the dark era in 1988 when Ken Behring owned the team and we saw it get stripped to junk status because he wanted us to say "screw the hawks; they're a worthless team" so that he could move the team out of Seattle. We went hunting for a new owner because even though they were the bottom of the pond scum at the time and he priced it like it was gold plated; we were lucky enough to get Paul Allen to step up and make them whole again.

So waiting till we see is not a problem for me; I'm a diehard Seahawks fan and always will be no matter how bad or however awesome they become.

Go Hawks!!

I have suffered along with you. Until the last few years, the only player we could love was Steve Largent. Now we have a team of young over achievers, most of which were taken in late rounds of the draft, or undrafted free agents.
Yes I remember when Richard Sherman tipped the ball to Malcolm Smith in front of Crabtree, I also remember the rant he gave to Erin Andrews right after the game.
Don't forget we were down by 12 with 5 minutes left to Green Bay when Russell threw the fourth interception to Kearse and come on, you thought it was over just like I did. It had to hurt worse in Green Bay than it did in Frisco.
Two timeouts left 26 seconds on the clock and Marshawn in the backfield. Emmitt Smith and Dwight Clark both called it " The dumbest play call in NFL history"
Will Ferrell tweeted about Marshawn "Ya'll know why I'm here, Well everyone but Pete Carroll"
If they should happen to win the Super Bowl next year, and I hope they do, that last play will keep Russell Wilson from being the only quarterback in NFL history to win three in a row. He is starting from scratch. GO HAWKS!!