Would you rather - Superbowl XL or 49 edition.

[jammerhawk]

Meh, we will never know whether Beastmode would have scored even though he'd gained 2.5 yards on the previous play. we were deprived of the opportunity of seeing that. The play call came from Bevell and it was supported by PC. I know NE went to a heavy goal line lineup but running Lynch again was the right call. Pete took responsibility but Bevell blamed the WR, even Wilson who's throw was somewhat off target took blame.

All in all given it was a play the team had run many times before you'd think they might have changed things up to prevent the obvious ability to have the play well scouted. There are arguments on both sides but all in all to me it was a stupid play call. Bevell's response was shameful, and should have got him canned shortly after as he would have been a perfect scapegoat instead of the festering to followed. Lots of BS was allowed to subsequently happen over this opportunity lost.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

If they win 49, I'm confident they'd win another one and form a true dynasty.

XL hurt, but it served a purpose. The NFL is rigged and the whole world saw it played out

This.

The SB 49 loss was probably the major reason the locker room imploded and the trust in Pete eroded with so many of the players. Win that, and who knows how long Pete could have kept that train on the tracks.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Meh, we will never know whether Beastmode would have scored even though he'd gained 2.5 yards on the previous play. we were deprived of the opportunity of seeing that. The play call came from Bevell and it was supported by PC. I know NE went to a heavy goal line lineup but running Lynch again was the right call. Pete took responsibility but Bevell blamed the WR, even Wilson who's throw was somewhat off target took blame.

All in all given it was a play the team had run many times before you'd think they might have changed things up to prevent the obvious ability to have the play well scouted. There are arguments on both sides but all in all to me it was a stupid play call. Bevell's response was shameful, and should have got him canned shortly after as he would have been a perfect scapegoat instead of the festering to followed. Lots of BS was allowed to subsequently happen over this opportunity lost.

Yep. And it should have never come down to that play. Not only did the defense give up a 10 point lead (which always gets glossed over) but they got down there on a miracle catch by Kearse.

 

[SonicHawk]

SBXL was special. I didn't cry on my living room floor like I did on 49, though. 49 was ours. Hawks were the better team and we were building an absolute dynasty. This seems like an easy answer.

 

[SonicHawk]

It was a stupid play call and even worse execution. I don't understand calling a play that is a timing play when you have multiple stars ready to make a play. Throw a fade, roll it out, run the ball... any of those aren't gambles and you are trusting your playmakers to make plays.

 

[AROS]

The elephant in the room is Brandon Browner. They should have seen the mismatch on the preliminary line checks and reads and Russ should have audibled out, period.

 

[FattyKnuckle]

I hate the disrespect people show to Pete about that play call. PC has made numerous play call that were unexpected with a very high success rate. If he didn't call for the fake field goal where Ryan passed it to Gilliam in the Championship game we probably wouldn't have been in SB49.

Against the Pats we had time for 2 attempts run the ball but could also try a throw as long as a failure led to an incompletion. The commentator I was listening to before 1st down did raise the posibility of a throw on 2nd down. Giving the ball to Lynch is not the guaranteed TD that most people who decry the playcall suggest, the SB49 commentator said Lynch was "borderline unstoppable in this part of the field" and everyone believes that reaility is that year he was 1 from 5 on the one yard line and 7 from 16 in the previous 3 years, worse than the NFL average of about 57%. In the 2012 playoffs against Washington Lynch fumbled on a rush from the 1. A pass attempt on 1st down was less expected than one on 2nd down and therefore more likely to succeed.

The disaster of an interception was due to execution not the play-call, Wilson should have spotted Butler and thown the ball away.

It was 2nd down. 1st down was a Lynch run to the 2 or 3. I hate that Lynch stat being thrown around because so many of the failures were absurd playcalls. I remember one of the fails was shotgun, Lynch and the big Samoan FB/DL whose name escapes me were on either side of Russ. At snap the FB faded off to the flat and it was a delayed handoff up the middle. Utter crap call. That stat would be 4 of 5 or better if they just smash mouthed it with a 300lb FB in the I formation. As for passing on that down, I don't have a problem, but that play took away all of our strengths. Russ' and Lynch's legs were both scary good plus everyone "knew" we would pound it with Lynch. So instead of a play action bootleg, where the defense has to honor both their legs, Lynch gets motioned out of the backfield so there's zero chance it's a run and instead of our strongest 5 guys being the focus of the play, it's a 5th string undrafted special teams player we rest our dynasty on. Bevell's not the guy to outsmart Bellichick, we needed to present too many targets for them to cover while also giving Wilson an easy option to throw the ball away if nothing is there and try again. Plenty of time plus a timeout.

TL;DR - passing is a good call, that play had absolutely zero positives to it and should never have been called over a play action bootleg.

 

[AROS]

If I had a dollar for every time I have screamed "BOOTLEG!!!!" before a play I could buy a new jersey.

 

[BASF]

It was 2nd down. 1st down was a Lynch run to the 2 or 3. I hate that Lynch stat being thrown around because so many of the failures were absurd playcalls. I remember one of the fails was shotgun, Lynch and the big Samoan FB/DL whose name escapes me were on either side of Russ. At snap the FB faded off to the flat and it was a delayed handoff up the middle. Utter crap call. That stat would be 4 of 5 or better if they just smash mouthed it with a 300lb FB in the I formation. As for passing on that down, I don't have a problem, but that play took away all of our strengths. Russ' and Lynch's legs were both scary good plus everyone "knew" we would pound it with Lynch. So instead of a play action bootleg, where the defense has to honor both their legs, Lynch gets motioned out of the backfield so there's zero chance it's a run and instead of our strongest 5 guys being the focus of the play, it's a 5th string undrafted special teams player we rest our dynasty on. Bevell's not the guy to outsmart Bellichick, we needed to present too many targets for them to cover while also giving Wilson an easy option to throw the ball away if nothing is there and try again. Plenty of time plus a timeout.

TL;DR - passing is a good call, that play had absolutely zero positives to it and should never have been called over a play action bootleg.

Why do you think Lynch was motioned out of the back field? He runs to the opposite flat at the snap. That was his route. There was no motion out of the back field eliminating the possibility of a run. I am linking the play, as proof, so no one click it if they can't handle it.



Also, going back in time to change the outcome of 49 is a lot more simple than changing that play. Eliminate the cheating piece of crap fullback from the Patriots that gave Cliff Avril the forearm shot to cause the concussion and we win that game. Or before the game, explain to Carroll that having Simon inactive instead of Marcus Burley who would have done a better job against their quick twitch receivers and we win that game.

As far as my answer to the question, put me down for XL. Simple reason is justice. The Seahawks were not afforded the chance to win that game. Every single football fan was robbed of a fair game, and if we had still came out triumphant, the NFL would not be as blatant about their bs as they are today.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Yep. And it should have never come down to that play. Not only did the defense give up a 10 point lead (which always gets glossed over) but they got down there on a miracle catch by Kearse.

It doesnt get glossed over. What gets glossed over is that it was a miracle the defense held up as well as it did with the entire secondary being as hurt as they were. Honestly, New England probably should have blown Seattle out because of that. To have a chance to win the game hurts all that much more knowing that they played their hearts out.

 

[BlueTalon]

The elephant in the room is Brandon Browner. They should have seen the mismatch on the preliminary line checks and reads and Russ should have audibled out, period.

I'm not convinced he didn't audible into it.

 

[Boohman14]

This question is like asking if I'd like to die in boiling oil or be eaten by sharks. Lovely.
Anyway I gotta go with just having XL played with officials and the NFL being straight up. It's not certain that the 'Hawks beat the Stealers, but C'mon! XL could have been a game for the ages but the officials just buggered it. So many places to start. The Stealer's DE was early nearly every snap and it was never called. The holding call that nullified Stevens' catch. The low block on Haas. Rapistburger's helmet TD, The push off by D-Jack. I could go on but we all saw it.
The Wilson interception was at least a legit play by New England. Yes we shoudda ran it but at least we can't blame anyone but the play call and execution. Also Browner blew up the play. That game still hurts but XL was such an obvious screw job, I felt conned by the idea that Pro Football was on the up and up, when it appeared to be just another version of Pro Wrestling.

 

[AROS]

This question is like asking if I'd like to die in boiling oil or be eaten by sharks. Lovely.

That literally made me laugh out loud.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

It doesnt get glossed over. What gets glossed over is that it was a miracle the defense held up as well as it did with the entire secondary being as hurt as they were. Honestly, New England probably should have blown Seattle out because of that. To have a chance to win the game hurts all that much more knowing that they played their hearts out.

It gets glossed over all the time. Agree to disagree. TEAM loss.

 

[seahawks08]

I preferred one for Hasselback and company. That would have been a great one for the hard work the team put together. They were robbed and will remain a never to win one for an entire lifetime.

 

[Msfann]

XL crushed me for years. 49 I was over seconds after the interception because I was still on a high from the team winning 48 the year before, I immediately ejected 49 from my memory and never looked back.
But XL was all by itself and it was the Seahawks first subpar blow and it felt like the team got robbed so bad. That one hurt for a long time.

I hated the steAlers with a passion and only let it go after crotchlessburgler retired and everyone from that team was gone.

 

[pittpnthrs]

It gets glossed over all the time. Agree to disagree. TEAM loss.

TEAM was in a position to win until the coaching staff blew it with the worst play call in sports history.

Yes, agree to disagree.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

It depends probably on how we won. It would've been interesting to watch since ME3's ambition wouldn't have changed. If he bootlegs it after PA to Lynch (which 100% should've been the call if they were going to pass) and runs it in or threads a crazy pass, thus becoming the hero, then the diva may have come out and been disruptive to the team sooner than it did in this timeline. If Lynch punches it in, gets the MVP, then ME3 is butthurt and gets malicious earlier.

There are three time travel scenarios, basically, in how going to the past will affect the future. The change can either result in a separate new timeline where the original timeline keeps going, aka the multiverse theory. Or you can make a change akin to throwing a rock in the time stream which diverts the single river in a new direction. The third is you throw a rock in the middle and it just goes around the rock in the same direction it was going before. A few things change but the results are the same. I think the team would've gone the 3rd route, regardless of the method of winning XLIX. Mr Unlimited would still demand diva accommodations, the D would still be at odds with him. Maybe some of the departures would be delayed but the team would still break up in acrimony due to competing egos. Maybe we add another Lombardi before it happens or maybe the same kind of crushing blow would come in that time and leave us in the same spot we were in 2 years ago. Having a trophy for XLIX would obviously be great for the team's legacy and thrilling for us and maybe that makes the team breakup harder for us to swallow, but we'd still have a dynasty under our belt. I would definitely take XLIX over XL. I'd rather be one of the few teams to go back to back and we wouldnt be known as the "dynasty that wasn't".

Wow…. Nice response!

 

[CalgaryFan05]

The elephant in the room is Brandon Browner. They should have seen the mismatch on the preliminary line checks and reads and Russ should have audibled out, period.

This this this this this - have always said that the browner factor has/is/was completely overlooked!

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Okay - now it's officially a slow day.

If you had a time machine, and you could go back and pick ONE of XL or SB49 - and make the hawks win it - just ONE. Which would it be?

I'm torn. XL would have validated Hass and Holmgren. BUT, if we don't lose 49, does the locker room still implode? Do we go for 3 or 4? Does the LOB stay together for longer?

I 'think' my answer is 49.

Okay. After thinking about it a bit.

I'm officially changing MY vote to XL, for the following reasons (and as long as it didn't blow up the timeline and we still won 48):

- I really wish that Haas and Holmey could have had a ring with the Hawks. REALLY wish. They are still my two most liked Seahawks ever. EVER.

- XL was the year I became a fan (see handle). I think I would have been a far less angry fan if we had won XL. Like, for a decade. I think we all had just bad attitudes as fans - simply because of XL - and it was justified.

- I think another poster hit the nail on the head a bit. The 49 team was already fracturing. Kam's holdout was on the horizon. RW3 wasn't black enough - remember that? I think it was already imploding in the Russ/Lynch war - and the end was near anyhow.

- We wouldn't have cared as much that we lost 49 if we had a decade and a half of a ring for history.

I'm changing my avatar to Holmey and Hass as a bit of a tribute to this until the season starts