Eauz wrote:You know what, everyone seems to be obsessed with the how the wrong play was called, but from my understanding, their goal was to try and kill time on the clock so they could run it in and prevent any chance of NE scoring again. In the end, both teams played well, regardless if people who were not actually playing think the wrong play was called. Unless something really messed up happens with Seattle this off season, they will most likely be there again next year.
Actually, I'm not sure if you know American Football well or not, some Canadians do, some don't. But what has been talked about was the issue that the clock was winding down. In AF, if you throw and incomplete pass it stops the game clock. If you run out of bounds, it does the same, but if you run the ball and are stopped in bounds it does not stop the game clock. It was 2nd down, and the clock was at around 20 seconds to play. If Seattle runs it there, and does miss the end zone they almost have to call that last time out, bringing the down to third, and almost guaranteeing a pass play to follow. Meaning it would be easier to defend because New England could sell out their defense based on a coming pass play. ESPN commentators have been offering up this defense, mediocre that it is, and it is actually reasonable under those circumstances.
The issues though are still twofold:
1)
The Immortal Goon wrote:It's true they were trying to run out the clock, but if it was going to be a surprise pass, it should have been to one of the corners where there was less room for a pick.
This.
2) Marshawn Lynch (The Seachicken RB) had all kinds of momentum going into the play. He was a beast all game, and was in complete and utter beast mode. This is the most baffling aspect, to be honest. From a game management standpoint the pass call wasn't as horrible as it looked at first glance, but in terms of "riding the hot hand" it was an absolutely unforgivable call. I'd be willing to bet that in 95/100 attempts, all things being equal, Lynch would have run that rock right into the end zone.
With Carroll as accomplished a coach as he is, I find it baffling that he couldn't see that. Their may be some small element at play of scoring too fast or something, but 20 seconds it hardly enough time to kick off and sustain any kind of game-tying field goal drive, and there is very little chance the Patriots could have succeded on what would have had to have been back-to-back hail marys. (Presumably one from about their own 20 yard line, and a second from around either the 50 yard line, or if lucky, Seattle's 40).
"When do you ask yourself,
'Maybe everyone else isn't wrong for using the definitions of words; maybe I'm wrong for making up new definitions of words and then using them as crude slurs' -TiG
Indeed. But I'm going with the black magic explanation overall.
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