The Most Overlooked Play in NFL History

[Pats1989]

What about the fact Kearse never got up ( Ala Freeman & that Vikes defender thinking he made a "play") and went to the end zone? I think Butler pushed him out. If Butler walks away like that Vikes defender did....we are singing a different tune today.

 

[Pats1989]

Kraft said it was

Either way, both sucked. I'll never know why A) Holding wasn't called on the Tyree play. B) Harrison didn't knock the ball straight down.

 

[Uncle Rico]

What about the fact Kearse never got up ( Ala Freeman & that Vikes defender thinking he made a "play") and went to the end zone? I think Butler pushed him out. If Butler walks away like that Vikes defender did....we are singing a different tune today.

Yup.

Butler saved the Pats twice in that series. he played a helluva game even before The Pick.

(And yeah, I know that catch was against Butler, but he simply could not have defended it better. That he had presence of mind to see the play through and push him out of bounds is astounding. )

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Butler dominated the 3rd and 4th quarter, made at least 5 sensational plays.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I watched the rerun the other night on NFLN, and the biggest thing that stood out to me is what a jackass Chris Collingsworth was. In the middle of the game winning drive he goes on this mindless rant out of nowhere about Deflategate, so that Al Michaels couldn't even call one of Gronk's catches, ruining the drama of the moment.

Then immediately upon Butler's fantastic play he chooses to portray it as a blown call by Carroll, and continues to do so for several minutes, over and over. Finally after 3 or 4 minutes he gives brief kudos to Butler, then returns to "I can't believe that call". His framing of those moments is why the world still calls it a blown call rather than a defensive play for the ages, which is what Deion Sanders was calling it.

 

[Wheelman]

I think the outcome of the game changed everything. If the Pats lost the game, that catch would have been as big as the Tyree catch. But since the Pats won, the focus was on Carroll's decision to throw the ball which ultimately cost the Seahawks the game.

Unfortunately, because the focus is on the Seahawks passing on the one yard line, people forget the Kearse catch which meant the Seahawks were lucky to even be in the position to make that wrong call.

Bill Belichick pointed this out in the Belichick Breakdown that the pats D stuffed Lynch on 3rd and short. Belichick said this may have factored into their decision to call a pass. Lynch was also was pretty bad at converting the short yardage during the regular season. Most likely teams sold out on the run. The Pats did as well. Even when the seahawks stacked two receivers out wide on both sides the DB's had no help since McCourty crept up into the box as well.

On the Butler pick. The Seahawks went lighter after Hightower made the game saving tackle. Where as the Patriots D went heavier. They also had bigger personnel than on the two other plays where Lynch was stopped short earlier in the game.

Saying Carroll made a bad decision for calling a pass is such a copout that Seahawks fans and others use all the time. Lynch got stuffed on slightly smaller Pats personnel earlier in the game. Now with even heavier goal-line personnel, Carroll calling a pass play is the correct decision.

They want to question the type of pass play called, fair enough. But saying Carroll made the wrong decision by calling a pass play is such a big copout.

By the way, I thought the best matchup was Lynch on Chandler Jones. Lynch was coming open on the other side.

 

[Pats1989]

After Kearse made the catch, I kept thinking back to SB 46. To let them score or not score? I wonder at what point BB said: " We aren't letting them score. Were gonna live or die with the D". Personally, I think BB noticed Seattle was a bit confused. Maybe he thought calling a timeout would let them " off the hook".

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

It reminded me a lot of the iconic Antonio Freeman Monday Night Football catch. I'm sure it also brought back a lot of David Tyree memories as well.

Just saw another replay of Tyree.

Giants' OL was holding.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I watched the rerun the other night on NFLN, and the biggest thing that stood out to me is what a jackass Chris Collingsworth was. In the middle of the game winning drive he goes on this mindless rant out of nowhere about Deflategate, so that Al Michaels couldn't even call one of Gronk's catches, ruining the drama of the moment.

Then immediately upon Butler's fantastic play he chooses to portray it as a blown call by Carroll, and continues to do so for several minutes, over and over. Finally after 3 or 4 minutes he gives brief kudos to Butler, then returns to "I can't believe that call". His framing of those moments is why the world still calls it a blown call rather than a defensive play for the ages, which is what Deion Sanders was calling it.

Agree with you about both issues. I will attempt to defend Collinsworth on the latter one though. Everyone views the game through their prism, and it just so happens that we had the former offensive player as the color guy. So he's thinking in the moment, "why the hell would you do that???" I don't blame him for that. On the flip side, had the now-GM (heh) John Lynch been the color guy, he would have focused on Butler and the amazing defense (like we all wanted). And if John Madden were the color guy, he would have gone off about Belichick's clock management, first saying "what the hell is he doing," and then saying, "he's done this to me now twice, with my Play for Overtime comments in SB 36 and now this! This might be the best coaching job I've ever seen!"

 

[TBR]

I'll mention the 3rd and 11 completion to Steve Smith just before the Giants TD on the final drive where they ran the most blatant pick play ever to get him open. Should have been OPI. Stop it at 8 seconds

This chokehold on Seymour (#93) was ridiculous as well

 

[supafly]

If I had watched that game live, I might have lost my damned mind watching that catch.

Yes, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the sole reason that you didn't watch is due to serving your country, but for those of us who did, it was very close to being the 3rd SB loss in a row that resulted from a late game, crazy play.

 

[1960Pats]

The most overlooked play in NFL history, to me, is the Jermaine Kearse catch in the Super Bowl.

All anyone talks about is "Brady would have 3 losses if Seattle would've ran it" and completely ignore one of the most insane catches I have ever seen.

Sorry, venting. I watched TV this AM.

Last year I had an opportunity to meet and talk to Duron Harmon but had to leave the function early. I was really hoping to ask him about his reaction on the Kearse catch. I think the new rules on contact might have scared him away from giving Kearse a hit there.

 

[1960Pats]

That's because it had no impact after Butler's play. It was made irrelevant in terms of historical significance because the Patriots won the game in the end.

The greatest defensive play in NFL history. Here comes that grin again ...

 

[1960Pats]

After Kearse made the catch, I kept thinking back to SB 46. To let them score or not score? I wonder at what point BB said: " We aren't letting them score. Were gonna live or die with the D". Personally, I think BB noticed Seattle was a bit confused. Maybe he thought calling a timeout would let them " off the hook".

There's an excellent video around here somewhere with Belichick and the coaches talking about those last few seconds. Belichick talked about looking over at the other side and his instinct told him to trust his defense. There were also clips showing Belichick having the conversations on his headphone. The guy was Cool Hand Bill.

 

[Pats1989]

Bill Belichick pointed this out in the Belichick Breakdown that the pats D stuffed Lynch on 3rd and short. Belichick said this may have factored into their decision to call a pass. Lynch was also was pretty bad at converting the short yardage during the regular season. Most likely teams sold out on the run. The Pats did as well. Even when the seahawks stacked two receivers out wide on both sides the DB's had no help since McCourty crept up into the box as well.

On the Butler pick. The Seahawks went lighter after Hightower made the game saving tackle. Where as the Patriots D went heavier. They also had bigger personnel than on the two other plays where Lynch was stopped short earlier in the game.

Saying Carroll made a bad decision for calling a pass is such a copout that Seahawks fans and others use all the time. Lynch got stuffed on slightly smaller Pats personnel earlier

There's an excellent video around here somewhere with Belichick and the coaches talking about those last few seconds. Belichick talked about looking over at the other side and his instinct told him to trust his defense. There were also clips showing Belichick having the conversations on his headphone. The guy was Cool Hand Bill.

The Malcolm Butler interception. Do your Job. Good one.

 

[grux]

I think one of the most overlooked plays is the Hightower tackle the play before Butlers int. Butler doesn't have Brady's truck if Hightower doesn't make the tackle.

Malcolm Butler’s interception has been examined from every angle; as the play that sealed the victory in Super Bowl XLIX for the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks, it got the attention it deserved. However, Butler was in position to make that play because of an extraordinary effort by Dont’a Hightower on the penultimate play of the game.
Forty-six seconds before the interception that shocked the world, New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightowersecured the team’s most important tackle of the year.

With the Seattle Seahawks five yards from the end zone and a game-winning touchdown, running back Marshawn Lynch took the handoff, watched his blocks develop and looked to punch in the go-ahead score. As Lynch approached the line of scrimmage, the size of his running lane appeared to expand while the hopes of a fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history for the Patriots dwindled away. See for yourself:
CLICK HERE FOR A BREAKDOWN OF THE PLAY.

 

[fxmallon]

It seems to me that the thread's header is a bit misleading. The real problem is that media and anti-pats fans love to point out how lucky we were to win that Super Bowl title, while censoring out the truly lucky---and I mean LUCKY--completion that put Seattle on the verge of victory, making possible Butler's interception.

I mean Butler worked like hell to cut off the route of the storming receiver and simultaneously make the interception, while Kearse was lying on his back and the ball just happens to plop onto his chest after a terrific defensive play, which just about wd have ended Seattle's season.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Unfortunately, because the focus is on the Seahawks passing on the one yard line, people forget the Kearse catch which meant the Seahawks were lucky to even be in the position to make that wrong call.

They also forget the Seahawks had burned 2 timeouts for no good reason, leaving them with 1 TO left and 3 downs to try to score. With 2 or 3 TOs in their pocket they would have never thought to throw it.

 

[Adam Seward]

I peacefully accepted losing after that catch. 3 SB losses to be defined by 3 freak catches (Tyree, Manningham, Kearse), it just seemed the hand fate had felt like dealing. Glad our meticulous preparation had turned things back in favor.

 

[Gr0nkZi11a]

And of course Harmon didn't bat the ball away which he probably easily could have. But then again, it didn't look like it would be a catch and everyone thought it was falling to the turf.

Another unsung play no one in the media acknowledges is that Hightower tackled Lynch at the 1 yard line the play before the Butler play.