It is always weird to watch a big game when you don’t have a dog in the fight. A couple of things stood out to me. The Seattle Seahawks used some imaginative play calling to take the lead at the half, and to lose the game in the fourth quarter.
Coach Pete Carroll decided to go for a touchdown with six seconds left in the first half, most coaches would have kicked a field goal in that situation. The play worked and the Seattle coach was a hero at halftime. When New England scored late to take a four point lead, it was up to Seattle to make history, or be history.
Seattle drove down the field and had a first and goal on the five yard line to claim victory. The Seahawks have the best running back in the league in Marshawn Lynch. After Lynch picked up four yards to make it second and goal, the Seahawks gambled again, when they seemingly didn’t have to do it. Instead of giving the ball to Lynch, they had two time outs left, Seattle elected to go to the air.
The Seattle receiver was knocked off the ball, the pass was intercepted, and seemingly certain victory ended in defeat. Many tweeted that it was the worst call in football history. But nobody tweeted when gambling paid off in the first half. I have known lots of Riverboat Gamblers in my time, none of them live in big houses.
