With a glorious win only one yard away, Russell Wilson throws away an amazing season and the Super Bowl title.
The Seattle Seahawks could’ve made Super Bowl history with another comeback, but instead they made a horribly bad decision to pass instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch.
The final score was 28-24 after the Seahawks fell just one yard short of scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the last minute of the game. A second straight championship was theirs for the taking at the 1-yard line. To many, it seemed like the game was already won. Seattle just had to move the football a mere 30 inches to defeat one of the greatest quarterbacks and sports franchises and end the season with a champagne shower. The situation called for a superhuman, Marshawn Lynch.
You could almost see the maniacal running back, known to many as “Beast Mode,” trampling defense men, diving into the end zone, and doing his hilarious handshake celebration. You could almost see the celebratory blue and green ticker tape falling at the University of Phoenix Stadium. But none of that happened last night; instead, in one moment, the Seahawks forgot who they were, and Super Bowl 49 turned into the most painful loss for the hopeful city of Seattle.
This had to be the stupidest play call ever in Super Bowl history, because this was a decision that will also go down as one of the most regrettable ever in Seattle sports. With only 26 seconds remaining, Wilson threw a quick slant intended for wide receiver Ricardo Lockette. Somehow New England cornerback Malcolm Butler sneaked up and leaped in front of the route, and intercepted the pass in the end zone, cementing New England’s place as the greatest franchise of this generation.
Game over. Legacy tainted. Hearts Broken.
A few minutes later, the Patriots celebrated a 28-24 victory that should have ended with another of the Seahawks’ miraculous comebacks.
“We had it, I don’t understand 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,” said a puzzled Bruce Irvin.
Irvin wasn’t the only one confused.
The Seahawks were able to return to the Super Bowl this season by staying close to their identity. They ran the ball better than any team in the league. They played punishing defense. They won close games by thriving in tense moments.
The Seahawks have the best power running back in the NFL, and Lynch had already rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown. He’s built for those short-yardage street fights. And he wins more than he loses. Anyone could’ve called that play.
If Marshawn had the ball, the Seahawks would become the first back-to-back NFL champion in 10 years. Instead, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called a dangerous play that ended in a heartbreaking end to an amazing season.
You can’t really do much but shake your head at this loss and ask why.
The explanation is only more maddening.
Pete Carroll claims the Seahawks didn’t have the personnel to run the ball. They had three wide receivers, a tight end and Lynch. The Patriots countered with their goal-line defensive package. Bevell didn’t think it was wise to run against New England’s defensive personnel, and Carroll agreed. So on second down and goal from the 1-yard line, the Seahawks threw a slant to Lockette, a receiver with only 25 career receptions.
“It’s not the right matchup for us to run the football. So on second down, we throw the ball, really to kind of waste that play. If we score, we do. If we don’t, then we’ll run it on third and fourth down. Really, with no second thoughts or hesitation in that at all.” – Seattle coach, Pete Carroll
We throw the ball, really to kind of waste that play.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It’s an incomprehensible and inexcusable explanation. Carroll should’ve chosen his words more carefully. It sounds as if the Seahawks weren’t even valuing that second-down opportunity.
They could’ve run the football with the personnel mismatch. Hello! Marshawn Lynch? What’s the worst that could happened? Maybe Lynch, who doesn’t have many negative runs, loses a yard or two. Even with a loss, they’d be at the 2- or 3-yard line. Lynch could’ve plowed his way to a touchdown that surely would’ve made the ground shake in Seattle once more.
The horrible offensive call overshadows a wonderful Super Bowl. It was a fantastic display of momentum swings and explosive offensive plays in the face of great defense. The Seahawks scored on four straight possessions in the second and third quarters to take a 24-14 lead. Doug Baldwin pretended to go potty after scoring a touchdown. Richard Sherman made a “24” gesture to the television cameras, likely taunting rival New England cornerback Darrelle Revis for giving up a score.
“We were right there, so I put the blame on me. I’m the one that threw the ball, ” said Russell Wilson, Seattle’s quarterback.
Meanwhile, Pete Carroll was willing to shoulder the blame, saying: “There’s really nobody to blame but me. I don’t want them to think anything other than that. A very, very hard lesson. I hate to learn the hard way, but there’s no other way to look at it right now.”
It’s a cringe-worthy moment for a franchise that was so close to greatness. This loss will haunt this city forever…
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Syed Mikhail Hussain is fan of all things NYC and Hip Hop. Winner of the sperm race back in ’89. He does a weekly basketball podcast. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter at @swishthis.
