In perhaps one of the most questionable play calls in Super Bowl history, the Seattle Seahawks decided to run a pass play from the one-yard line with 26 seconds left in Sunday's game. The team's coaching staff weighed in on the decision.
Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll took responsibility for the play call and said the decision was his. Quarterback Russell Wilson had only thrown 20 passes up until that point and running back Marshawn Lynch had amassed 102 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, which has further baffled many as to why they would throw a pass in such a situation.
"We were going to run the ball in to win the game, but not on that play," Carroll said, via Terry Blount of ESPN. "I didn't want to waste a run play on their goal-line guys. It was a clear thought, but it didn't work out right. The guy [Butler] made a play that no one would have thought he could make."
However, the pass was clearly intended to score a touchdown as wide receiver Ricardo Lockette ran a quick slant in hopes of catching the ball and crossing the goal line. Patriots' cornerback Malcolm Butler jumped the route and picked it off, which sealed the deal for New England and gave quarterback Tom Brady his fourth Super Bowl ring. Lynch's success on the ground coupled with the team's scarce passing game made the decision all the more puzzling.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell's explanation for the play call was perhaps the most bewildering.
"We were conscious of how much time was on the clock, and we wanted to use it all," Bevell said. "It didn't turn out the way I hoped it would."
Unless Seattle was planning to gain zero yards on the pass, using all of the time left on the clock would not have been a possibility. Additionally, if the pass happened to fall incomplete, that would have stopped the clock as well and Tom Brady would have had some time to get the Patriots into field goal range if Seattle were to have scored on the ensuing play.
The Seahawks failed to repeat as Super Bowl champs and left the field in disappointment. However, Lynch wasn't surprised by the play call or by the fact that the team didn't decide to give him the ball in the late-game goal-line situation.
Why?
"Because football is a team sport," he told Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network.
