First of all, congratulations to the New England Patriots. They employed the same dink and dunk strategy against the now-former Champs as the Denver Broncos tried to execute a year ago, and just like the San Diego Chargers in Week 2, they made it work.
The end of the third quarter is where it turned for good. You just knew that when the Seahawks only managed a field goal on their first drive after halftime, that was going to come back to bite them. And then, after scoring to go up 24-14, and getting a stop on the New England's next series, a nice, long drive pounding away with Lynch and the read option, get another score, we're up 31-14, and it's, if not game, then pretty darn close. Instead, Seattle goes three and out, the first of three straight. As I commented on Facebook, "That Kearse drop hurt. Pats have to feel like they've weathered the storm. They're only down ten, and there's still a whole quarter left to go." Sure enough, Tom Brady drives the Pats down the field, TD pass to Danny Amendola. 24-21. Another 'hawks three and out. Down the field Brady drives the Pats again. TD pass to Julian Edelman. 28-24.
Somehow I didn't turn off my TV. Okay, my son was recording the game, so I couldn't, at least not yet. Kickoff is a touchback. First play, Wilson throws a dime to Marshawn Lynch on the left sideline, just over midfield. A couple of incompletions later, he throws another to Jermaine Kearse at the ten yard line that doinks off of every part of his body without his losing his concentration and falls into his hands. Two Lynch runs and the ball is on the one yard line. Bill Belichick calls his first timeout in anticipation of having to mount a last-ditch field goal drive. Second and goal.
And then what my cousin on Facebook called "Dumbest call ever - why didn't Wilson override it?....this is historic bonehead and will be remembered as long as the Super Bowl is played....The best one-yard back in football and three tries" - and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell calls a pass. Sure, if it works instead of getting picked off at the goal line, we're not having this conversation, but even if it had fallen incomplete, it would still have stopped the clock, and the 'hawks still had one timeout in reserve if Lynch hadn't gotten into the end zone on a running play. Don't you want the clock to keep ticking at that point?
I know it's easy to second-guess, to play Monday morning quarterback - or, in this case, Sunday evening quarterback - and nothing should be taken away from how, as I also observed on Facebook, we won the second and third quarters and New England won the first and the fourth. They finished the game, we didn't - particularly the #1 defense in football, as you could see in the expression on Richard Sherman's face after the Patriots' go-ahead touchdown - and they deserved to win.
But....the best one-yard back in football and three tries from the one-bleeping-yard line, a repeat ours for the taking, and Darrell Bevell calls....a pass.
Exit Facebook quote: "The question 12s are going to be asking all off-season: Why didn't we give it to Marshawn Lynch one more time?"
UPDATE: After the game, Pete Carroll took the blame for the "historic bonehead". I don't know if he was just protecting Bevell or if it really was his call. Doesn't much matter either way, as it was still the biggest brain fart in Super Bowl history.
And I just learned about the huge brawl that got linebacker Bruce Irvin ejected, and has doubtless earned the Seahawks the "sore loser" label for all time. I can understand Irvin's frustration, what with the LOB getting torched twice in the fourth quarter - recall the expression on Aaron Rodgers' face....
....after Jermaine Kearse's winning touchdown in overtime two weeks ago; he could have bitten through carbon neutronium, his teeth were so clenched - but if you're going to melt down, you save it for your hotel room later on, you don't vent it on the field. "Unprofessional" doesn't begin to describe it, and Seahawk-haters around the country are doubtless already having a field day. Well, they're welcome.
Ultimately, Irvin can charge his fine to Darrell Bevell's - or Pete Carroll's - tab.
No comments:
Post a Comment