Quote:
Originally Posted by tvp2003
I agree the single timeout remaining had the biggest influence on the play call. Run on second down and get stuffed, your only options are to quickly run another play on third down (no) or to call timeout and then throw on third down (especially after you've bled the clock down and will have no timeouts left. Also, I'm pretty sure it was Lynch who was stuffed for a loss on third and one earlier in the quarter? Or am I misremembering? EDIT: according to the play-by-play it was the first drive of the second half -- Seattle with 3rd and 1 from the 8 and Lynch is stopped for no gain (resulted in a field goal). It said they were lined up in the shotgun though -- perhaps a precursor of things to come?
I disagree that the better pass call would have been a back corner fade -- too risky IMO. If the ball is even slightly underthrown, it could be an INT. If the DB has good position, it becomes a jump ball. I think the safest call would have been play action, and leak someone out into the flat. If it's not there, you simply throw it away.
Even the pick play they called -- I bet they ran that multiple times this season and it was extremely successful (albeit maybe not on the goal line, although it must have been part of their red zone package -- unless they completely went stupid and called something off the script). For all intents and purposes it was properly executed by the Seahawks -- the guy was open and the throw was on the money. You just can't anticipate the DB jumping the route so quickly -- he got there before the receiver did.
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The idea was to catch the Pats off guard with the tight formation and expected run. A throw was coming on either 2nd or 3rd down. If Lynch cant punch it through on 2nd down, then they call time out and spread the O for a higher percantage play. Incompletion stops the clock for a final Lynch run on 4th down.
All Bevell did was bump the throw play up to 2nd down. Probably not a great play call, but it can be somewhat rationalized. Because its the superbowl, people will rush to call it the worst call in history, which I think is a little dramatic.