Yeah what we thought

[chris98251]

Pete, Marshawn, Gavin, on Lynch's Podcast.

One exchange during the topic I found interesting was the topic of who actually made the call. Lynch's agent and podcast co-host, Doug Hendrickson, actually asked Carroll point blank if the call came from the head coach, or offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

Carroll responded in his usual way, by accepting responsibility.

"We did it the way we always did," Carroll stated. "There's defensive coordinators, there's offensive coordinators, they call stuff, we play the game. I'm responsible for every call that was ever made."
However, practically before Carroll could even finish speaking, Lynch jumped in to give his two-cents on the matter.

"Doug," Lynch quickly exclaimed, "if you didn't catch that, (Darrell) Bevell made the m**********n' call, and Pete didn't get to it quick enough to get out of that m**********a. That's what (Pete) told you in a nutshell."

The full, uncensored interview can be listend to here. Fair warning, it does obviously include NSFW language.

For anyone who knows Carroll, him falling on the sword is perfectly on brand and entirely unsurprising. It has been this way, especially for this situation, ever since that fateful Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.
Pete white knighting as always but actually called out and the between the lines of what he didn't say pointed out.
Read transcript posted on this link didn't listen.

MSN

 

[LeveeBreak]

I admire that in Pete...he shoulder's the blame as any leader should.

 

[MORGULON]

I'll take you at your word regarding the podcast. I can't stand to look or listen to the so called governor of the peoples republic of ca. You'd think he'd be trying to figure out where the missing 26 billion went .

 

[Bobblehead]

What I don't understand though in this critical point of the game, is Pete not there and has a heads up as to what the play is going to be. Seems he would want to know.

 

[olyfan63]

What I don't understand though in this critical point of the game, is Pete not there and has a heads up as to what the play is going to be. Seems he would want to know.

This is what I've always believed, Pete called for a pass play, and Bevell made the specific play call.
Thanks Marshawn, for spelling it out, *unmistakably* for everyone.

Carroll can't second-guess every call his OC or DC makes, in real time, and I don't think that would be Pete's style. Pete might not have changed it even if he'd had more time to look, might not have been tuned in to how brain dead it was, how risky it was. Or he might have changed it, to go with Russell's strengths, e.g., something that gave a run/pass option where it was Russell making the read and decision. It's such a schitty thing to lose by using a call like that, instead of going with your team's strengths, and if the opponent takes your best punch and still wins, you tip your cap to them.

I've always felt it was Bevell's job to step up and claim the call, and especially to apologize for throwing Ricardo Lockette under the bus. And I felt Carroll lost the team by not publicly scolding/disciplining Bevell for that chickenschitt comment about a player, a coach NOT protecting the team. Horrible example for the team.

 

[RiverDog]

What I don't understand though in this critical point of the game, is Pete not there and has a heads up as to what the play is going to be. Seems he would want to know.

My understanding is that Bevell told Pete that we were throwing on that down and Pete simply nodded his head. Even if he disagreed, there wasn't enough time for a debate as there's literally a matter of seconds for the OC to make his call. We would have had to burn a timeout, and that would have meant giving up a possible 4th down play if we chose to run on 3rd down and didn't score.

It was a reasonable decision, as the plan was that if the receiver wasn't open, Russell throws the ball away, the clock stops, and we have two more downs and a timeout, giving us 4 total shots at the end zone. At that time, I was hoping we wouldn't score on that down as I didn't want to give Brady very much time to respond as they'd need just a FG to tie the game.

Ultimately, it was Pete's fault for the failure as it always comes back to the head coach. To his credit...and one of the things I've always admired about him is that he accepted responsibility for the call. That's what we saw in this podcast. Beast knows this about Pete, and wanted to make sure the truth was told.

 

[Spin Doctor]

This is what I've always believed, Pete called for a pass play, and Bevell made the specific play call.
Thanks Marshawn, for spelling it out, *unmistakably* for everyone.

Carroll can't second-guess every call his OC or DC makes, in real time, and I don't think that would be Pete's style. Pete might not have changed it even if he'd had more time to look, might not have been tuned in to how brain dead it was, how risky it was. Or he might have changed it, to go with Russell's strengths, e.g., something that gave a run/pass option where it was Russell making the read and decision. It's such a schitty thing to lose by using a call like that, instead of going with your team's strengths, and if the opponent takes your best punch and still wins, you tip your cap to them.

I've always felt it was Bevell's job to step up and claim the call, and especially to apologize for throwing Ricardo Lockette under the bus. And I felt Carroll lost the team by not publicly scolding/disciplining Bevell for that chickenschitt comment about a player, a coach NOT protecting the team. Horrible example for the team.

Call aside, Bevell handled the situation extremely poorly from a PR standpoint. His immediate response was to throw shade at Lockett and Wilson, then deflect all personal responsibility from the call and outcome.

This is what caused the unravelling of the Seahawks. Things were never the same under Pete's teams after this incident -- even with largely the same players. There was a double standard for coaches and players such as Russell Wilson. Carroll would say one thing than immediately absolve his coordinators and Wilson of the same responsibilities that the rest of the players had.

This is by and large why Carroll fell off, who he hired and the double standard he had for his coaches caused a rift. Guys such as Norton Jr. and Hurtt came out for years fielding defenses in the bottom quarter of the NFL, yet they got a free pass. Bevell came out and deflected, blamed everyone else but himself -- yet he got a free pass and continued coaching the Seahawks for years after.

Bevell should have been fired right there, not for the play itself, but for how he handled the resulting aftermath. Being an OC is also a bit like middle management and Bevell showed some poor decision making as a manager.

 

[Hawkstorian]

Confirms my opinion on the whole matter ... which is that calling a pass wasn't the wrong decision, but calling that play to our worst offensive player was inexcusable. As an aside, Russ should have never thrown that ball but no one ever wants to blame the QB for THROWING A M****THER***F***ING INTERCEPTION TO LOSE THE Superbowl.

 

[RiverDog]

Call aside, Bevell handled the situation extremely poorly from a PR standpoint. His immediate response was to throw shade at Lockett and Wilson, then deflect all personal responsibility from the call and outcome.

This is what caused the unravelling of the Seahawks. Things were never the same under Pete's teams after this incident -- even with largely the same players. There was a double standard for coaches and players such as Russell Wilson. Carroll would say one thing than immediately absolve his coordinators and Wilson of the same responsibilities that the rest of the players had.

This is by and large why Carroll fell off, who he hired and the double standard he had for his coaches caused a rift. Guys such as Norton Jr. and Hurtt came out for years fielding defenses in the bottom quarter of the NFL, yet they got a free pass. Bevell came out and deflected, blamed everyone else but himself -- yet he got a free pass and continued coaching the Seahawks for years after.

Bevell should have been fired right there, not for the play itself, but for how he handled the resulting aftermath. Being an OC is also a bit like middle management and Bevell showed some poor decision making as a manager.

Nice post.

Although there's no way to prove it, I'm in basic agreement with this take as it makes perfect sense and lines up with some of the things that came out of the Hawks locker room around that time.

 

[Double Tribble]

Just like in dating, it's a game of inches.

 

[Atradees]

Sorry. There is no such thing as sports revisionist history. We simply lost. just like the steelers put on the brakes. Cohwer could have done more. We lost. We have one suoerbowl victory and it was awesome. There were no victims here. More from the coach than the zebras.

 

[Rat]

I can't wait for Marshawn's HOF speech.

 

[Hawkstorian]

Sorry. There is no such thing as sports revisionist history. We simply lost. just like the steelers put on the brakes. Cohwer could have done more. We lost. We have one suoerbowl victory and it was awesome. There were no victims here. More from the coach than the zebras.

You're the only one to bring up XL here, so not sure your point. As for XLIX, yeah.... we lost fair and square. I don't see any dispute here. The most awful moment in Seattle Sports History tends to creep up from time to time. Come back here in 20 years and it will still be a raw, festering sore.

As will XL, true, but the controversy there is about external forces (refs, media). The problem with XLIX is the blame lies interely within. That makes the pain soooo much worse.

 

[knownone]

We're not breaking any new ground here. We knew immediately after the game that Bevell called the play; he and Pete said as much. What Pete hasn't done—and will likely never do—is assign blame. It's one play. Mistakes happen.

What's truly unfortunate is that these guys weren't mature enough to move past it.

 

[Threedee]

I can't wait for Marshawn's HOF speech.

"I'm just here so I don't get denied."

I was about to remark that he's quite engaging on podcasts when he's there of his own volition.

 

[MORGULON]

As an aside, Russ should have never thrown that ball but no one ever wants to blame the QB for THROWING A M****THER***F***ING INTERCEPTION TO LOSE THE Superbowl.

I do . I have . I will.

This is on dangersnatch as much as a stupid play call by bevell

 

[Cyrus12]

Too bad he had politicians on the show otherwise I might have watched...I still think it was about a Russ mvp. Having Lynch as an mvp would have been a pr disaster for the league. Not hero Russ though. Also moving fwd if Russ wasn't made hero his ego and butt hurt attitude would of made things a lot worse than they became for the team. It was the day this team died no matter what happened on paper in the following seasons.

 

[cymatica]

I still remember Collinsworth asking Bevell about that play, and Bevell still acted as though it was the right call. I'm paraphrasing but Collinsworth said "I was thinking you would call a rollout or something that got Wilson on the move". Bevell's response basically implied that since Collinsworth didn't expect that play, that it was the right call. Funny thing is the Patriots were expecting that play and had practiced for it.

Bevell is like the opposite of the Emperor with no clothes. Everyone is telling him he's naked but it's falling on def ears

 

[oldhawkfan]

This thread has gotten to my ptsd over that call. Just when I think I might be over it…

 

[Maelstrom787]

That's the thing. A lot of people don't account for just how little time there was to make any adjustment to the call. Under 30 seconds, running clock, 1 timeout, and you need to make sure you can get 3 quality attempts off at scoring that touchdown.

There was no time to overrule. You let your OC call his plays and you live with it.

Those most critical of Pete's "meddling" are always the first to say he should've meddled.