FoxxyBrown1111 said:
"I didn't think it would take a lot of points to win this game," McCarthy said. "I came in here to run the ball. The one statistic I had a target to hit was 20." (Wow, intentionally leaving points on the field before the game. There is no word for to describe it.
Alpe d'Huez said:
And, again!
Say what one will about McCarthy, the Packers recover the onsides kick, they win. Dix covers the 2-pt properly, they win. More.
Earl Thomas dislocated his shoulder, and Richard Sherman will have an MRI tomorrow on his elbow.
FoxxyBrown1111 said:
The football gods chortled... That is random. That is football.
But, but, but, deliberately leaving at least 8 points on the field to fullfil a dumb, dumb, dumb pre-game "tactic" to go for 20 points
Slight correction is needed there Foxxy (maybe because of the translation) on the "20"... McCarthy did not say 20 POINTS. He said 20 RUNNING PLAYS... that his intent in the game plan was to "run the ball at least 20 times in the second half". McCarthy's response was to address questions about why he got conservative late in the second half by running the ball when SEA had 2 D-Backs (Thomas and Sherman) each playing with essentially one arm that GB maybe should have targeted at least once to see if their injuries would affect their play.
In spite of that new information on the "20", it still should not change your conclusion that it would have been better to attempt going for the TD one or more times. If SEA had been in that position on the 1 yard line or 1/2 yard line, I would hope that SEA would have gone for it IF the game situation called for it (e.g. NOT when there are only a few seconds left in the game and all you need is 3 points or less to win).
But, and I have said this before here (why do I try to argue the HC's case?) GB's inability to punch the ball in on 3 attempts from the 2 yard line, and the way SEA plays (e.g. with serious contributions from the secondary and LBs vs the run) may have intimidated (hence coward, right?) McCarthy into kicking the FG instead of going for the TD. I am just saying their is a rationale for McCarthy making the decision he did.
What I think Alpe meant by "Say what you want about McCarthy..." is that some plays (the 2-point conversion, the onside kick) had a very real potential to change the outcome of the game, and McCarthy should not be to blame for those mistakes.
*************
But were those 2 plays (the 2-pt conversion, onside kick) really mistakes that should have been avoided? Take the 2-pt conversion for example. That was a desperation throw by Wilson, or it appeared as desperation because he was flushed to the right and ended up throwing back left. But the defender Dix was in position to cover the back middle to left side of the end zone in case one of the 3 SEA WRs lined up right ran a crossing route. That left the 6'-5" TE Willson almost all alone vs the 6'1" Dix. So it was a jump ball that the athletic Willson (runs 4.5 40) should have won vs the smaller Dix. Advantage SEA on that play. I can't say SEA executed well on that play. It was really a scramble, but Wilson does what he often does when he scrambles and the play essentially "resets". That is when Wilson is most dangerous.
And then the onside kick. Those are always a crap shoot. In the NFL, there is only a 26% chance of an onside kick being successful (
LINK). So the success rate should favor the receiving team. But on that rainy day, with a wet, slightly heavier oblong object we call the ball it is a much more difficult task to corral it. As Foxxy said, "That is football" is very true. On the SEA recovery, there was some luck for sure, but there were also 2 clutch plays made by 2 SEA players on that onside attempt.
1. Kicker Haushka put the ball in absolute perfect position. That was clutch.
2. 6'-5" WR Chris Matthews, who recovered the ball for SEA, on that play was the knock-off man, meaning his sole role was to hit the would be receiving Packer "knocking him off the ball", allowing trailing SEA good-hands guys to recover the ball. But on seeing the ball careen off of Bostic's helmet he made a split second reaction to recover it himself. That was clutch too, especially considering players are taught in no uncertain terms "JUST DO YOUR JOB".
So, advantage should have been for GB on the onside kick, but one player did not execute and two other players executed.
So, where I am going with this is we often hear/read about one team or another being undeserving of the win, in this case some say SEA was undeserving of the win. If you consider the first half only, I totally agree SEA's sloppy (turnovers in the red zone or their end of the field!!!), undisciplined play (penalties), inaccurate passes, sloppy receiving technique, and not protecting the ball was reason to say that SEA "is not deserving of the win... yet". That's what I said at the half. But I said "yet" because you have to play ALL 60 minutes, you have to finish, and more important is to finish. GB did not do either. SEA did the latter.
Still, I consider the final outcome a miracle of sorts. And I will say it for Wilson, "Praise the Lord". Maybe there was some angel kissing going on.