2015 NFL Playoff Pool

[HappyJack41]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

... adding, at the end of the game, I think Belichek made nearly as bad an error by not calling TO after Marshawn's 1st down run. If he does so, he almost assures his O will get the ball back with nearly a minute. He had nothing to lose (they'd have easily been able to run off a minute had they held, Seattle only had 1 TO) and everything to gain. As it played out, had Seattle scored, they lost 20-30 seconds. Thanks to little #21, it was all moot.

Exactly, VERY strange back to back bad coaching decisions! I was thinking the whole time, "how is Belichick NOT calling a timeout here??" A TD would have made it a 3 point Seattle lead and almost a minute for Brady to get in FG range. As I was digesting that crazy non timeout call, I see Wilson drop back to throw the ball.....*facepalm*

It just boggles my mind how (with still plenty of time to kill on the clock) a passing play is called over the MIDDLE where everybody is bunched up! Insanely awful playcall at the 1 yard line by Bevell and Carrol that will no doubt haunt them forever. No doubt about it, Tommy Terrific's 4th SB was gift wrapped tonight by Bevell and Carrol lol.

[itjclarke]

Glad I'm not only one who was clueless as to why NE didn't call TO in that situation.

I just watched the 2nd half again, back home and without lots of talking people... I'm even more amazed now by the Seattle play call. I'm not as opposed to their passing, but why in the hell would they not do a hard sell on a run/play fake??? Line up under center (not shotgun), do a hard fake, allow your TE to sell block and release into the flat... or allow Wilson to roll or bootleg with a run pass option. I agree with others, they should have run, but if you're gonna throw, then take full advantage of the fact everyone expects run.

I also am curious to know if Wilson may have made some sort of check at the line. They have trips to the right, but he moves both Baldwin (Revis playing man follows) and Lynch to his left just prior to the nap.. in his mind, I'm sure he sees this create a nice void for that quick slant/pick.... but Butler just made an amazing jump on it. Seeing his play again, it's amazing how quickly he commits to jumping it, and how much ground he covers. Bad play call, however full props to Butler.

[HappyJack41]

No doubt Butler gets props for making a nice play on the ball.....but everybody that watched it knows, he should NEVER have even been given the chance lol. You have Beast Mode at the 1 yard line with clock to kill and another timeout in case anything goes bad. 2 or 3 shots to pound it in the end zone with a tired Patriots team getting blown off the ball.....hell even a Wilson keeper would have been a better play call than a pass in the middle with every defender bunched up.

All game long Lynch was carrying Patriot defenders for extra yards, the odds of him NOT getting into the end zone from the 1 was slim to nil at best. They didn't even take advantage of Belichick's miscue on the non TO. The clock runs down, they pound it in for the lead and leave Brady 15-20 seconds to try to get in FG range against the LOB with only 1 TO left.......would have never happened.

[itjclarke]

Yeah, my point is not that they shouldn't have run... but if they are going to throw, sell the run!! Why they wouldn't run a hard play fake, try to pull up one or more of the secondary guys... then either let Wilson roll, or boot... or just hide the ball and let someone sneak to the flat of corner is beyond me. Everyone would bite on a fake in that situation.

None of this should take away from Butler's play, or the fact Brady and the Pats overcame a 10 pt 4th quarter deficit. This comeback is unprecedented in SB history... the Skins and Saints overcame 10 point first half deficits, but not 4th quarter, and not against defenses anywhere nearly as viscous at the Hawks'. Before this game, I was also really interested to see how little Julian Edelman would play against these DBs. He stepped up, and to see him shake off that hit from Chancellor was pretty savage.. I frankly think he may have been semi concussed on that hit. That guy is just a ball player.

[johnmh71]

I can't believe that I picked all the games correct except one and called the exact outcome of the Super Bowl. And still lost. I'm not sure if I can do any better than that. Congratulations to Ian.

And to all the Seattle fans on here, I got to see Pete Carroll coach in New England for 3 years. The last play call wasn't a surprise.