Superbowl 49 Review: Was the final play unthinkable & will the Seahawks ever be the same?

The Seattle Seahawks lost it all by doing the unthinkable: running a pass play when they have the league’s best in Marshawn Lynch to deliver the game winning touchdown. But, was it so unthinkable?

It’s now the morning after. I confess…I have not watched one iota of Superbowl coverage following the game, the interception, and possibly the end of the dynasty that wasn’t.

I’m not a Seattle resident but I’m a resident fan. How can you not love Pete Carroll’s energy and his be yourself style of coaching? Or, Russell Wilson’s triumph of attitude and athleticism in spite of his size? Or even cornerback Richard Sherman and his Stanford educated gangsta tell it like it is in your faceness? And, BeastMode?

And on the other side we have Bill Belichick? How can you not dislike Bill Belichick if you live outside of Boston? His scowl , presumptuousness, and unfair play? There is simply nothing to like about the man.

I shouted out tomorrow’s headline a little too early when Seattle took a 10 point lead: “The Seahawks Deflate Patriot Egos!”

Clearly, I spoke too soon. Tom Brady did his thing scoring 14 unanswered, and, with about 2 minutes to go, the Seahawks needed a touchdown to win.

And they did everything right…except maybe they did it a little too quickly.

With about 1 minute left, you have 3 chances to get the ball in the end zone.

So easy…give it to Beast Mode, get your Superbowl ring, and celebrate the right team winning.

Of course, the one concern is too much time on the clock giving Tom Brady a chance to tie with a field goal (a touchdown wouldn’t have happened).

But, even that became a non-issue as Bill Belichick, for some unfathomable reason to me, decides not to call a timeout.

The scenario was in place.

And then, the Seahawks did the unthinkable: Calling a pass play that leads to a game-ending interception. It hurts to even type that, to envision it.

Why? Why? Why?

Because it was so unthinkable. That’s why.

Everyone knew it was Beast Mode or a Wilson rollout. So, what do you do?   Surprise them with a pass. That’s the Pete Carroll mind. It’s what got them there. The fake field goal touchdown against the Packers? That’s the Pete Caroll that made this call.

But he overthought this one.

And I felt like I got a blow in the solor plexus…the wind completely knocked out of me.

What just happened? How did the Seahawks lose this game? It hurts.

Today, the headlines should all be: “Seahawks Win Superbowl 49. Young team poised for 3 in a row next year.”

But, can they recover from this?

Russell Wilson, ever so confident in overtime against the Packers, actually calling the touchdown pass beforehand, can he ever be the same? This is more than the Tony Romo fumble, the play that stays with you for years and sometimes careers.

Can the group, the Seattle family, stay together after this? Will they secretly harbor the I can’t believe you called that play against the coach? They had a Superbowl victory and gave it away.

Or, hopefully, they’ll realize that it’s a part of sport. That victory can be seemingly a fait accompli and then…not. Just ask the Packers.

Tom Brady and the Patriots have also known this feeling and have rebounded. In what world should Eli Manning have two Superbowl victories over Tom Brady?  

Yet, in spite of all evidence that things like this do happen, this one hurts more; it trumps every other scenario one can think of.

The Seahawks are who they are (a bonded, dynamic, energetic well-coached pool of talent) and that’s why they’ve been so successful.

The question now is: Can they stay who they are?