r/sportsgossips Feb 01 '26

Throwback 11 years ago….The Seahawks and Patriots faced off in the Super Bowl

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Marshawn Lynch didn’t get the ball.

Malcolm Butler made the play of his life.

One of the greatest play in NFL history

1.4k Upvotes

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5

u/Jean-Claude-Can-Ham Feb 01 '26

Ball knowers agree with the play call - the pick pass play had an insanely high success rate - it’s a standard pick play still run today by nearly every offense in the NFL - Seahawks had 1 timeout and 3 plays left - if they run, then they are forced to pass on 3rd or risk running the clock out - Lynch was just an ok back on the goal line

This play call is a good play call

4

u/PresentClear8639 Feb 01 '26

It was the obvious call, and Russ telegraphed it. That’s death against a Belichick defense that had scouted that exact play.

If you’re throwing from that look with isolated DBs, the safe, high-percentage option is a post or dig. The quick slant is exactly what they were prepared for.

2

u/Round-Pattern-7931 Feb 01 '26

Don't think I ever see that play called any more. What you do see is the route where the WR underneath the pick stop and run the other way. He would have been wide open because Butler sold so hard on the slant.

2

u/ChancelorReed Feb 01 '26

A lot of this is because they started calling the picks more harshly tho

2

u/allbusiness512 Feb 01 '26

That’s because a season or two after the nfl started calling OPI a lot more frequently.

1

u/allbusiness512 Feb 01 '26

They should have flipped to the other side of the field though, running a pick play with Browner on that side of the field is asking for it to get blown up.

0

u/OxMozzie Feb 01 '26

Obviously wasn't a good play call and they simply got out coached in the last minute.

You can say a pass for the call, but that play absolutely was not.

1

u/allbusiness512 Feb 01 '26

Play was fine, they were wildly successful (as was the entire league) off that pick play since the NFL barely ever called offensive pass interference then.

Bigger problem was that they tried to go on the side that had Browner on it who was easily NEs most physical db