How Bellichick Outsmarted Seattle On That Pick Play

Even now, nearly a week after the most infamous play in Super Bowl history, many are scratching their heads regarding Pete Carroll's decision making in using that pick play to try to get a TD - instead of rushing Marshawn Lynch from the 1/2 yard 'line'. (Yes, that's all it was. One half yard, not 'one yard', not 'two yards').  As we all know, Carroll opted for that play rather than a run and it ended with Malcolm Butler intercepting it for the Patsies. (See image)

Carroll, in an interview with Matt Lauer several days ago, gave a bravura performance in what has to be the most ridiculous rationalization ever for a play - referring to the "process" the team went through in selecting a play.  And oh, by the way, the Pats had their goal line unit in. So what? Here's the deal, even if they had the unit on, the odds of a pass succeeding were slim and none, no matter how well Wilson threw the ball.

Here's why: In the Charlie Rose interview two days ago, with Robert Kraft, it was revealed the Pats knew all about that Seahawks' pick play from the tapes and had been working on it since before they left NE.  Kraft even joked that Brady rubbed it into Butler's face after he missed several chances to disrupt it. Finally, after solid advice from Bellichick - to launch his move before the receiver's turn - Butler nailed it.  He was ready and waiting- like a snake for a mongoose in a field- when Carroll fell into the trap of using it at the end of the Super Bowl.

How did Bellichick know it would be used? While being dunned all week by blowhards on 'Inside the NFL' and the NFL channel for letting time run off the clock (nearly 30 secs) there was actually a method to Bellichick's madness. That is, he opted to not take a time out in order to see Carroll's response. Remember, the Seahawks wanted to score but not leave too much clock time for Brady to get his offense moving.

Yes, Bellichick gambled - since if the pick was a success there'd have been virtually no time left to score. But again, the NE drills to defend the pick had been so successful there were no worries. Butler was zoned in and knew exactly what he had to do.

Bellichick and the Pats knew exactly what was coming when Carroll refused to stop the clock but let it run down to 0:26.  Thus, Bellichick knew with so little time left Carroll and his O-brain trust would not be able to afford losing many seconds if Lynch failed to score. Two failed run efforts might easily have sucked up all 26 seconds and even one failed effort might have knocked off more time than Seattle was willing to risk. Hence, the option to throw the ball on 2nd and goal instead of run - but leaving the run option if the pass failed.

But Carroll outsmarted himself. He planned for the pick play  -but so did NE. At the very least, if he was going to use a pass play he ought to have devised another option - maybe the would-be MVP Chris Mathews jumping for it in the flat - overpowering and out -jumping any NE DBs.

Carroll says he wants to use this failure to move forward, but for most Seattle fans they will never forget the golden chance they had and how Petie boy let it slip away. They also realize they may never get the chance again, given how difficult it is to get to the 'show'. 

From The Maryland Legislature to Seahawks: "BEAT PATRIOTS' ASS"! (And SB Follow-Up)

Tom Brady gets sacked in 4th quarter of Packers game in November.  Seattle should be able to do the same and keep this cheater off balance . 

The actual order (more of a request) from the Maryland Legislature (according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer) was "Please! Beat Patriot A**!"   With which no red -blooded American football lover with an inch of moral fiber could disagree. After all, these are the most notorious cheaters of all time, from their Spygate infamy to the recent deflategate.  (The most amusing aspect of which was science guy Bill Nye using a  simple demonstration to show Bellichick's explanation for "normal deflation after reaching atmospheric equilibrium" was a load of bollocks.)

Marylanders and their legislature are rightfully pissed at the New England Patsies for their cheating ways - including masking eligible receivers with ineligible - which they needed to take down the Ravens 34-31 in the divisional playoff round. Wifey, a diehard Ravens' fan, is as convinced as I am the Patsies and their Primadonna QB would be sitting at home today were it not for the blatant cheating.

But that's ancient history. All that matters now is Seattle and its "legion of boom" putting these cheaters down and the bigger the margin,  the better. Last year, the Seahawks made mince meat of the Broncos 43-8 and were dominating from the first play - a muffed snap from center with Manning bobbling it back five yards into the end zone.

 Granted, it may not be as easy today, because the Patriots offense runs a modified "Ron Erhardt - Ray Perkins" offensive system with multiple formations and personnel grouping variations on a core number of base plays. This allows them to keep most Ds off balance  (Unmentioned is how their O-line uses lots of despicable tricks such as punching opponents in the balls - ask Haloti Ngata).

Still, the Packers' D mostly had their way with them, with multiple looks and packages yielding a spate of hurries, knockdowns and sacks on "pretty boy" Brady - who in that late November game (which the Pack won 26-21) didn't coax the zebras to toss as many "roughing" penalties as he usually gets. The most critical Brady sack was a combo by Mike Neal and Mike Daniels on a 3rd and 9 near the end of the game where the Pats were about to go ahead. That sack, made a big difference.

But even bigger, which I have kept on disk, is when the Pack had the ball with barely less than 2 minutes left and needed a critical 3rd down conversion. Aaron Rodgers whipped a bullet pass to Randall Cobb to get it  -effectively sealing the win - and the cameras later swiveled to Brady on the sideline belching out multiple "FUCK!" s

Another secret to that game, defensively, was the Packers secondary being able to smother the Patsie WRs leading to several coverage sacks on Brady.  Given the Seahawks arguably have even a better secondary - with the likes of Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, they ought to do at least as much (though yeah, Chancellor is nursing a knee injury he suffered on the next to last play in practice Thursday). Still, Chancellor at 80 percent is better than most safeties at 100 percent. And coach Pete Carroll will continually remind his charges of having the chance to make history (becoming the ninth SB team to win back-to -back) and it may not come again.

On  NE defense,  every talking head and his pet monkey keeps yapping about the Patsies' great secondary and especially Darelle Revis. But the Packers countered Revis by moving Randall Cobb all around in different positions. There's no reason why Seattle can't do the same.

I anticipate that coach Carroll -  and Russell Wilson - will not let that Hawks' team go to sleep at the switch and they will handily take down Brady and company, 31- 17.

The Maryland legislature, and 55 million unabashed Patriots haters,  ought to be able to rejoice by late this evening.

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Follow-up (10. 10 ET)

Well, we  now have seen stupidity and stupid plays is not the province of the Packers alone. In one of the all time dumb shit plays in Super Bowl history, the Seahawks literally gave the game away at the end to the Pats. With just under a minute left and Marshawn Lynch having already ground the ball  up to the 1 yard line, grade -A moron Darrell Bevell (offensive coordinator) pulls the bonehead pay of the century after Bellichick lets the play clock run down to 0:30.   Clearly panicked by the move - both Bevell and Carroll expected a Pats time out)-  the call comes in:  a slant to Ricardo Lockette which gets picked when an unknown from Western Alabama jumps the route, coldcocks Lockette and snatches the ball, End of game.

WHY the fuck send in a pass play when you had the game in hand, Bevell, you dope? You have the freakin' time, you have Marshawn - 'Beast mode' - there and ready at the one!  You have 2nd and goal and can use 2-3 plays to run the clock down then get the TD with zero time left for Brady's brats. What brain fart suddenly erupted in  Bevell's brain?  Well, trying to get too cute by half.

Now, thanks to this epic stupidity of Bevell (and Pete Carroll for not overriding the call) we are stuck with the Patsies and their boorish, arrogant, insufferable fans gloating for the next year on how great they are and they didn't even get to deflate one football.

Fuckin' sad, but there it is. I can imagine how sad the'12th man' of Seattle is, and how they wasted all their energy on this game - to end it with the dumbest play call of all time!

See also:

http://www.salon.com/2015/02/02/pete_carroll_made_the_worst_play_call_in_super_bowl_history_and_were_not_over_it/