PETE CARROLL’S DECISION TO RUN MARSHAWN LYNCH WAS BRILLIANT

There was a lot of debate about the Seattle Seahawks’ final call of the last Super Bowl. They could have handed off to Marshawn Lynch and scored the winning touchdown. Instead Coach Pete Carroll decided to pass the ball, it was intercepted, and the New England Patriots won.

On Sunday September 13, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks were locked in a tight game with the St. Louis Rams. It was overtime, the Rams had kicked a field goal, and under the NFL rules, it was Seattle’s turn to try and score. They were down to a 4th down, needing only 1 yard to keep the drive going. They handed the ball to Marshawn Lynch in full “Beast Mode”, and he was stuffed. Seattle lost the game.

Does this mean that Pete Carroll has made two bad calls two games in a row? Maybe not. Pete Carroll took a lot of grief for not handing the ball off to his powerful running back in the Super Bowl. By electing to give the ball to Lynch to gain just 1 yard in this most recent game, he perfectly covered himself. If Lynch gets the needed yard, the Seattle drive continues and Pete Carroll’s call would keep the game going, with a chance to win. If Lynch doesn’t get the first down (which he didn’t), it validates his decision not to give it to him on the last play of the Super Bowl.

The Seattle Seahawks lost the game. Marshawn Lynch didn’t get the yard everyone thought he would. Pete Carroll looks a lot better for not handing the ball to him in the Super Bowl. Pete couldn’t lose either way with this decision.