Clock management at the end of the game

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...fateful-play-call-by-pete-carroll/?tid=pm_pop The WashPost's article on Super Bowl ending clock management was particularly clear. Key points are:

• If we assume that Seattle needed to call a TO after any running play, then as long as New England didn't call a TO Seattle only had time for one running play.
• TO squandered a time out with bad clock management after Kearse's catch.

The second, IMO, was particularly stupid. Seattle should have lined up, run a generic play, and hoped that even if it wasn't optimal then at least Lynch would have fallen forward for a yard or two.

Yeah. Interesting. Us not using a TO there, as frustrating as it seemed at the time, established the need for them to throw at least once in that sequence. We had goal line d out there, they had 3 wrs...took their shot.

I feel like it was a mini poker game between bb and Carol, bb in essence went all in on his defense.. Carol felt the need to outsmart the great bb.

Awful play call though. I mean if they go play action...roll Wilson out with a TE in back of end zone...there's no way we stop russ there. Worst case they throw it away.

Hahaha sorry I still can't believe they threw that pick

Not gonna lie I was screaming for Bill to call timeout, was certain Lynch was gonna pound it in. Shame on me...

Don't know why the Seahawks were trying to manage the clock with 30 seconds left. Patriots don't have the fire power to go deep on them. All their drives they had to march down the field and only averaged 6 yards per catch.

Didn't Carrol have faith in Sherman and the best secondary ever to stop Brady with 30 seconds?

MrNathanDrake said:

Don't know why the Seahawks were trying to manage the clock with 30 seconds left. Patriots don't have the fire power to go deep on them. All their drives they had to march down the field and only averaged 6 yards per catch.

Didn't Carrol have faith in Sherman and the best secondary ever to stop Brady with 30 seconds?

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I really think Carrol is totally expecting a NE timeout there. Like he probably intended on bringin in goal line package after it was used. When he sees bb not use it..he's like great! Kill the clock..keep players out there..just run a play. Panicky last second decision kinda thing

I mean 99% of ppl watching expected a time out. If we use a timeout there and on third down, brady gets ball back down by 3 with around a minute on the clock..a bleak but manageable situation

The line up looks like seven in the box, Hightower as the spy, Revis, Browner and Butler in the three corners with Ayers on Lynch out of the backfield. The Hawks were gonna pick on the rook again and Butler says he knew it. Wilson knew exactly where he was gonna throw it. No hesitation. Butler dug deep and went all in for the pick. He straight-up leveled Lockette. I can watch it over and over...and have.

BB and company put their balls on the table and showed the Hawks how inflated they were. Every Pats fan probably felt the agony of the 40 seconds of clock bleeding away wondering why Bill wasn't calling a time out. So was the Hawks sideline. There was a sense of disarray while Belichick committed to his defense. No giving them the touchdown to give Brady 0:45 seconds to get downfield. This time we hold.

They straight up dared them to call anything in their goal line package. This, coupled with the silent count at the goal line were the high points of the game for me in terms of sheer gamesmanship. That's just straight-up faith in your coaching acumen, your discipline and faith in the system. It paid off this time in spades. It could just as easily be every Pats fan cursing those lost 40 seconds.

One correction to what I wrote -- Carroll pointed out that they actually had time for two more running plays if needed (which were planned for 3rd & 4th down). That is correct. A running play either gets the TD or has a TO after it. That still leaves clock for one more running play as time expires.

Further confusing things -- BB supposedly claims that if the Seahawks had called plays differently, BB might have stopped the clock for them. Not sure I buy it, however.

With two timeouts left prior to the second-and-goal play from the 1 that Butler intercepted, Belichick said he was holding them for if the Seahawks ran the ball on the play and the Patriots stopped them.

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http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england...7790/super-bowl-through-bill-belichicks-eyes?