Insights and Incites

[Bobsyouruncle]

No big deal, just the Super Bowl:

One of the more interesting things from the Soundfx was how different Brady and Carroll handle the big moment.

Carroll at the end of the game says to Russell something like, we never give you a situation this easy.

Brady says to the team "What we need now is a big championship drive."

One guy is trying to play down the magnitude of the situation, the other is playing it up. Shows how they deal with big moments, some guys like them, some don't. Some guys excel in them others don't. Some guys are Tom Brady, others aren't.

Fates have a sense of humor:

I. All through the game Wilson is earning Carrolls trust in big moments. At the end of the half the OC is worried about giving him a shot. Carroll says something like "I know it's a risk but he did it." Yes he did, and you should totally trust him again at the end of the game. Hahahahaha

II. Would the Seahawks rather have an incompletion and healthy Lane, or that interception? A pyrrhic victory.

III. The players seem to think the questioning of the team's integrity and legacy gave them more motivation. The Belichick effect: When in trying to take away or question their legacy you end up helping them add to it.

 

[Oswlek]

Nice post.

One guy is trying to play down the magnitude of the situation, the other is playing it up. Shows how they deal with big moments, some guys like them, some don't. Some guys excel in them others don't. Some guys are Tom Brady, others aren't.

Of course, there's also the classic Joe Montana story involving John Candy, so it can work either way.

II. Would the Seahawks rather have an incompletion and healthy Lane, or that interception? A pyrrhic victory.

They lost Avril on the other pick as well. Odd coincidence.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I thought both Carroll & BB BOTH talked to their QBs in a calming, confidence inspiring manner.
This was NOT and example of different coaching styles.

Better examples include BB working with the D instead of cheerleading and being calmly in control as exhuberent Petey celebrated Kearse's catch instead of RESPECTING THE CLOCK.

 

[fnordcircle]

Pete's way worked, though. It took a play of a lifetime from a rookie jumping a route to win the game. When you see what Wilson saw as he threw the ball I think any QB, even our own, makes that throw.

The Seahawks weren't wrong, they didn't choke. They got beat by a rookie CB making the play of a lifetime.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

I thought both Carroll & BB BOTH talked to their QBs in a calming, confidence inspiring manner.
This was NOT and example of different coaching styles.

Better examples include BB working with the D instead of cheerleading and being calmly in control as exhuberent Petey celebrated Kearse's catch instead of RESPECTING THE CLOCK.

I didn't talk about BB.

 

[luuked]

Pete's way worked, though. It took a play of a lifetime from a rookie jumping a route to win the game. When you see what Wilson saw as he threw the ball I think any QB, even our own, makes that throw.

The Seahawks weren't wrong, they didn't choke. They got beat by a rookie CB making the play of a lifetime.

So the Kearse catch was less of a once in a lifetime moment than Butlers correctly reading a play and making it?

I am sorry but Seattle was outcoached in the SB.

A handful deep bombs and an interception deep in Pats territory is what kept them alive. For the majority of the game there was no rhythm in what they were doing on offense and could not adjust to stop our short passing game on defense.

That is on Carroll.

 

[Steve102]

Pete's way worked, though. It took a play of a lifetime from a rookie jumping a route to win the game. When you see what Wilson saw as he threw the ball I think any QB, even our own, makes that throw.

The Seahawks weren't wrong, they didn't choke. They got beat by a rookie CB making the play of a lifetime.

We all see things differently. I see it as Belichick stared Carroll down with his goal line D with 3 CB's and Carroll blinked. Carroll, and his staff, took their two best weapons, Lynch and Wilson's legs, and put them on the shelf because they didn't like the matchup. That's getting out-coached when the pressure is the absolute hardest. IMO, if Carroll was bound and determined to pass on second down, rolling out Wilson, with Matthews on a jump ball / fade, and another receiver on a dig or cross across the back of the end zone gave Wilson three options... the other being a race to the pylon. If he throws the fade, only Matthews can catch it. Safe, no INT, it's either incomplete, and the clock stops with about 17-19 seconds, or a TD. Wilson runs, and he's tackled at the 2-3 yard line, call time out, and you still have 2 more shots. Wilson runs out of bounds, you save the TO, and you still have a shot at running Beast with a TO in your pocket. Pass to the trailer: he's either open or he's not. If it's not a sure thing, it's Matthews or a race to the pylon.

Pete got schooled by BB, just like everyone else this season. It was masterful. The call to pass in the middle, where there's a slew of NE guys to get their hands on the ball, was a bad choice. Anything can happen. It's a high risk play that failed.

What really stuck me is the ****iness of Carroll during the final two minutes. This was not a Thursday night tune up in August, week 2 pre-season. If you've seen the mic-d up, then you know what I mean. He was borderline arrogant, and IMO, it cost him. He didn't try to out think NE. It cost him. Big.

 

[DarrylS]

Pete's way worked, though. It took a play of a lifetime from a rookie jumping a route to win the game. When you see what Wilson saw as he threw the ball I think any QB, even our own, makes that throw.

The Seahawks weren't wrong, they didn't choke. They got beat by a rookie CB making the play of a lifetime.

Which was preceded by a play two plays earlier on one of the luckiest catches ever in the Superbowl...

We know that the Pats were aware of the Seattle's tendencies and had practiced for that play.. so even though Butler made a play of a lifetime, he was prepared to make that play of a lifetime..

INOW Belichick put this team, through extensive preparation, in a situation where they were prepared and they could win..

 

[patfanken]

Some Comments on the Comments

1. I think that after the fact, the mediots are making too much the Seahawks losing Lane. He's their #3 CB, not an all pro. You really think he was going to make that much of a difference in the out come of the game. Avril's loss hurt them more

2. Way too much is being made out that BB out foxed Pete at the end. I disagree. Both coached consistently with the way they coached all year. IMHO both decisions were sound, and BOTH would be subject to criticism depending how things worked out.

3. We should all keep in mind, it was Butler's PLAY that was the critical difference in the outcome, NOT any coaching decision made by either HC. Both coaches put his players in position to win. One player simply made the extraordinary play that turned the game. All credit to the player. This isn't about blame.

4. Understand that regardless of the outcome there would have been many who would have ignored what occurred right, and looked to find blame. If the Seahawks had eventually scored, the mediots would have been all over BB for not calling TO. If the Pats had stoned Lynch 3 times, Carroll would have been killed for not letting Wilson use his legs and arm.

5. Face it. The way things are today, regardless of the outcome one of the 2 HC's was gong to have to take the fall

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

1. I never claimed BB liked big moments, or not. Nothing I saw on Soundfx showed one way or the other. I also couldn't tell how Wilson approaches them. Merely an observation. It would be common I think, probably more common than not to say "Hey guys, it's just a drive like every other, let's just do what we do." What Brady said was the opposite, we need a championship drive. Another words, this is big, it's not like other drives, and we need it. He's building the moment up, and inviting the pressure. I think it's interesting.

2. BBs decision was a calculated risk, it worked out. That's all that we really know.

3. Pete earned some criticism. He says they had to pass to get in 3 plays. But that's only true because the team burned almost the whole playclock. And even then the players were lined up in the wrong spots and Wilson had to move them. Lining up and managing the clock is on the coach. It could have worked out, but that doesnt mean he didn't screw it up. Just like Brady throwing the first interception doesn't mean he's perfect because they won the game.

 

[Oswlek]

Which was preceded by a play two plays earlier on one of the luckiest catches ever in the Superbowl...

Granted, but they still would have had the ball on the 40 with a minute left and two TOs. Not exactly a dire situation.

 

[fnordcircle]

The Kearse catch was lucky, no doubt, but they were at the 50 with 3 time outs and would be playing with 4 downs.

My point isn't to defend Carroll, although I'll always be a fan even when he was coaching the hated USC, my point is that the unending stream of hate and second guessing against Seattle has only served to undercut what an amazing and instinctual play Butler made. Discrediting Carroll only serves to make it more about how Seattle lost when, from where I'm sitting, our players made all these great plays in the 4th quarter and willed themselves to hoist a trophy.

 

[Oswlek]

Way too much is being made out that BB out foxed Pete at the end. I disagree.

I don't think enough is being made of how remarkable - and, in retrospect, well founded - Bill's gamble was. But I agree that you can make more of that without knocking Pete down.

 

[1960Pats]

Pete's way worked, though. It took a play of a lifetime from a rookie jumping a route to win the game. When you see what Wilson saw as he threw the ball I think any QB, even our own, makes that throw.

The Seahawks weren't wrong, they didn't choke. They got beat by a rookie CB making the play of a lifetime.

Pete's way didn't work.

When you have the greatest defense that ever lived, and you let a washed up has been QB like Brady go right down the field all day, then that is a choke.

I'm still having fun. How many more days to the combine?

 

[dhamz]

Carroll might have tried to downplay the moment but it certainly didn't have a calming effect on his offense. Let's not forget the Seahwaks burned 2 time outs on the final drive with the clock stopped and then were a mess coming out of the huddle for the final play with Wilson having to reposition both Lynch and one of the Wrs.

 

[AzPatsFan]

So the Kearse catch was less of a once in a lifetime moment than Butlers correctly reading a play and making it?

I am sorry but Seattle was outcoached in the SB.

A handful deep bombs and an interception deep in Pats territory is what kept them alive. For the majority of the game there was no rhythm in what they were doing on offense and could not adjust to stop our short passing game on defense.

That is on Carroll.

The game could easily have been a blowout by the Pats. They controlled the game, and the Seahawks stayed in with fluke Hail Mary plays.

 

[Oswlek]

The game could easily have been a blowout by the Pats. They controlled the game, and the Seahawks stayed in with fluke Hail Mary plays.

I wouldn't call them flukes, but I agree that NE's offense felt a whole lot more repeatable in a rematch. Frankly, all it really took was finally putting Browner on Matthews and replacing Arrington with Butler to kill Seattle's offensive momentum. Other than perhaps health, there really wasn't any simple solution to what NE was doing.