Pete Carroll Denies Reports About Changing Final Play of Super Bowl
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Whitney Curtis/Getty Images(PHOENIX) — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll denied all reports that he changed the final goal-line play in Sunday’s Super Bowl loss against the Patriots from a run play to a pass.
Carroll and the Seahawks will be seeing Malcom Butler’s game-sealing interception play over and over again, until they get back to work next season.
“There was not a thought about running it, and then I changed the play,” Carroll said Monday when reports said that he went with a throwing play so Marshawn Lynch wouldn’t get a chance at the MVP. “That did not happen.”
Carroll said that he didn’t have any problem with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s call.
“There’s no reservation in [the call], and don’t make it out like there is,” Carroll said Monday. “First off, Darrell is an incredible playcaller. He’s done a fantastic job. We are so lucky to have him. He has been absolutely instrumental in what we have done. He is an awesome guy on our staff and crucially important to our future, as well.”
“And let me say this, too,” Carroll continued. “We don’t ever call a play thinking we might throw an interception. I don’t ever think that, just like [the 11-yard TD pass to Chris Matthews] with six seconds to go in the half. We go with what we know. There was not a thought in my mind that we would make a mistake on [the interception] play. It was a tremendous play by the guy on the other side.”
Carroll gave credit to Butler for making the play on second down, but wouldn’t second-guess himself.
“One of those downs we were likely to throw the ball and maybe two of those downs,” Carroll said, “depending on how we had to save the clock to get in all of our plays. It wasn’t just run the ball. That wasn’t what the thought was.”
Seattle has opened up as the favorite to win Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco.
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