Did Belicheck not using a timeout psyche out Carroll?

[truth on hold]

A playactuon pass would have made more sense than the play he called

Agree, I understand hawks needed to call pass on that down if they wanted 4 attempts, but why THAT pass? That was their brain fart. It sounds like Carroll called pass but the OC specified that one in particular. Play action fake hand off to lynch, Wilson rolls right, if a guy is wide open in corner TD ... if not throw it away, clock stops, run lynch 3rd down, if no TD call TO. Go to 4th down, entire red zone playbook open at that point Edited February 3, 2015 by JTSP

[NoSaint]

By not calling timeout Belichick forced Carroll to make a quick decision, and Carroll outsmarted himself. He admitted he wanted to guarantee the team four shots at the TD and that's why they passed there; he didn't want to risk the run being stopped short on 2nd down and having to burn his last timeout. Follow it through; they use the timeout and then on 3rd down they almost have to throw because a running play can burn too much clock and then you're running a Chinese fire drill to line up and run the 4th down play.

 

While Carroll's reasoning is actually logical, the biggest problem I have is that it's based upon an expectation of failure. He shouldn't have worried about getting four shots, he should have used the Seahawks' strengths -- i.e., the legs of Lynch or Wilson.

If the game ends with his team holding the ball and still having an unused down I think that would have been just as bad if not worse.

[Proteus]

What would the Patriots do if the roles were reversed? They would be lined up and running a QB sneak before the Seahawks knew what hit them. The Seahawks definitely outsmarted themselves.

[3rdand12]

By not calling timeout Belichick forced Carroll to make a quick decision, and Carroll outsmarted himself. He admitted he wanted to guarantee the team four shots at the TD and that's why they passed there; he didn't want to risk the run being stopped short on 2nd down and having to burn his last timeout. Follow it through; they use the timeout and then on 3rd down they almost have to throw because a running play can burn too much clock and then you're running a Chinese fire drill to line up and run the 4th down play.

 

While Carroll's reasoning is actually logical, the biggest problem I have is that it's based upon an expectation of failure. He shouldn't have worried about getting four shots, he should have used the Seahawks' strengths -- i.e., the legs of Lynch or Wilson.

yep

[ronnieroscoe]

I totally agree....Im not sold BB thought he would get a interception from Butler, but he was going to try to stop three plays and make them use their one time out..and most important not give them a chance to regroup or figure anything out...unless clock was already stoppped....if hawks ran on second down and called time out...third down would no doubt be a pass setting up fourth down--the issue is seattle for a split second when making a quick decision was more worried about making sure they got three more chances in 20 seconds instead of just scoring the touchdown....but that's what happens in big situations, things don't always go the norm....same thing with green bay...yes the guy was supposed to block and let jordy nelson recover on side kick...but super bowl was on the line so he just decided to grab it...here obviously Marshawn run was the way to go....but instead it became--make sure we get four cracks....and by not calling time out...BB lured them into a play they shouldnt have run....the question to ask pete in future if it was fourth down--what play do you call....and it would have obviously been marshawn

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

it is odd that neither "genius" took the time out

 

1) the Seahacks would have had the time to run it 3 times and not force a pass

2) Had the Seahacks scored a TD, then Belicheat would have screwed himself out of valuable time trying to tie or win the game!

IF Belicheat "psyche out" failed then he "psyched himself out"

[PromoTheRobot]

I know people think he is a genius but to think he didn't call a timeout just to make the seahawks hurry up is crazy. He isn't soooooo good that he managed to know exactly what they were gonna do or make them rush. If the Seahawks were in such a hurry they would have ran the play quicker. They ticked the time all the way down so the Pats didn't have that much time left. They just called a terrible play. Possibly the worst play call in super bowl history. Any defense makes that interception in my opinion. The Cheaties just got lucky at the fact that the Seahawks screwed up royally

Bellycheat is pure Jedi. Why you think he wears a hoodie? Edited February 4, 2015 by PromoTheRobot

[GunnerBill]

I think Belichick didn't call a time out because he remembers the Giants game. In that Superbowl (the 2nd Giants one) they let Bradshaw walk in thinking it would give them time to go down and score and they couldn't. And that Giants defense whilst good is not as good as this Seattle one. New England hadn't been able to make any throws deep all day. They had dinked and dunked their way to all their points. I was sitting there thinking "New England's best chance of winning is their defense making a stand" and I presume Belichick felt the same way... so you don't help Seattle by calling time outs... you keep your time outs incase you see a formation with match ups that you don't think you can defend. New England actually made a late swtich to get Ayres out and Butler in on the interception.

[BRH]

Has anyone considered that BB might not have taken a timeout because to do so would have deprived him of the opportunity to listen to Darrell Bevell radio the next play in to Russell Wilson?

[truth on hold]

What would the Patriots do if the roles were reversed? They would be lined up and running a QB sneak before the Seahawks knew what hit them. The Seahawks definitely outsmarted themselves.

I dont think small QBs are good on sneaks. They get jammed by the Center. The tall ones like Brady and flacco can just lean forward

[hondo in seattle]

BB is a genius, but not for not calling a timeout. Whatever his reasoning was, the Seahawks could have easily scored on that play and left the Pats would have been left very little time to produce a FG to tie the game. If Butler hadn't made a great read and pick, BB would be second-guessed. Butler is the hero at the end, not BB.

 

That said, BB is a great coach despite Spy- and Deflate-Gates and I'm looking forward to his retirement.

Edited February 4, 2015 by hondo in seattle

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

he gambled and won. he could have just as easily lost.

just a Carrol gambled in not running that play faster than he did. he gambled that Belicheat would call a TO he lost

Edited February 4, 2015 by BillsFan-4-Ever

[Billsfan1972]

And he could have called the timeout (like he should have) and the exact same result. BB made a mistake, got away with it and some need to add to the mystique/lore of BB. Absolutely wrong. Butler was the hero, and don't be surprised if BB cuts or releases him, which would be classic Belichek.

[Philly McButterpants]

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/2/2/7962403/super-bowl-2015-patriots-interception-seahawks-play-call

 

These statements remind me of SB 28 and the Cowboys stating that they "knew" Thurman would fumble the ball. Riiiiiigggggghhhhhtttt.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

And he could have called the timeout (like he should have) and the exact same result. BB made a mistake, got away with it and some need to add to the mystique/lore of BB. Absolutely wrong. Butler was the hero, and don't be surprised if BB cuts or releases him, which would be classic Belichek.

and he's be the goat (bahhh) and not the GOAT.

[QB Bills]

Has anyone considered that BB might not have taken a timeout because to do so would have deprived him of the opportunity to listen to Darrell Bevell radio the next play in to Russell Wilson?

Wow. That is a completely crazy thought that I never would have considered. Imagine that somehow was found to be true.

[earthtobrint]

By not calling timeout Belichick forced Carroll to make a quick decision, and Carroll outsmarted himself. He admitted he wanted to guarantee the team four shots at the TD and that's why they passed there; he didn't want to risk the run being stopped short on 2nd down and having to burn his last timeout. Follow it through; they use the timeout and then on 3rd down they almost have to throw because a running play can burn too much clock and then you're running a Chinese fire drill to line up and run the 4th down play.

 

While Carroll's reasoning is actually logical, the biggest problem I have is that it's based upon an expectation of failure. He shouldn't have worried about getting four shots, he should have used the Seahawks' strengths -- i.e., the legs of Lynch or Wilson.

 

 

Exactly. The play call was as much about stopping the clock quickly as it was trying to score. Carroll didn't go with his team's strength and instead chose to maximize the number of plays rather than the quality of plays. He said himself that was basically a "throw away" play. Belichik didn't necessarily psyche him out. Carroll had reasoning behind his decision, but his decision allowed there to be unnecessary risk involved.

 

If he was going to call a pass, a play action roll out would've been a much better call. It would give Wilson time to choose pass, run, or throw it in the stands. The pick play forced him to just hike and throw to a spot immediately without time for judgement, completely depending on the WRs executing and the CBs not knowing exactly what was coming. Also, they chose to target the guy 9th on the team in receptions on the season.

 

Back to Belichik's decision not to call timeout, I believe that also was a mistake. I could see letting the clock run, minimizing the offense's number of plays, putting everything on the defense to get a stop, if the ball was on the 10 yard line or something. However, when they have three shots at it from the one yard line, odds are they are going to score. Belichik got lucky there by way of Carroll/Bevell's blunder.

Edited February 4, 2015 by earthtobrint

[TheFunPolice]

Three coaches have shown the ability to outcoach Belichick:

 

Harbaugh (Baltimore)

Coughlin (NYG)

 

And to some degree, Rex, although nowhere near the other two.

[PromoTheRobot]

The notion that Belichick went all Jedi mind trick on Carroll is utter nonsense. It's a theory reverse engineered from the result of the game. "Pats won so Belichick planned it all along." I smell poop.

[Thurman#1]

Watching the end of the game I am sitting there thinking why is BB not calling a timeout right here saving an extra 30 seconds for Brady? It seemed like an obvious blunder by one of the great head coaches of all time. Maybe BB didn't call a timeout so the Seahawks wouldn't have time to think the play over and would do something stupid, like they did. Just another way BB may be smarter than everyone else.

 

 

 

I don't think Carroll was psyched out. But confused for five or ten seconds so that they took a long time to get the play call made and get to the line? Absolutely.

 

Smart play by Belichick.

And he could have called the timeout (like he should have) and the exact same result. BB made a mistake, got away with it and some need to add to the mystique/lore of BB. Absolutely wrong. Butler was the hero, and don't be surprised if BB cuts or releases him, which would be classic Belichek.

 

 

It wasn't a mistake just because you wouldn't have done the same thing.

 

He decided the odds were poor even if they had 30 seconds left on offense and put it all on their defense. Which had been pretty good at stopping Seattle most of the day, and which was also a bit of a surprise and caused them to take a long time to call the play.

 

By no means a mistake. A calculated risk that put all the pressure on the Seahawks. He had confidence in the defense, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Thurman#1