Patriots rally to beat Seahawks in Super Bowl

[alp227]

Source: Boston Globe

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The last time the New England Patriots played a Super Bowl in the Arizona desert, it was a most unlikely hero that made the play of the game, a play that broke the Patriots’ backs.

This time the Patriots returned to the desert for Super Bowl XLIX, and it was again a most unlikely hero that made the play of the game, this time the play that delivered Lombardi Trophy No. 4 to New England.

The Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, to reclaim the title of NFL champions thanks to an interception in the end zone by undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler.

Facing second-and-goal from the 1, the Seahawks made the stunning decision to pass rather than hand it off to power back Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson threw right into traffic, and Butler, who a little more than a year ago was playing for West Alabama, stepped in front of Ricardo Lockette for the play of his young career.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/02/02/pats/RP2vhxQY25ctecKH9DcnOM/story.html

[jeff47]

1. I realize it's a Boston paper, but the Patriots didn't really rally.

The Seahawks made the dumbest offensive play call in football.

[SoapBox]

2. You beat me to it.

Dumbest-Play-Call...ever.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. coming from 10 down in the 4th Q is a rally in my book.

How about that flat on the back lucky catch?

So many twists and turns in the game, but it was a classic.

[jeff47]

5. Yep, they had rallied. But then the Seahawks rallied from that.

Still nice to have a close game.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. edge of the seat Superbowls are always preferable.

[NutmegYankee]

8. Well, they almost did. nt

[rep the dems]

72. It's not a rally if they didn't score any points. nt

[lobodons]

35. OR the NON Call of Obvious Pass interference that was not called

on the Seahawks Receiver which would have prolonged their drive and possibly secured the game for them wit habout 5 minutes to play. But nooooooo, the refs in the pocket for Craft, looked the other way.

[VWolf]

63. OR the running-into-the-kicker penalty

that should have been a roughing-the-kicker penalty, that would have prolonged a Patriots' drive in the 1st half ...

I seriously doubt anyone will blame the refs for the outcome of this one.

[rep the dems]

86. I've heard others do so today

And of course, none of them mentioned the play you brought up or the generous spot on the Seahawks 3rd down conversion shortly before their first TD. But there's gotta be a conspiracy somewhere!

[NutmegYankee]

4. They came back from a 10 point deficit and maintained the lead to win - That's a Rally.

The Defense waking up in the 4th Quarter was an outstanding surprise!

[jeff47]

7. They rallied, and then the Seahawks rallied.

Lynch had been easily picking up more than a yard on the last few drives. A gimmick pass play was really, really dumb.

[NutmegYankee]

9. Without points on the board, it isn't a rally.

[jeff47]

10. 1 yard in 3 downs with the Patriots unable to stop Lynch?

At that point, it was Seattle's game to win. Patriots hadn't been able to keep Lynch in check for the last quarter, and he would have had three downs to go a yard.

Phrasing the story as "Patriot's rally" means the Patriots were responsible for the win more than the Seahawks were responsible for the loss. And that just isn't true. Both teams played a good game, but the Seahawks lost it in the end.

Still way better than a 56-10 blowout.

[NutmegYankee]

14. It's all sound and fury without points going on the board.

Debate the call all you want, but Butler made one hell of a defensive play and won the game for the Pats.

[onenote]

28. If Seattle's top-rated defense doesn't give up two fourth quarter touchdowns

The last play doesn't matter.

[ybbor]

36. The pats score 14 unanswered in the fourth

Then Butler doesn't just break up the play, but makes the pick. That would be considered part, if not the biggest part, of the rally to win.

Yes the Pats rallied to win, no other way to phrase it.

[Duppers]

21. agreed

Did Pete Carroll have a mini-stroke or something?! That was indeed the dumbest.

[MADem]

25. Well, one lucky rookie rallied...and the next paragraph does spell it out.

They said "stunning" instead of dumbest...

Facing second-and-goal from the 1, the Seahawks made the stunning decision to pass rather than hand it off to power back Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson threw right into traffic, and Butler, who a little more than a year ago was playing for West Alabama, stepped in front of Ricardo Lockette for the play of his young career.

[Earth_First]

29. ...and I bet Brady steals his thunder

His immediate post-game reaction was as though he single-handedly won this game for New England.

Brady is a clown.

Enjoy the spotlight, kid. You deserve it!

[MADem]

33. I thought he looked shocked when Butler nabbed that ball...

And they've got him on film jumping up and down and whooping like a kid who learns that there's gonna be TWO snow days in a row!

He can try being cool about it if he wants, but film doesn't lie. He did do a lot of work, but that game was flat-out lost were it not for Butler's fortuitous catch!

[Fearless]

49. You bet wrong. He most certainly didn't.

[sharp_stick]

52. Ha Ha Ha Ha

Brady was the only one who actually mentioned the "kids" name when he thanked him for the interception.

He also never said the word I once while interviewed after the game.

That clown is lock for the Hall of Fame.

I love the taste of tears in the morning.

[George II]

69. I guess you were watching a different interview than most of us.

That "clown" gave credit to EVERYBODY after the game.

[George II]

87. "Clown" Brady is giving his MVP Chevrolet truck to Malcolm Butler...comment?

[HappyMe]

46. Yeah, that's it.

If it hadn't been for that....

[Fearless]

48. They sccored two TD's in the fouth quarter to take the lead

One with two mins left.

Yeah, that's a rally. Especially against the "generation's best defense".

[PatrynXX]

62. which is why

someone decided to deface the bing/wikpedia plugin with name calling on the seahawks coach only have one cap to prove this anyone else notice??

[George II]

68. Didn't rally? Try scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter to take the lead in the last 10 minutes?

[SoapBox]

11. I just saw a post on another site that said that...

Carroll said he called the play?

Anyone hear that? And would he really have actually called it?

[AtheistCrusader]

13. He's gonna say he called it whether he did or not.

Coach's #1 job is keep the team strong, and you don't keep a strong team by sacrificing one of them.

Bad call, unlucky result. Them's the breaks. We got a lot of mileage out of some really weird and questionable plays. Any of them could have gone bad.

[AnnieBW]

12. Republicans Blame Obama For Seattle's Super Bowl Loss

After all, EVERYTHING is Obama's fault!

[7962]

16. Republicans in Seattle anyway. I guess in Boston they'd say Pats win despite Obama!

[Comrade Grumpy]

34. Do they even have Republicans in Seattle?

I suspect a Seattle Republican is something you have to find on a scavenger hunt. Could be wrong, though.

[George II]

71. Or Boston?

[MADem]

26. Democrats thank Obama for Patriots' win...?

I thought the game was in the Seahawks' beaks, but boy oh boy, they sure messed up at the end...

[MissMillie]

73. This is very funny (n/t)

.

[roamer65]

17. Go Pats!

Never ever count Tom Brady out. He brought them back from 10 pts down to up by 4, making it anyone's game. The break in the end went the Pats way.
One of the best QB's at my alma mater, UM. He's up there with Bradshaw and Montana now.

[Padiddle]

84. I hope he gets another ring

He's still got his thumb left to cover.

[Monk06]

18. Call me an amateur but how was that interception by Butler not pass interference. I don't get it.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Every player has a right to catch the ball.

As long as the defensive player is playing the ball it is not interference.

It would fall under Section 5 Pass Interference, Article 3 Permissible Acts by both teams while the ball is in the air.
(e) Contact by a player who has gained position on an opponent in an attempt to catch the ball.

Note 1: When the ball is in the air, eligible offensive and defensive receivers have the same right to the path of the ball and are subject to the same restrictions.

[olddad56]

40. It was a good play by Butler, the receiver was within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.

but why didn't Seattle just give the ball to Lynch. Dumbest play call ever.

[Fearless]

50. He didn't interfere with the offensive player's ability to catch the ball. He got to the ball first

Had he pulled on the offensive player to get in front of him, then it would have been if the ref's called it.

[pbmus]

19. Carroll pulls a McCarthy ...

and will fire a special teams coach for his boner

[CentralMass]

27. Thanks for giving Pete

[Justice]

20. Seems Seahawks fans are having trouble losing.

[Jamaal510]

22. Even as

someone who isn't a Seahawks fan, I can imagine how heartbreaking it must be to be literally a yard away from a win, and then the coach calls the wrong play. This is going to be tough for them to swallow and overcome. There's no guarantee that the Seahawks will make the SB for a 3rd straight time next year. It's a shame what happened tonight--I would've liked to see Marshawn get the game-winner and make those of us in his hometown proud.

[MissMillie]

75. It seemed to me that the commentators were dumbfounded

at the pass play.

I mean, they called the interception and all, but it was like it was surreal to them.


When you pass the ball, 3 things can happen, and two of them are not good.

[Jamaal510]

81. Yeah, I still am also dumbfounded.

Why? Why? Why? Why pass when you're that close to the endzone, and you have a star RB ready to take it in?

[c588415]

24. Did Marshawn Lynch do an interview after the game?

I wanted the Hawks to win so Brady wouldn't surpass Joe Montana

[nirvana555]

30. I'm so very confused regarding that play. It is literally inconceivable to me

that anyone would have called to make a pass on the one yard line instead of a quarterback sneak. I'm so disappointed as a Seahawks fan. Who can tell me who called the play. Wouldn't it be Carroll?And if so, WHY!!!!!

[lovemydog]

45. I'll try and explain.

It was second down, 26 seconds left in the game. The offensive coordinator probably called the play. Pete Carroll probably okayed it. Wilson probably could have vetoed it but didn't. The thinking was 'everyone on the Patriots is expecting a run play. We can win this game right here by sticking it to them with a shocking pass play into the end zone. At the very least it won't take much time off the clock and we'll still have two more plays to get it into the end zone and still be able to use our time out.' That risk didn't work out.

Yes, it's pretty inconceivable. But that's the risk they took. The play itself was poorly executed. Wilson made a terrible mistake by a) deciding to throw into traffic and b) under throwing the ball. And this guy Butler from the Patriots made a very smart, very gutsy, very risky attempt to intercept rather than just bat the ball down. He made a great play. A lot of crazy stuff happens at the end of close football games.

For example, the Seahawks could have handed off to Lynch three time and he could have fumbled or gotten stuffed or hit for losses three times. Then everyone would say why didn't Wilson run the ball? Well, Wilson could have been hit for a loss of yards. Or fumbled. The more you watch this game, the more you see crazy stuff happen in the last few minutes. As anyone who watched the Green Bay - Seattle game two weeks ago will attest. Honestly, that was an even crazier ending to a game than this one, imho. This one just occurred on a much bigger stage.

It was a really bad call. Not the worst call I've ever seen. Many of the worst calls I've ever seen are made by coaches who get blown out or don't make it to the Super Bowl. These were two high-level coaching staffs who have won game after game trusting their instincts and making really smart calls.

The better team won the Super Bowl. It's as simple as that.

[jeff47]

54. The inconceivable part was that particular pass play.

Getting 3 running plays in 20 seconds with one timeout is hard. Doing one passing play stops the clock if it's incomplete.

But they chose a high-risk pass that relied on the defender getting hung up. Throw something to the back corner of the end zone and see if your height advantage gets you the win. If not, you're unlikely to get an interception.

[LiberalFighter]

78. They did that play because they didn't think Malcom Butler was up to it.

In their mind, a non-draft rookie from West Alabama was not good enough to play in the SB.

[George II]

70. Since it didn't work it's was "stupid". If it worked they'd be saying it was a brilliant call.

[rep the dems]

77. Agree with everything you said

I think it would have made a lot more sense to go play action and throw it out of the end zone if the play wasn't there but I can see going for the element of surprise when it's second down in four down territory.

[LiberalFighter]

79. The key point was the SH only had 26 secs left.

They had less opportunities doing a run than a pass if something went wrong.

He made a mistake thinking Butler was not a threat.

[BobTheSubgenius]

31. If he did, I wonder if he repeated "I'm only here so I don't get fined" over and over

[lobodons]

32. Too bad Seahawks don't have a Beast Mode RB

No Wait. DOH!!!!!!!!

[countmyvote4real]

37. Who cares when there are much more issues that really prompt our day2day lives.

Like cheaters on all levels of our lives.

[jmowreader]

38. A "Japanese Subway" play would have been just the thing

Stick the eight biggest guys Seattle has on the field, plus a center, the biggest quarterback they have and Marshawn Lynch. The QB takes the snap. Hand off to Lynch. And then the nine enormous guys get behind Lynch and just shove his ass right across the goal line.

It would have had to work better than that stupid-ass play they ran.

[MADem]

53. Japanese subway!!!!!!!!

[JudyM]

66. Whaaa? That's crazy. There would be lawsuits here in the US, for sure. nt

[world wide wally]

39. Don't forget the ridiculous circus catch that was about 90% pure luck to even get them to the 3 yard

line. I guess the winds of fortune are pretty erratic the way that turned around.

[JudyM]

41. Yeah... there were some great pass receptions in this game, exciting and fun to watch. nt

[VWolf]

64. Also don't forget

Butler's presence of mind to push the receiver out of bounds after the circus catch.

That was clutch.

[MissMillie]

76. that catch was unbelievable

I was sure the game was over at that point

[Spitfire of ATJ]

42. ...

[yuiyoshida]

43. psssssssssssssssst!

That trophy is leaking air, can you hear that hisssss?

[HappyMe]

47. lol!

Nice that they had a special trophy made just for them. Bless their deflated balls.

[Fearless]

51. The better team won.

[cpwm17]

55. Yes that's true.

If Seattle won, they would have been outplayed two games in a row and still won the Super Bowl with a lot of luck. It didn't happen.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

74. I don't watch sports....

What's great about the Super Bowl though is beer and snacks are on sale.

Just avoid looking in the mirror in the morning.

Or going to work if you operate a jack hammer.

[Historic NY]

61. What was the poop ball penalty thing???

and then there were the ball commercials.

[davidpdx]

44. I wasn't rooting for either, but I'm glad the Seaturds lost

[father founding]

56. Inevitable

The Seahawks could have run their little hearts out it would't matter,the city with the lowest unemployment rate always wins.

[ProudProg2u]

57. The "Fix" was in...

I know what my eye's saw,but I refused to believe whoever made the call with downs to go on the one yard line to put the ball in "The air"...!!! The most bone headed call in super bowl history...??? All I can believe now is that the Pats would win from the start.

[hughee99]

58. I'll bet Belichick intercepted the Seahawks radio communications and made that call himself.

There's the conspiracy theory you're looking for. Enjoy.

[Marrah_G]

60. hehehe

[VWolf]

65. The only angle I can think of,

other than it being an historically stupid call, is that they wanted to make Russell Wilson the MVP, having thrown the winning TD pass.


But even that's a stretch.

[Frank Cannon]

80. That's ridiculous.

But I forgive you, because there's not a single explanation that anyone can come up with that isn't completely ridiculous.

I suspect that someone owed some Vegas oddsmakers money. But I always blame outright stupidity before I blame corruption.

[onenote]

85. Or maybe they were concerned that Lynch was really bad at running in the ball from the one

He had tried it five times this season and only succeeded once. And over the past five years, he's failed more than fifty percent of the time on that play, one of the worst records in the league.

That doesn't mean the particular pass play was the right call and, obviously, in hindsight, it was a huge mistake.

But with all the facts (which no one other than the Seahawks seemed to know at the time of the call) it's not necessarily the worst decision ever made.

[frylock]

59. The Seahawks were simply outcoached... by the Seahawks..

worst. play. call. ever.

[George II]

67. It took an undrafted, HUMBLE, rookie, who was working the drive-thru window at Popeye's....

....to FINALLY shut up Richard Sherman. Thank you Malcolm.

And the Seahawks showed their total lack of class (again) by starting the melee only 18 seconds from the end.

[world wide wally]

82. Was the deflated balls trick just a conspiracy while Bellichek tapped the Seahawks radio waves and

called for that pass play?

Huh?
Did you ever think of that?

[Padiddle]

83. Some idiot punched Gronkowski and caused a bench-clearing melee

Michael Bennett of the oh-so-well-behaved Seahawks.



This despite having once said that Gronkowski was "like his brother," Bears tight end Martellus Bennett.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2015/01/houston-native-michael-bennett-compares-brother-to-rob-gronkowski/#30087101=0

Gives a new meaning to sibling rivalry.

[nilesobek]

88. This is really hard for me to say.

Congratulations NE Patriot fans on their 4th Super Bowl victory!

If I would have posted a couple days ago, when I was pissed off I would have said something awkward, angry and stupid.