3 plays I can't get out of my head

48 hours later, I can't stop thinking how these plays would have made a win for us much more possible:

1 - Russel's pick-6 INT
2 - Not kicking the chip-shot FG at end of 2nd quarter
3 - Wilson overthrowing wide-open Baldwin in the 4th QTR - sure touchdown.

Congrats to the Panthers, they deserved the win - they made very very few mistakes. But I think we win if any 2 of the above go in our favor. That's playoff football, though.

45Hawker":33g2yysr said:

48 hours later, I can't stop thinking how these plays would have made a win for us much more possible:

1 - Russel's pick-6 INT
2 - Not kicking the chip-shot FG at end of 2nd quarter
3 - Wilson overthrowing wide-open Baldwin in the 4th QTR - sure touchdown.

Congrats to the Panthers, they deserved the win - they made very very few mistakes. But I think we win if any 2 of the above go in our favor. That's playoff football, though.

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Yeah, those are tough. We did end up getting a TD later in that drive after the Wilson overthrow to ADB, but it would have saved us a few minutes on the clock had we struck quickly...

The chip-shot FG in the 2nd quarter just stings me the most, I was yelling at the TV for them to take those points...we needed to make it 4 scores instead of 5. Sure enough, we scored 4 times (be it we went for a FG—but if we had the 3 points from before, we would have gone game-tying TD)

This loss hurts all the way around, because just ANYTHING in the 1st half—holding them to another FG instead of TD, us scoring something, a turnover? ANYTHING and we probably comeback and win...
:x :x :x

While i understand the pain in hind sight, i think the field goal is a little bit tricky to blame Pete for.

Down 31-0 you have to pull off basically exactly the greatest comeback in playoffs history.

Against a 15-1 team with a stout defense and one with an offense we had shown the inability to defend to that point.

It really was kind of all in at that point. And really, even with that failure, if the fake punt drive doesn't stall, we would have made up for it anyways.

You could do this after every loss: find 2 or 3 plays that would have changed the outcome. That's what happens when a team like the Seahawks are competitive in every game.

Of course in many wins you could do the same thing. Find 2 or 3 plays that would have made the Hawks lose.

That's just how it goes.

Agreed, HawFan72. But what I found a bit unique, was that we were only 2-3 plays from winning a game that we were down by 31 at one point!

Anyways, I'm probably in the "Dialogue and Bargaining" stage of grief right now. In a few days, I'll reach "Acceptance". Go Hawks.

If you argue the field goal then you need to argue why didn't they go for two everytime. I was hoping they would.

45Hawker":e3unyath said:

48 hours later, I can't stop thinking how these plays would have made a win for us much more possible:

1 - Russel's pick-6 INT
2 - Not kicking the chip-shot FG at end of 2nd quarter
3 - Wilson overthrowing wide-open Baldwin in the 4th QTR - sure touchdown.

Congrats to the Panthers, they deserved the win - they made very very few mistakes. But I think we win if any 2 of the above go in our favor. That's playoff football, though.

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I stopped thinking about what ifs altogether. It's just frustrates me.

Just gotta wait til the combine, draft, OTAs, mini camp and training camp.

I love this team. Dont beat your self up to much. I think about stuff like that too maybe to much. Its a shame that we lost the way we did it stings. I know we are better than that. I really do think this team is better than what we played like this year. Its going to be a loooooooong off season.

45Hawker":3kn6vr3u said:

48 hours later, I can't stop thinking how these plays would have made a win for us much more possible:

1 - Russel's pick-6 INT
2 - Not kicking the chip-shot FG at end of 2nd quarter
3 - Wilson overthrowing wide-open Baldwin in the 4th QTR - sure touchdown.

Congrats to the Panthers, they deserved the win - they made very very few mistakes. But I think we win if any 2 of the above go in our favor. That's playoff football, though.

Click to expand...

1. Sorry

2. Glad he went for it instead of going down 31-3

3. Scored a few plays later on a 33yd pass to Lockett and it was in the 3rd Quarter not the 4th.

Ish happens. One thing though... I understand maximizing the whole HFA thing, but I think it goes a bit far when you keep the field completely covered when the opposing team arrives, uncover it for the home team to practice on, get a feel for and get their cleats set. The first time Hawk players were able to try making serious cuts was in-game. While Stewart's run caught our LBers by surprise, Earl slipping on that field was the difference between a 7yd run and the back-breaker we saw. More guys than just Earl were having problems, and on both sides of the ball.

Barthawk":1xwpf8am said:

45Hawker":1xwpf8am said:

48 hours later, I can't stop thinking how these plays would have made a win for us much more possible:

1 - Russel's pick-6 INT
2 - Not kicking the chip-shot FG at end of 2nd quarter
3 - Wilson overthrowing wide-open Baldwin in the 4th QTR - sure touchdown.

Congrats to the Panthers, they deserved the win - they made very very few mistakes. But I think we win if any 2 of the above go in our favor. That's playoff football, though.

Click to expand...

1. Sorry

2. Glad he went for it instead of going down 31-3

3. Scored a few plays later on a 33yd pass to Lockett and it was in the 3rd Quarter not the 4th.

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Aw, the heir splitting analysis after a loss :lol:

I think the play that flips the game is if the Hawks recover the fumble on the 2nd play of the game. I sense in the parallel branch that extends from that 50/50 play, myself celebrating with .net right now!

But back in this universe, using hindsight I too think not going for the FG was a mistake. I mean Pete says you cant win it in the 1st so kick the points, take away some Carolina steamtrain momentum, bank a smidge of confidence to use the rest of the half then play Hawks football the rest of the way.

The biggest play was passing on the 3 sure points .. we would have been down 31-24 driving for the tying TD. Who knows what happens if we go on to score there at the end and force Cam to do something.

The missed Baldwin TD stung in terms of time, but we scored on that drive anyway.

Hasselbeck":3f0vhez7 said:

The biggest play was passing on the 3 sure points .. we would have been down 31-24 driving for the tying TD. Who knows what happens if we go on to score there at the end and force Cam to do something.

The missed Baldwin TD stung in terms of time, but we scored on that drive anyway.

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I agree, if we take that FG, all of a sudden that final drive that end's in a FG, would be an EPIC drive to tie the game instead. It would been amazing to see if the Panthers would have folded under the pressure or held up. As Cam said, guys were really tight.

If that was for the tying TD then I think our chances at winning the game would have been pretty good.

Barthawk":1tdtu1va said:

2. Glad he went for it instead of going down 31-3.

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I think you're the first guy that I've read was in favor of going for it there.

Hasselbeck":2m6olx8g said:

Barthawk":2m6olx8g said:

2. Glad he went for it instead of going down 31-3.

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I think you're the first guy that I've read was in favor of going for it there.

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I wasn't upset by it at the time but it sure was talked about once we got to 21 - 31.

Laloosh":idin0kti said:

Hasselbeck":idin0kti said:

Barthawk":idin0kti said:

2. Glad he went for it instead of going down 31-3.

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I think you're the first guy that I've read was in favor of going for it there.

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I wasn't upset by it at the time but it sure was talked about once we got to 21 - 31.

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I get the idea of what Pete wanted to do with getting a TD on the board and going to half-time feeling better about ourselves.. but I don't know, you're banking on having about 6 possessions a half.. down 31 points that means you have to score touchdowns on 4 of those 6 drives and get a FG on a 5th possession.. or 3 2-point conversions with the 4 touchdowns.

Just playing the odds I think I like my chances a whole lot more to get 4 touchdowns and 4 PAT's to force OT. I just think Pete panicked on that possession and then our miserable clock management on the next drive doomed another shot at 3.

Hasselbeck":2x6fmago said:

I get the idea of what Pete wanted to do with getting a TD on the board and going to half-time feeling better about ourselves.. but I don't know, you're banking on having about 6 possessions a half.. down 31 points that means you have to score touchdowns on 4 of those 6 drives and get a FG on a 5th possession.. or 3 2-point conversions with the 4 touchdowns.

Just playing the odds I think I like my chances a whole lot more to get 4 touchdowns and 4 PAT's to force OT. I just think Pete panicked on that possession and then our miserable clock management on the next drive doomed another shot at 3.

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I hear ya.

Kept seeing that SoundFX or whatever from XLVIII where Manning and Fox were discussing the 4th and 3 that they just figured they'd get.

I cannot imagine trying to make those calls.

EmbattleTheeHawks":19303jv7 said:

I think the play that flips the game is if the Hawks recover the fumble on the 2nd play of the game. I sense in the parallel branch that extends from that 50/50 play, myself celebrating with .net right now!

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I've been thinking about that play.

That balls takes a different bounce, its bounces to a Seahawk? Maybe just maybe the momentum gets swung to us before its a giant tsunami of 31 points.

But.... the football gods were like nope, you guys are in for it. You aren't catching a break!!

It also works both ways.

While it ended up being a great pass the Wilson to Kearse TD that hit Norman's fingers was super risky and fortunate that it wasn't an interception. That pass seemed like a prayer more than a good decision.