Post 3 - Super Bowl XLIX Review

Hello! And welcome to Cabache's Corner!

What. A. Game.

The Patriots are heading back to a snowy Boston with their 4th Vince Lombardi trophy following their 28-24 victory over the Seahawks. It was a hard fought game that went right down to the wire and was won by the team that made just one more great play. Here's how it went down...

The first quarter passed very quickly. Neither team got much going apart from one Patriots' drive which resulted in a red zone interception (and an injury to Jeremy Lane), and it finished 0-0. 

The second quarter however, is when the game really took off. On the Patriots' first possession they marched 65 yards in just over 4 minutes and capped it off with touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. The Seahawks tied the game up with just over 2 minutes left in the half. Then, in typical Tom Brady fashion the Patriots went 80 yards in 1 minute 45 seconds and got in the end zone for the second time with a 22-yard touchdown to Gronkowski, on which Brady punished the Seahawks for leaving K.J Wright,  leaving just 31 seconds on the clock. However, the Seahawks moved down the field to the Patriots 11 yard in 25 seconds. Shockingly though, they went for the touchdown instead of the field goal and, thanks to some poor coverage, it was an easy completion for a touchdown to Chris Matthews. The Seahawks certainly had the momentum coming going into halftime.

Following Katy Perry's halftime show (which I thought was pretty good compared to the last couple) the Seahawks put together their 3rd consecutive 70+ yard drive and finished it off with a field goal to take their first lead of the game. Then, on a great play by Wagner, Tom Brady threw his second interception, which the Seahawks capitalised on by scoring a touchdown, with their 4th score in 4 possessions. At this point the Seahawks looked as though they were really taking over. The 3rd quarter was rounded out by 2 quick Patriots' punts and 1 Seahawks punt. 

After Seattle's punt, Tom Brady took the Patriots straight down the field and into the end zone to make the score 24-21 Seattle, with 7 minutes 55 seconds left in the game. On the ensuing possession the Patriots defense stepped up again and forced quick a punt, giving Brady the ball with 6:52 left on the clock. Somehow unsurprisingly, the Patriots drove down the field, methodically finding gaps in the Legion of Boom and scored a touchdown on a 3-yard arrow (perfectly run by Edelman), leaving the Seahawks down by 4 with 2:02 left. The Seahawks started their attempt at a Brady-esque game winning drive with a 31-yard completion to Marshawn Lynch. Then 2 incompletions and an 11-yard completion later, Kearse hauled in an unbelievable, 5-bobble catch to put the Seahawks at the Patriots' 5-yard line, leaving the Patriots in despair, bewildered and reminiscing their last two Super Bowl defeats. Lynch handled the ball on the next play, taking it to the Patriots' 1 yard line with the clock running, however, Belichick dubiously didn't take a timeout. It was to be the defining moment of the Super Bowl, Lynch was going to take it in for a 1-yard touchdown and the lead with 20 seconds remaining, clinching the Seahawks second Super Bowl in as many years. But no. The Seahawks decided to throw it, a quick slant to Ricardo Lockette, which was picked-off by Malcolm Butler in the end zone. Game, Patriots.

Now, that last play. As much as it was probably the wrong play call, what a play by Butler. Yes, Lockette could've attacked the ball more aggressively and at least caused an incompletion. Yes, Wilson could've put the ball slightly more into Lockette's body. But none of that takes away from the fact Butler simply made the play, the speed at which he recognised the route and jumped it was incredible, then to make the catch (and de-cleat Lockette) the way he did was equally as impressive.

All in all I think it was the right result, the Patriots made more plays to win the game. Having said that, had the Seahawks scored a touchdown on that play, I'd be saying they deserved it as they will have made more plays to win the game. That's the nature of the game, it's what happens when the two best teams in football face off; it comes down to 1 play. 

As a fan, I couldn't have asked for a better game to finish the season. It was absolutely fantastic, it really had everything we could've asked for. No regular season football for 218 days... it's gonna be tough!