I think Russ lost his nerve in the end.

hawkfan68

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And lost SB 49 with a pass on the back shoulder of the receiver. Which he and his team and media immediately blamed on PC on play call but watch and re watch the game. Russ lost that game plane and simple. The D knew that which is why they bailed on the team and are all now back that RW is no longer here.
I believe you have Russ confused with Bevell. Russ did take blame for that pass and the SB49 loss - http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/cli...lame-seahawks-super-bowl-49-loss-patriots-int. It was Bevell who was blaming everyone but himself for that debacle.
 

BlueTalon

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That’s some call by the coaches, based on his previous record. ‘Game of inches’ and all that, I suppose.
But was it really just the coaches? Did Russ lobby as hard for the opportunity to run a play as their kicker did to kick it? In my mind, I keep comparing this with the NFCCG against the Digits. It wasn't at the very end of the game, but it was in the 4th quarter and we were down. 4th & 7 IIRC. Russ lobbied to make a play. Lobbied hard. And we ran the play, drew them offsides, and Russ connected on the TD that put us ahead for good.

I didn't see any lobbying this time. I didn't see any effort at all. The kicker told the coaches "get me to this yard line on this hash mark and I can make it." What did Russ tell the coaches?
 

m0ng0

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Probably would have helped if Hackett and Russ installed some new hand signals so he ex-teammates couldn't call out audibles from the sidelines.



But those are the handsignals half pint has always used, I'm surprised he doesn't have them trademarked, Russell don't change his game you adjust to HIM :)
 

Maelstrom787

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Probably would have helped if Hackett and Russ installed some new hand signals so he ex-teammates couldn't call out audibles from the sidelines.



It always gets me good when people compare Russell's preparation to guys like Peyton Manning.

Peyton was filling up notebooks. Russ is visualizing his entrance onto the field and practicing what kind of high fives he'll give. Entirely performative positive visualization stuff instead of actual preparation... like changing your signals so you're not telegraphing stuff to your former team, who you have to play against week 1.
 

camdawg

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Yes it was, look at where it landed on the receiver NOT where it was when he threw it.

The defender took it over the LEFT shoulder of the receiver not his right. The ball was behind.

It is true that Browner diagnosed the play and told Butler what to expect and blew up the block. But RW could have lead the receiver, NO INT, or pulled and ran to the right.

Still had time for a time out or incomplete or another run.
God help me, I just watched the NBC clip of the play on YouTube about ten times in a row. I don't know what you're seeing.

Ricardo Lockette is a receiver on the right side of the formation, running a shallow slant towards the middle- i.e. going left. For a receiver running a route like this, their right shoulder becomes the front shoulder. And that's where Russ was throwing the ball to - he was trying to lead him. Ricardo's back/left shoulder is pointing towards Russ at the time Malcolm Butler attacks Ricardo's front shoulder and reaches through his arms to steal the ball.

In hindsight, it would've been beneficial for Russ to actually throw slightly behind Ricardo so he has to twist a bit for the ball. This would give his back to Butler, who will hit him hard, but the momentum might carry Ricardo into the end zone.

But...it wasn't a badly thrown ball. What can we fault Russ for? Watch his three step dropback after he gets the snap. He pretty much did it at normal speed.

He can't throw it immediately after getting the snap from Unger, he has to see that Ricardo has made his break and not slipped. If Russ immediately throws the ball and Ricardo stumbles, it's going straight to Butler.

But, if Russ got set right away, he could throw the ball when Ricardo made his second step of his break inside. And then Butler isn't there in time.

The formation and play call were awful. Because it's compressed, Russ would have to dodge a lot of Patriots that would be in position to get him, if he felt like he needed to. Rainger, he can't run to the right....he's in a terrible spot to try to make #50 on the Patriots miss him. This is why it was such a terrible play call on second down. If something goes wrong, let's pretend it's a bad snap from Unger...Russ has very little chance to bail out of the play if something goes wrong.
 

camdawg

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Look at the left guard waiting for the snap signal from Russ too. I think OP is right, it was up to Russ and he straight up choked. If they were trying to draw us offsides no way the guard is standing up like that.

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I don't know that Russ choked, but he certainly didn't assert himself enough during this crucial moment.

Some people have suggested Denver wanted to pull us offsides, and have us give them the first down without actually having to earn it themselves.

 IF this is what they wanted- as soon as Russ saw that our DL were set up a yard back and would not allowed themselves to be tricked into going offsides, he should've called a timeout.

If they were going to run a real play- if he could get the sense that anyone was unsure of what they're doing. Or if anyone looks unsure once they've broken the huddle and gotten into formation- call a timeout.

Then if Hackett suggests kicking a field goal, Russ should be way more assertive. He doesn't have to say there's no way McManus can make a 64 yarder, just say "Let us get this first down for you, Coach!"
 

chrispy

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Separation (of my bank account) is in the preparation (of my public persona).
 

JPatera76

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if i learned anything from this and the falcons and MAYBE a couple others.. Pete shouldnt ice anything it either scews us. (falcons) or comes close.
 

Rock_the_Hawk

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Even the recent pro-Wilson media pieces (part of his ongoing media smear campaign against the Seahawks) have been saying that Wilson wanting out of the Seahawks was about "control," not money. And everyone seemed to agree that Wilson got the "control" he wanted from the Broncos.

If Wilson had wanted to try on 4th and 5, he had the "control" to be able to do it. Instead, he chose to let the kicker try a field goal that would have been tied for second-longest in NFL history if it had been good, and would have been a yard longer than the kick that held the record for 43 years (and I still remember reading about Dempsey's kick in two books I had as a kid, one pictured here). That tells me Wilson was AFRAID of what it would do to his image if he failed again, this time with the game on the line.

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This is absolutly about control but the thing is i believe Wilson was courted by Payton Manning...or at a minimum Manning got into Wilsons ear because Wilson is essenialy doing to Seattle what Manning did to Indy. And then to listen to Manning talk about wilson...to hear manning talk about the same control issues im about 40 to 50 percent sure that Manning recruited Wilson away from Seattle..im sure if someone researched it would be easy to find.. this makes me sick!!!! I never like manning anyways..
 

BlueTalon

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This is absolutly about control but the thing is i believe Wilson was courted by Payton Manning...or at a minimum Manning got into Wilsons ear because Wilson is essenialy doing to Seattle what Manning did to Indy. And then to listen to Manning talk about wilson...to hear manning talk about the same control issues im about 40 to 50 percent sure that Manning recruited Wilson away from Seattle..im sure if someone researched it would be easy to find.. this makes me sick!!!! I never like manning anyways..
I have no idea if that's true or not. But if it is, Manning is having second thoughts about it now, judging from that video of him losing his mind while watching Russ not call a timeout until the clock had run down.

I just watched that video again a few times. It never gets old!
 

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