Worst Play In NFL History (NFL Films)

[grizbob]

Pretty sure I've seen this thread word for word at least 4 times. We all know Brandon Browner was the one that tipped the play. Get over it. :17:

 

[fenderbender123]

I think it was a decent call and throw. I agree with Bevell's comment that Lockette "could have done a better job staying strong on the ball". Lockette completely fell backwards when he got hit, almost as if he was struck by a car or something. Isn't Lockette like 6'2 220lbs? I wouldn't have expected that to happen, and I doubt the coaches did either. Or, maybe he was just ill-prepared for whatever reason. Had the contact only stopped or slowed his momentum, it's likely an incomplete pass. Getting knocked backwards rendered him completely useless and created space for Butler to intercept the pass.

 

[MD5eahawks]

I'm with Pete on this one. It wasn't the worst play. It was the worst result of a play.

 

[NINEster]

Worst play or best play? Depends on which team you're talking about. Whatever side you're on the play Butler made was really really good and I at this point chalk it up to that. Dude made a great play.

Agree.

You guys know I'm not exactly a fan of the Hawks, but I've defended the decision to throw the ball in that situation since the day after the game.

Patriots in goal line formation, Seahawks with no full back, clock running, one timeout left -- a run to Lynch is very risky here if it fails. You'd be left with no timeouts most likely and probably forced to throw the ball two straight downs.

The somewhat predictable formation might not have been ideal but it almost nearly worked on a team that prepared for it. So in a way you could forgive Bevell for going with the play unless the Seahawks used that play a lot that season.

Probably best play was some sort of roll out, run/pass option where Wilson could throw it out of bounds.

In hindsight, spiking the ball would have been the easiest play to call. You lose a down, but are guaranteed at least two shots to punch it in.

One extra timeout and guaranteed one gets called and they probably run the ball that play.

However, I believe one or two timeouts were called on that drive and you have what you have.

Really an incredible play by New England that probably was owed a bit of fortune by watching Kearse do his best Antonio Freeman impersonation two plays prior.

 

[Grahamhawker]

It was like watching your dog run out in the road and get squashed by a bus. Not one of those life moments you like to rehash.

And hindsight is certainly 20/20. But seconds after, my only thought was how could that play have been ran with the personnel involved?

 

[NINEster]

Seriously? Jim Marshall, The Buttfumble, Leon Lett, Kyle Williams...

That was just a good play on a semi-poor pass. Maybe we should have ran a pick like the Saints and it would have been a TD. The 49ers passed it 3 straight plays to the same side to the same receiver from the 5 yard line against the Ravens and no one talks about that. :roll:

Niners definitely with some bad playcalling, including an ill called timeout that might have negated a TD run by CK.

 

[nash72]

Still don't know how people can defend that play call. There was nothing right about it. From the point of Browner and the Patriots knowing what the play was before we even ran it, to the play designed for Kearse to take on Browner, to the pass being thrown to our absolute worse receiver, to our 5' 9' QB throwing into such a congested area, etc,,,. It was a travesty.

 

[Jerhawk]

They should've gone play action in that situation.

Oh well. The games over, nothing can really be done about it now outside of using it for motivation

 

[Rat]

Worst play in Super Bowl history was Leon Lett getting the ball knocked out of his hands at the goal line when he was showboating. It ended up not mattering, but that was much worse than what we did.

 

[nash72]

Worst play in Super Bowl history was Leon Lett getting the ball knocked out of his hands at the goal line when he was showboating. It ended up not mattering, but that was much worse than what we did.

Letts team won and would have regardless of that play. That play was meaningless. The stupid play the Seahawks ran cost them a Superbowl. Big difference.

 

[mikeak]

It was he worst setup. Not the worst cal if the setup (not empty backfield) had been different

 

[rcaido]

Why post this? Next thing someone is going to remind me about a chance to get the Sonics back again.

 

[The Breh]

Sorry if this is a repost.

[youtube]0vZ4JmQ2pjs[/youtube]
N
It's crazy that one play has overshadowed a whole Super Bowl win.

It's unquestionably the worst CALL I can ever remember.
Quit trying to be cute Pete/Bevell.

 

[seabowl]

The worst play call/decision should have been the one that didn't happen which was Belicheck not calling a timeout and giving the Pats little to no opportunity to counter score before that int. That's what many would be still talking about if the Hawks scored on that play.

 

[nash72]

I remember how it went down exactly. Lynch ran us down to the 1 or 2 and my wife started grabbing me saying they're going to win another superbowl. My nephew and best friend were cheering saying you got this. I sat on the couch and kept shouting, 'don't pass the ball', 'don't pass the ball'. I'll be damned if he didn't call the pass.

 

[Cyrus12]

I still think it may have had something to do with making Wilson the MVP or hero...Lynch wins the MVP if he runs that in...which he would of...goal line defence or not. They would of at least had a couple cracks at it. After the Kearse catch there was also some poor clock management which led to a timeout.

 

[SixSeahawk]

When this happened, my neighbor, a disgruntled Bears fan, was all in my face.

"That's a McMahon Slam! The end of your run... that was an all time dynasty crushing play. You'll never see the Superbowl again in your lifetime."

Every year since, around playoff time, he makes an appearance and reminds me... "nah, no Superbowl for you guys. Remember what I said." I say every year, because it feels like 10 years since that happened... ugh.

I sorta hate the guy now.

And, yea, I see the link... but I will never watch this play again. It makes me angry whenever someone shows it.

Just talking about it gives me a nervous tic.

But this video has commentary and comedic relief!

 

[lukerguy]

Seriously? Jim Marshall, The Buttfumble, Leon Lett, Kyle Williams...

That was just a good play on a semi-poor pass. Maybe we should have ran a pick like the Saints and it would have been a TD. The 49ers passed it 3 straight plays to the same side to the same receiver from the 5 yard line against the Ravens and no one talks about that. :roll:

Here is the thing, this play WAS supposed to be a pick play. The biggest issue on the play was the design of it. The concept is fundamentally solid, the main issue is the match-ups. You had Kearse who was charged with picking off Malcom Butler. The issue here was he was up against Brandon Browner, the most physically imposing corners, and Browner knew exactly what was coming. He told Butler "go here" and he held Kearse up at the LOS -- meaning he never got to make his pick. Browner pressed Kearse, and he never got off Browner. The play was dead in the water right there. The second problem was the fact that we used one of our worst receivers to make the play. Game on the line, and we decide to go with who? Ricardo Lockette, a receiver that is prone to drops, whom was never a good route runner in the first place, on a play that had zero room for error. Moreover, the Patriots stated that from that formation we almost always ran this same exact play on the goalline. In the video it shows the Patriots even practicing against this same exact play.

This play was telegraphed, and we put Kearse and Lockette in an optimal position to fail. I think given all of these factors, combined with the fact that Lynch was gashing the Patriots, we should have at least given Lynch a shot before resorting to this kind of play.

This is a good post. All of this is accurate.

This is my only critic of Darrel Bevell in general- play design, not play calling. We've had the same QB and most of the same WR's together for how long? And we still have very rudimentary play designs.

 

[DYLcurry59]

Sorry if this is a repost.

[youtube]0vZ4JmQ2pjs[/youtube]

It's crazy that one play has overshadowed a whole Super Bowl win.

I can't look at anything Super Bowl XLVIII without thinking about this play. I didn't think anything could ever tarnish a Super Bowl, but this did it. I'd be much happier if Brandon Bostick had caught that onside kick.

 

[SixSeahawk]

Sorry if this is a repost.

[youtube]0vZ4JmQ2pjs[/youtube]

It's crazy that one play has overshadowed a whole Super Bowl win.

I can't look at anything Super Bowl XLVIII without thinking about this play. I didn't think anything could ever tarnish a Super Bowl, but this did it. I'd be much happier if Brandon Bostick had caught that onside kick.

The lore around this play keeps growing and growing. If the Hawks dont win another Super Bowl in these next few years, this may grow to be Chicago Cubs-level legendary. Like the first thing people outside of Seattle say when you tell them you're a Seahawks fan is "Should've run the ball".