The Seattle Seahawks are trying to build a new dynasty after longtime head coach Pete Carroll was let go. Their beloved former coach was known for helping build the Super Bowl-winning team of the early 2010s. But his second championship attempt left the likes of Michael Bennett shocked.
The said moment was during the dying moments of Super Bowl XLIX. The Seattle Seahawks lined up just one yard short of the goal line, aiming to score a touchdown. Usually, the franchise would hand it over to running back Marshawn Lynch. But instead, they ran a pass play that Malcolm Butler intercepted.
As soon as then quarterback Russell Wilson threw the ball and Butler intercepted it, commentator Cris Collinsworth mentioned that it was inexplicable why Pete Carroll would not give it to Lynch who was ‘unstoppable’ in those circumstances.
The players too could not fathom why they threw the ball. Cameras showed then-superstar corner Richard Sherman in disbelief. But Michael Bennett now reveals while on the Games with Names podcast how the team felt after the game not running the ball.
It was a shock. I think that was what everybody was thinking.
Michael Bennett said
The former defensive end revealed that the team could have tried two good attempts on the ground. That interception by Malcolm Butler happened on a 2nd and 1 play. With one yard to play, the stakes were high, but not that high for them to throw the ball, leaving the team dreading the call to this day.
Malcolm Butler’s interception started the demise of that Seahawks dynasty
That play alone ended up being the bomb that blew up the then Seattle Seahawks dynasty. Since then, fractures started appearing on the team. Most notably, the vaunted Legion of Boom and the likes of Michael Bennett were extremely unhappy with Pete Carroll.
They felt their head coach was favoring Russell Wilson , whereas it was the defense that vaulted the Seahawks into being a championship-winning team. Their combination of high energy gritty play was encompassed by what the likes of Richard Sherman and Bennett did. While also adding Marshawn Lynch as the only offensive player who played in a similar way.
In fact, Lynch was the first to leave the franchise. Many say he wanted to return home, pointing to his decision to play for the Oakland Raiders. However, the body language of other players at the time showed that their chemistry was no longer there.
That Malcolm Butler interception broke their trust in Pete Carroll. Else, as Michael Bennett put it, the team were good enough to be the first team to three-peat. It explains why they never went past the Divisional round in the playoffs until most of the Legion of Boom disappeared.
