After Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse made an incredible catch, the Seahawks looked like they were in position to take home their second consecutive Super Bowl trophy.
Until they weren’t.
Instead of taking the easy touchdown with Marshawn Lynch, they threw the football. Here’s the thing: Lynch is known for his notorious yards after contact and could have had an easy game-winning touchdown. Instead, the Seahawks took the road less traveled and threw the football on Second and Goal from the one-yard line.
What happened next was history. Patriot Malcolm Butler beat Seahawk wide receiver Ricardo Lockette to the punch and intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass. That play ended the Super Bowl and gave Patriots quarterback Tom Brady his fourth ring. That call to throw over run is now being called “The Worst Call Ever,” and rightfully so. The Seahawks were one yard away from winning one of America’s most prestigious awards and they blew it.
The Patriots outplayed the Seahawks the entire game, and probably deserved to win, too. The Patriots also benefited from luck: they were lucky that Seattle chose a pass play over run, or we wouldn’t be discussing this. Instead we would be exclaiming over Seattle’s 31-28 victory.
As it is, this game will be remembered for what it could have been and not for what actually occurred. This was arguably one of the best Super Bowls of the 21st century, and it will be remembered for the call that the Seahawks’ head coach Pete Carroll did not make.
