Steelers MMQB: Super Bowl Weekend Wrap Up
By Kim Myers
Pete Carroll’s enormous balls
Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) talks with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll during a timeout in the second quarter of Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
All the talk leading up to the Super Bowl has been about the New England Patriots’ balls. But, the Seahawks have some balls too, you know. At the end of the first half of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks had the opportunity to kick a short field goal and go into the locker room down only four points knowing they’d get the ball back to start the second half. Instead, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll took a huge risk calling a pass play that paid off when Russell Wilson connected with Chris Matthews on an 11-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left in the half.
Carroll decided to take another risk down by four points with around thirty seconds left on the clock from the 1-yard line on second down with one timeout he calls for Wilson to throw a slant to Ricardo Lockette which was intercepted by Patriots corner Malcom Butler. That has got to be the worst play call in sports history. Marshawn Lynch had just gained 4 yards on the previous down after Jermaine Kearse made one of the most amazing catches we all should be talking about right now instead of how friggin dumb Carroll was for calling a pass on 2nd and goal from the one.
What makes it worse is that the Seahawks still had a chance after that. Butler came out of the endzone with the ball instead of going down and causing a touchback so backed up in their own endzone Brady could not kneel down to let the clock run out, he had to move the ball forward. So naturally, Michael Bennet of the Seahawks jumps offsides and gives the Patriots the room they need to kneel down and clinch their fourth Super Bowl victory. Unreal.
Next: Super Bowl MVP