2014 NFL Season

[pilferk]

No matter how you slice it Carroll out thought himself and blew it big time. It is entirely possible the Pats could've kept Lynch out of the endzone but the odds were in Seattle's favor from the half yard line. If you do it and don't make it you call timeout and really think about what to do on third down. If you decide to run on third down too you probably don't have time for a 4th down. So maybe try a pass and if it is incomplete you do have 4th down opportunity.

Run 2nd, for sure. 

Quick fade to the back of the endzone on 3rd, to protect the clock.

4th down is a free for all. Likely, you let Lynch try to punch through, if you're STILL on the half yard line.

[faldor]

I just have a hard time boiling down the outcome of the game to a single play call. What happened, happened. Seattle marched down the field seamlessly at the end of each half. NE couldn't make a play the first time around, they did when it mattered most. It's amazing how much perception can change due to ONE play call. Up until that very last play Pete Carroll was on his way to his 2nd Super Bowl, on the verge of a dynasty, and approaching the area of all time great coaches. With that one play call, his reputation has been knocked down way more than a few pegs. I just don't know if that's completely fair. He made a bad decision in the heat of the moment, but I think it's being overblown. Players are throwing coaches under the bus and vice versa.

Again, you can't blame any loss on ONE play. Lots of things could've been done differently throughout the course of the game. Accept that, and move on. Lose with some class. Not even mentioning the mini brawl the Seahawks started at the end when it all set in. They showed their true colors there, and with some of their post game comments.

[pilferk]

I just have a hard time boiling down the outcome of the game to a single play call. What happened, happened. Seattle marched down the field seamlessly at the end of each half. NE couldn't make a play the first time around, they did when it mattered most. It's amazing how much perception can change due to ONE play call. Up until that very last play Pete Carroll was on his way to his 2nd Super Bowl, on the verge of a dynasty, and approaching the area of all time great coaches. With that one play call, his reputation has been knocked down way more than a few pegs. I just don't know if that's completely fair. He made a bad decision in the heat of the moment, but I think it's being overblown. Players are throwing coaches under the bus and vice versa.

Again, you can't blame any loss on ONE play. Lots of things could've been done differently throughout the course of the game. Accept that, and move on. Lose with some class. Not even mentioning the mini brawl the Seahawks started at the end when it all set in. They showed their true colors there, and with some of their post game comments.

Oh, I agree. It wasn't ONE play that ultimately led them to the loss.  Seattle's defense could have won that game by showing up in the 4th quarter.  And I thought the Pats actually played better for 3/4 of the game, and Seattle was kinda lucky to hit the end of the first half with a tie score.

But that one play was SOOOOOOOOOO dumb, SOOOOOOO ridiculously bad, that it casts a pretty large shadow on the results.  It's not the ONLY reason, but it certainly has to be considered ONE of the reasons. And it's the one that's going to be talked about simply because it stands out as being SOOOOOOOOOO terrible.  It's an easy conversation starter...and Carroll does deserve some blame/heat for it, because, whether it came from him or the OC....the buck stops there.  And his rationale/explanation, post game, didn't do him any favors either.

I mean..the Hawks could have run 2nd,3rd, and 4th downs..and STILL lost the game. But I sure think there chances would have been better doing that than with what they did, ultimately, do.

Also agree...the Hawks were pretty much classless at varying points throughout the game...the brawl just being the cherry on top. 

[GeorgeSteele]

Agree that it's unfair to boil the entire game down to that one play, but can any of you think of one play in SB history that swung the win/loss probability of a game more than that interception?  Closest I think is the Rams getting stopped at the 1 yard line by the Titans at the last play of the game.  Even that doesn't compare, the TD would have only tied the game.

[faldor]

Belichick explains his decision to not call a timeout at the end of the Super Bowl
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4777871/bill-belichick-explains-decision-not-to-take-timeout-at-end-of-super-bowl

Belichick defends Seahawks play call
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12277589/criticism-seattle-seahawks-play-call-line-bill-belichick-new-england-patriots-says

[pilferk]

Belichick explains his decision to not call a timeout at the end of the Super Bowl
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4777871/bill-belichick-explains-decision-not-to-take-timeout-at-end-of-super-bowl

Belichick defends Seahawks play call
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12277589/criticism-seattle-seahawks-play-call-line-bill-belichick-new-england-patriots-says

I agree with the first.

He is full of shit on the second. Totally, 100%, completely full of shit.. Hof players and coaches are calling the play call stupid. Emmit fucking smith called it the dumbest play call in history. Most every well healed, respected, analyst is callng it a terrible call, too. Bellichick isnt the only person on the planet "qualified" to comment, no matter what he thinks. The fact it benefited his team, and, hell,was something he helped orchestrate in some ways, actually makes me think he is uniquely unqualified to comment.

The only part he is right on is where he insinuates that carroll shouldnt be defined, totally,through his career, by that one bad call. It was dumb. You live, and learn,and move on.

He's also being gracious and,really,what else is he going to say. Hes commenting on an active coach,who he will likely face again. When has Bill ever called out an active coach? Rex? Maybe in a half hearted, back handed, way? No way...he goes out of his way to say the most boring, least interesting, thing possible. Hes the anti-rex ryan.

[Bodhi]

What a great game.  It is a little sad though that the only thing people are talking about is that final play, it is understandable though.  Tom Brady after throwing his second pick of the night went on to the greatest fourth quarter in a Super Bowl for a quarterback, ever.  Largest fourth quarter comeback in Super Bowl History!  Also, unlike the last 2 Super Bowls where he left the field with the lead late in the fourth, this time his defense made a play.  I am never a fan of comparing current players to the past.  It is way too common especially today in the social media driven sports world for a guy to make  few nice plays  and all the sudden they are "the next Jordan" or whoever.  But for me, this win makes Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of at least the Super Bowl era.  4 titles, 6 appearances, in the free agency era?  Absurd.

[faldor]

Belichick explains his decision to not call a timeout at the end of the Super Bowl
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4777871/bill-belichick-explains-decision-not-to-take-timeout-at-end-of-super-bowl

Belichick defends Seahawks play call
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12277589/criticism-seattle-seahawks-play-call-line-bill-belichick-new-england-patriots-says

I agree with the first.

He is full of shit on the second. Totally, 100%, completely full of shit.. Hof players and coaches are calling the play call stupid. Emmit fucking smith called it the dumbest play call in history. Most every well healed, respected, analyst is callng it a terrible call, too. Bellichick isnt the only person on the planet "qualified" to comment, no matter what he thinks. The fact it benefited his team, and, hell,was something he helped orchestrate in some ways, actually makes me think he is uniquely unqualified to comment.

The only part he is right on is where he insinuates that carroll shouldnt be defined, totally,through his career, by that one bad call. It was dumb. You live, and learn,and move on.

He's also being gracious and,really,what else is he going to say. Hes commenting on an active coach,who he will likely face again. When has Bill ever called out an active coach? Rex? Maybe in a half hearted, back handed, way? No way...he goes out of his way to say the most boring, least interesting, thing possible. Hes the anti-rex ryan.

True, he's not going to call out any coach. That's not his style. Every team and coach they face, he waxes poetic about, regardless of how good or bad they really are. But I don't think he's being disingenuous. He too has been criticized for making some calls that people disagreed with. 4th and 2 at Indy a few years back is most notable. He got blasted for going for that when they came up a few inches short. He's also gone for it on 4th down on their own 30 before, a highly questionable call. But it worked that time, so it's viewed much differently.

Pete Carroll lost a National Championship to Texas when Lendale White was unable to run it in at the goal line. The opening drive of the 2nd half the Pats held Lynch to no gain on a crucial 3rd and 1, and the Seahawks had to settle for the game's only FG. Lynch was 1 out of 5 running the ball in from the 1 yard line this year, 5 for 12 in his career. Maybe some of these things were running through his head when he made the split second decision. I think worse than the play call itself, is their time management on that last drive. They had 3 timeouts at the start of the drive and burned 2 when the clock was already stopped. If they had just 1 more timeout they would've been able to run the ball 3 times potentially. Also, Carroll wanted to leave the Pats with as little time left as possible. So in essence, they were a little rushed themselves.

I've seen a screen shot of what Wilson saw when he was about to release the ball. Lockette was wide open. He probably felt he could easily sneak the ball in there. What he didn't anticipate is Butler making a perfect break on the ball and beating the receiver to it. One of the most miraculous end of game plays that I've ever seen. And in a game of that magnitude, just unbelievable.

[faldor]

What a great game.  It is a little sad though that the only thing people are talking about is that final play, it is understandable though.  Tom Brady after throwing his second pick of the night went on to the greatest fourth quarter in a Super Bowl for a quarterback, ever.  Largest fourth quarter comeback in Super Bowl History!  Also, unlike the last 2 Super Bowls where he left the field with the lead late in the fourth, this time his defense made a play.  I am never a fan of comparing current players to the past.  It is way too common especially today in the social media driven sports world for a guy to make  few nice plays  and all the sudden they are "the next Jordan" or whoever.  But for me, this win makes Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of at least the Super Bowl era.  4 titles, 6 appearances, in the free agency era?  Absurd.

You won't get an argument from me. It's tough to compare players from different eras though. Brady has won with a number of different supporting casts, due to free agency and salary cap ramifications. People have some strong opinions for both guys. It doesn't really matter to me though. The fact that Brady is in the conversation as GOAT, is remarkable. He's a special player, that's for sure. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I hate to think of life without Tom and/or Bill, but that day will come. For now, I'll enjoy this as much as I can.

[faldor]

Axl4Prez, this one's for you. I know we had a little debate about this draft day trade back when it was made. Looks pretty good for the Pats right now.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/291007631.html

[Sober_times]

Well...GO PATRIOTS. 

My week long haze of celebrating and everything else is over(I took the Superbowl week off this year as I had planned to go to Phoenix for the Weekend of the Superbowl and then Vegas but it fell through). What a crazy game. Brady being almost perfect on the last two drives. Edelman coming in clutch in multiple moments. Belichick sitting back, not calling timeout, resting his laurels on the defense he built and the idea Carrol would make a mistake. A bad play call(not the worst ever that some have proclaimed, but a bad one) and a fantastic play by a rookie free agent and the Patriots won their first Superbowl in 10 years. I literally sat speech less for a good 5-10 minutes after the last 11 or so minutes of that game played out. My friends and family cheering and going crazy and me just sitting there staring at the screen watching it all unfold as if it was some dream sequence that couldn't possibly be real. And then I snapped out and celebrated with the rest of the fans I watched with.

The next morning I woke up, well afternoon, and I was laying in bed remembering the miracle grab on the five yard line and having flashbacks to Manningham and Tyree. Then a few seconds later I realized the Patriots won and a big smile went across my face. Unbelievable.

[tim_m]

I know everyone is focusing on when a bad play call it was, i'm not hearing much criticism of Wilson. That was a terrible throw. If it's thrown more to the right its a game winning touchdown.

[faldor]

I know everyone is focusing on when a bad play call it was, i'm not hearing much criticism of Wilson. That was a terrible throw. If it's thrown more to the right its a game winning touchdown.

True to a point. If that was another QB, like Romo for example, he'd be getting blasted. Not the coach or the coordinator. But, if you see what Wilson saw, the receiver was wide open when he released the ball. He led him towards the end zone. Butler just made an amazing read and break on the ball and beat Lockette to it. He anticipated perfectly, Wilson didn't expect Butler to break through, but Browner prevented the pick from being set. He and Butler played it perfectly. Wilson, hoped or assumed his receivers would do the same. They didn't. I don't think you can assign blame to any one specific person.

[Sober_times]

I know everyone is focusing on when a bad play call it was, i'm not hearing much criticism of Wilson. That was a terrible throw. If it's thrown more to the right its a game winning touchdown.

True to a point. If that was another QB, like Romo for example, he'd be getting blasted. Not the coach or the coordinator. But, if you see what Wilson saw, the receiver was wide open when he released the ball. He led him towards the end zone. Butler just made an amazing read and break on the ball and beat Lockette to it. He anticipated perfectly, Wilson didn't expect Butler to break through, but Browner prevented the pick from being set. He and Butler played it perfectly. Wilson, hoped or assumed his receivers would do the same. They didn't. I don't think you can assign blame to any one specific person.

I agree. This is the play as Wilson is about to throw it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8z0jLiIYAMCtkV.jpg:large

It was a great play by Butler. If anything the wr Lockett could have made a stronger attempt at the ball.

[faldor]

Bob Kravitz, the guy who broke the news on Deflategate, apologized in a sense for jumping the gun today. His assumptions led many others down the same path. Terrible journalism, at least he realizes it now. There are many others though who followed his lead and are sticking to their convictions. It's embarassing.

http://www.wthr.com/story/28071580/kravitz-a-sort-of-mea-culpa-on-deflategate