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New England Patriots Tricked Seattle Seahawks Into Game-Ending Goal-Line Mistake

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By @petahrahgas

Super Bowl XLIX

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They did it again. Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots reached deep into their cut-off sleeves — the very same sleeves that produced the eligible receiver formations that gave John Harbaugh fits — and pulled out their final trick. One last ploy, used that the perfect moment in the most crucial of times in what will be called one of the greatest Super Bowl games of the decade.

The Patriots made the Seattle Seahawks pass when they only should have run.

Marshawn Lynch, who had been having a kind of quiet, but amazing game, had just run the ball for four yards to the one-yard line with seconds ticking off the clock, setting up a potential game-winner. All of the country was ready to see Beast Mode get the ball again, break a million tackles at the line of scrimmage and somehow appear in the end zone. 

I did. I was sure that I was going to have to live with another last-second Super Bowl loss that somehow involved a miraculous catch that would make David Tyree proud. And it almost happened. Jermaine Kearse pulled off one of the most amazing acrobatic catches to set the Seahawks up with a real chance to win.

Just one more carry for Lynch and the Seahawks would’ve been back-to-back champions.

Then Pete Carroll decided to line up in a three-wide receiver set. Belichick lined up with eight men in the box and single coverage on the three receivers. The Seahawks saw that and thought: Why run against that when we can do a quick pass on one-on-one coverage? Makes plenty of sense, and therein lies the Patriots’ final trick.

By stacking the box and having one-on-one on the outside, the Patriots were baiting the Seahawks to throw the ball rather than run it because they knew they weren’t gonna be able to stop Lynch.

It worked. Russell Wilson threw the ball and Malcolm Butler suddenly became a household name.

The Patriots had one final trick and they pulled it out at the perfect time to get the exact result they were looking for: a game-clinching interception and a Super Bowl victory.

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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