Special to the AmNews
Days after the Seattle Seahawks snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, losing Super Bowl XLIX 28-24 to the New England Patriots in a stunning conclusion, widespread debate remains intense as to why Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and head coach Pete Carroll dialed up an illogical second-down pass play 1 yard from the go-ahead score with 26 seconds remaining.
Over the past 72 hours, there have been growing arguments supporting Bevell and Carroll opting to pass instead of run the ball, which resulted in the Patriots’ rookie defensive back Malcolm Butler intercepting Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to effectively end the game.
“It was a really good play,” maintained Carroll after the defeat. No, it was not, sir!
Many of the voices who have taken that position have done so primarily on the basis of analytics. But the algorithms that spit out a conclusion that the Seahawks throwing the ball from the 1-yard line with three downs and one timeout at their disposal, instead of handing the ball off to their unstoppable running back Marshawn Lynch, are as asinine as those rationalizing such a ludicrous premise. It’s football, not nuclear physics!
The claim should begin and end with this question: Why would Bevell and Carroll concede the Seahawks’ strength? Lynch, perhaps the best and most physical runner in football, and Wilson, unmatched in the sport as a runner at the quarterback position, comprise the Seahawks’ most dangerous offensive weapons—with their legs.
Lynch had gained four yards on first down and almost certainly would have powered forward 36 inches into the Patriots end zone on second down. The next and only other call should have been a read option play, allowing Wilson to either slam the ball into Lynch’s gut or keep it himself for a short run.
Neither happened. Game over!
