Luke Willson talking about THAT play

[scutterhawk]

I found that interview to be very informative. I know some here are saying time to let it go, but with the players actually talking about it brings it full circle. Just part of the process of letting it go.

After THREE YEARS?????...NOT letting go, is for losers, you weigh anchor and move on.

 

[Uncle Si]

right... because the Patriots put their success into the hands of their best players. The Seahawks, on that occasion, did not. However, it was relying on Chris Matthews that even kept them in the game in the first half..

Other than Gronk, the Patriots offensive roster is mediocre at best. So not sure what you mean by this statement. Most of their late game TD winners are guys like White, Amendola, etc.

Hell yeah put the ball in the hands of Brady, so you're saying Russell wasn't worthy of putting the ball in his hands?

I'm not saying we shouldn't have handed it off to Marshawn, but let's remember Marshawn's goal line success rate that year was like 40%?.............and the Pats had their heavy goalline defense in the game expecting it.

Execution, execution and execution. That's why we lost. The Pat's D executed flawlessly, and we didn't. Everyone assumes handing it off to Marshawn would have worked, when as I referenced about, it most certainly wasn't a sure thing either.

Brady won that game on offense for them. He was excellent in the 2nd half. Same with the Falcons game. That’s pretty simple.

You keep saying “execution” as if that’s some secret word NFL teams outside the Patriots don’t understand. Teams execute to their strengths. Great teams have more strengths and can diversify while remaining consistent. That play was not to the Seahawks, nor Wilson’s strength. Yes.. it could’ve worked if “executed” properly. But there were certainly a handful of plays in the book that couldve been “executed” that didnt rely on Wilson to Lockette. You can keep the ball in Wilson’s hands and not use an undrafted special teams player to win a Super Bowl.

Yeah. The Patriots made a play. What they do better than other teams is stay disciplined and wait you out. It’s why their Super Bowls are so close.

They waited for the Hawks to make a mistake. The Hawks obliged.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Get over the Bevell thing, Pete told him in the headset system to call a pass play because the Pats had sent their "heavy" package in and there was no guarantee Marshawn would have been able to score against that defense as most assume he could have.

GO HAWKS!!!

Yeah, except I doubt that Pete said "Call a really stupid pass play with the worst personnel for that play call possible and a predictable formation so their rookie DB can read it and pick it off."

You say we should get over the Bevell thing, how about you just get over the defending Bevell thing?

*shrug*

 

[original poster]

Long time lurker here. I appreciated Willson's being candid about that play. The play is water under the bridge and there were a ton of things that could have been done differently. Butler was just beaten on two plays earlier and he was the third corner back on the field on that play. He was a rookie and his spirit should have been broken.

After watching the play it was a bad read, bad throw, and the worst route I have ever seen. It took Lockette far too long to get to his spot and he never sold the play to get free from Butler. Butler just ran where he thought the ball was going to be. Good guess. To be honest though, I have more problems with the earlier play. Okung totally wiffed on his block. If he seals the defensive end, Seattle is up by 3 with a minute to go. We may have watched Brady march right down the field and break our hearts or lose in overtime. It would be ironic to win the NFC championship in OT and lose the same way the next week.

I will always watch a video of the final play. It allows me as a fan to heal. This is a video I watched in the last week that I never saw before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeNYQaS3rZI

Grant it, it is easy for New England to say these things after the fact. But, I believe their rationale. It was said the Pats knew the play was coming. Well, they did know it was coming. This video shed light on that play for me. Butler was beaten over and over again. Lockette never made a legit football move and ran a pattern like a high school receiver. The scout team ran it better than he did.

Another poster said we ran the same play out of that formation and it had no chance of fooling them. I agree 100% with this comment. Bevell ran a simple route tree. That could be by design. However, that makes Bevell a mediocre play caller too and he should have been shown the door after that game.

Welcome to .Net :greetingsearthling:

 

[pittpnthrs]

That play will never go away.

Seems like that slant play fails everytime the team runs it. Was it the Redskins game that they intercepted it also? :lol:

 

[original poster]

That play will never go away.

Seems like that slant play fails everytime the team runs it. Was it the Redskins game that they intercepted it also? :lol:

I cringe every time.

 

[themunn]

The fact that YET ANOTHER player on the Seahawks is still discussing this play means they hadn't moved on - even if some of you think they should or are tired of the discussion.

He was asked a question though, it's not like he said "wait right there, I have something I need to get off my chest"

 

[irfuben32]

I still have no problem with the concept of passing on that play. But play action, Russ rolls with one of 3 options 1) run it in, 2) throw to someone wide open in the back of the endzone cause his man bit on the play-fake 3) throw it out the back of the endzone if neither 1 nor 2 is available.

Pats heavy package means bigger guys and more people towards the middle. So why call a play throwing there to a guy known more for his special teams play than receiving skills?

Because Bevell has a very poor awareness of the personnel on the field.

This and This

You HAVE to either run or run play action.

As far as Bevell he absolutely didn't look at personnel. Everyone was an X or an O.

 

[Seanhawk]

Time to let it go.....enough already

It's not actually, it should always be a reminder that you should never be complacent during a football game.

Not really. Throwing the ball was the least complacent thing to do there.

 

[HawkRiderFan]

I figure a room full of Seahawk fans is a safe place for me to unload on something else that really gets me angry about that play....other than the obvious.
I give the Patriots and coaches all the credit for being prepared for that play and their preparation in general. But the over-the-top praise drives me nuts. Remember how the Pats didn't call timeout after Lynch's run leading up that play. I've actually heard people calling that a brilliant move by Billicheck that manipulated Pete into throwing the ball. Give me a freaking break. If the Hawks score on that play, everyone is questioning why the Pats didn't use a timeout to give Brady more time to come back and tie the game.
There is no reason to call that a brilliant move. Rant off!

 

[pittpnthrs]

I figure a room full of Seahawk fans is a safe place for me to unload on something else that really gets me angry about that play....other than the obvious.
I give the Patriots and coaches all the credit for being prepared for that play and their preparation in general. But the over-the-top praise drives me nuts. Remember how the Pats didn't call timeout after Lynch's run leading up that play. I've actually heard people calling that a brilliant move by Billicheck that manipulated Pete into throwing the ball. Give me a freaking break. If the Hawks score on that play, everyone is questioning why the Pats didn't use a timeout to give Brady more time to come back and tie the game.
There is no reason to call that a brilliant move. Rant off!

A time out is what was supposed to happen and almost any coach in the world would have called one. Belichick didnt though and our coach panicked. I truly dont think Pete knew what to do. It was a great move by Belichick.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

right... because the Patriots put their success into the hands of their best players. The Seahawks, on that occasion, did not. However, it was relying on Chris Matthews that even kept them in the game in the first half..

Other than Gronk, the Patriots offensive roster is mediocre at best. So not sure what you mean by this statement. Most of their late game TD winners are guys like White, Amendola, etc.

Hell yeah put the ball in the hands of Brady, so you're saying Russell wasn't worthy of putting the ball in his hands?

I'm not saying we shouldn't have handed it off to Marshawn, but let's remember Marshawn's goal line success rate that year was like 40%?.............and the Pats had their heavy goalline defense in the game expecting it.

Execution, execution and execution. That's why we lost. The Pat's D executed flawlessly, and we didn't. Everyone assumes handing it off to Marshawn would have worked, when as I referenced about, it most certainly wasn't a sure thing either.

Brady won that game on offense for them. He was excellent in the 2nd half. Same with the Falcons game. That’s pretty simple.

You keep saying “execution” as if that’s some secret word NFL teams outside the Patriots don’t understand. Teams execute to their strengths. Great teams have more strengths and can diversify while remaining consistent. That play was not to the Seahawks, nor Wilson’s strength. Yes.. it could’ve worked if “executed” properly. But there were certainly a handful of plays in the book that couldve been “executed” that didnt rely on Wilson to Lockette. You can keep the ball in Wilson’s hands and not use an undrafted special teams player to win a Super Bowl.

Yeah. The Patriots made a play. What they do better than other teams is stay disciplined and wait you out. It’s why their Super Bowls are so close.

They waited for the Hawks to make a mistake. The Hawks obliged.

As I stated Si, Marshawn was 6 for 14 from the goalline in 2014, that's less than a 50% success rate. So how is that exactly playing to our strengths?

We were terrible for years at 1st and goal, including that year. That was nowhere near our strength.

 

[Seahawkville]

Butler made a "great play"?

He ran less than 3 yards unblocked to the ball which was thrown right to that spot where he was, but is the definition of a "great play"

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Butler made a "great play"?

He ran less than 3 yards unblocked to the ball which was thrown right to that spot where he was, but is the definition of a "great play"

He absolutely made a great play. No hesitation on the break, got underneath Lockette and held onto the ball after contact..............with the SB on the line?

 

[hawkman]

Butler made a "great play"?

He ran less than 3 yards unblocked to the ball which was thrown right to that spot where he was, but is the definition of a "great play"

If the ball was thrown to the spot it should have been it’s either a TD or incomplete pass. I don’t understand how RW seems to avoid the blame. Sure there were other mistakes on the play (the call definitely not one of them), but with a decent throw the other mistakes don’t lead to total disaster. So not as much of a great play by the D, but a massive choke job by our QB. RW has had some great moments, and deserves credit for them. He also deserves the blame when it is deserved.

 

[semiahmoo]

Best interview regarding "The Play" I've ever seen - and I've seen/witnessed a bunch.

Luke is always a great guy to talk shop with.

Given that version of the Seahawks is being dismantled in real time now makes the conversation of that SB loss even more pertinent. It will always be remembered by so many as the beginning of the end of that great Pete Caroll Seahawks run.

That is, unless Pete pulls a rabbit out of the hat with those massive balls of his that Luke referenced. History dictates that outcome as highly unlikey, but I'd love for it to happen.

 

[Uncle Si]

right... because the Patriots put their success into the hands of their best players. The Seahawks, on that occasion, did not. However, it was relying on Chris Matthews that even kept them in the game in the first half..

Other than Gronk, the Patriots offensive roster is mediocre at best. So not sure what you mean by this statement. Most of their late game TD winners are guys like White, Amendola, etc.

Hell yeah put the ball in the hands of Brady, so you're saying Russell wasn't worthy of putting the ball in his hands?

I'm not saying we shouldn't have handed it off to Marshawn, but let's remember Marshawn's goal line success rate that year was like 40%?.............and the Pats had their heavy goalline defense in the game expecting it.

Execution, execution and execution. That's why we lost. The Pat's D executed flawlessly, and we didn't. Everyone assumes handing it off to Marshawn would have worked, when as I referenced about, it most certainly wasn't a sure thing either.

Brady won that game on offense for them. He was excellent in the 2nd half. Same with the Falcons game. That’s pretty simple.

You keep saying “execution” as if that’s some secret word NFL teams outside the Patriots don’t understand. Teams execute to their strengths. Great teams have more strengths and can diversify while remaining consistent. That play was not to the Seahawks, nor Wilson’s strength. Yes.. it could’ve worked if “executed” properly. But there were certainly a handful of plays in the book that couldve been “executed” that didnt rely on Wilson to Lockette. You can keep the ball in Wilson’s hands and not use an undrafted special teams player to win a Super Bowl.

Yeah. The Patriots made a play. What they do better than other teams is stay disciplined and wait you out. It’s why their Super Bowls are so close.

They waited for the Hawks to make a mistake. The Hawks obliged.

As I stated Si, Marshawn was 6 for 14 from the goalline in 2014, that's less than a 50% success rate. So how is that exactly playing to our strengths?

We were terrible for years at 1st and goal, including that year. That was nowhere near our strength.

Who said it had to be a handoff to Lynch?

The team had more than one strength

you're playing into numerous falsehoods.. and not sure why? Is it to extoll the Pats? Is it to provide an out to the Seahawks? Is it to suggest that was the team's best play?

Because the issue is/was elsewhere

 

[Uncle Si]

Best interview regarding "The Play" I've ever seen - and I've seen/witnessed a bunch.

Luke is always a great guy to talk shop with.

Given that version of the Seahawks is being dismantled in real time now makes the conversation of that SB loss even more pertinent. It will always be remembered by so many as the beginning of the end of that great Pete Caroll Seahawks run.

That is, unless Pete pulls a rabbit out of the hat with those massive balls of his that Luke referenced. History dictates that outcome as highly unlikey, but I'd love for it to happen.

It's like a broken record

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Who said it had to be a handoff to Lynch?

The team had more than one strength

you're playing into numerous falsehoods.. and not sure why? Is it to extoll the Pats? Is it to provide an out to the Seahawks? Is it to suggest that was the team's best play?

Because the issue is/was elsewhere

What other strengths are you talking about then.

You're the one telling me I'm wrong, so why am I wrong? What "strengths" should we have gone with if you weren't talking about Marshawn?

 

[Uncle Si]

Who said it had to be a handoff to Lynch?

The team had more than one strength

you're playing into numerous falsehoods.. and not sure why? Is it to extoll the Pats? Is it to provide an out to the Seahawks? Is it to suggest that was the team's best play?

Because the issue is/was elsewhere

What other strengths are you talking about then.

You're the one telling me I'm wrong, so why am I wrong? What "strengths" should we have gone with if you weren't talking about Marshawn?

I mean i did have it one of my first posts. Wilson with the ball in his hands and on the move. Read option. Roll out. Something to Baldwin. Pass in the flat to Lynch. You cant convince me THAT play was even in our top 5 of good options, considering personnel.

Im not telling you you are wrong.. I just think your perspective is focused on the wrong thing. Pats do what they do.. wait for mistakes. Seahawks got uncharacteristically casual and cute with their play call.