It was announced yesterday that 114.4 million people watched the Super Bowl, making it the most watched show ever in the U.S. That means 114.4 million people saw one of the greatest football games of all-time and the worst decision in Super Bowl History.
Anyone reading this watched the game, so there’s no reason to be redundant and get into a summary of what we all watched. The pick thrown by Wilson was without a doubt, the dumbest throw I’ve ever seen by one of the smartest players in the NFL. Before we go any further, let’s just touch on that. Prior to the Super Bowl, all the pundits and analysts were lauding over how smart Wilson was and how he never makes that one decision that will cost his team the game. Ironic isn’t it; that he made the play that not only lost his team a championship but altered his and the opposing quarterbacks legacy forever.
Brady:
Brady will now go down as the greatest quarterback of all-time. He holds practically every postseason record imaginable and just beat (arguably) one of the best defenses in league history. Brady beat the defense that a year earlier bludgeoned Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos in embarrassing fashion.
**Side note: That whole “who’s better” debate between Brady and Manning is laughable at this point**
He won that elusive fourth Super Bowl and his third Super Bowl MVP in the process; matching Montana for the most all-time. Not to mention, he brought his team back from a 10 point deficit and scored 14 unanswered points to win the game. It might not have been his usual comeback route, but that doesn’t diminish the final product in any way.
Wilson:
Being known as the quarterback who brought down Manning and Brady in consecutive Super Bowl’s would have etched his legacy in Canton before his career even got started. That’s not the case anymore. It’s not so much that Wilson threw that pass and cost his team the game, it’s the fact that it never should have come down to that play. Wilson had two big opportunities to seal the game for the Seahawks (after Brady’s 2nd interception and the following drive) and didn’t get it done. That interception is (unfortunately for him) is going to be on highlight reel forever. I’m not trying to damn the poor guy because he’s only played in the league for three seasons and has just as many rings as Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers; but that interception is the type of play that can haunt a player for the rest of their career. Wilson came into the game with the possibility of being recognized as one of the biggest superstars in the league, and came out as just another promising young star.
Conclusion:
The Patriots and their fans are going to be celebrating this championship well into the offseason. Their franchise quarterback will be considered by many as the greatest of all-time and “Spy-Gate”/“Deflate-Gate” speculation will begin to die out rather quickly.
The Seahawks and their fans will have a very long offseason filled with many unanswered questions. The 2015 regular season can’t come soon enough for Coach Carroll who will be hounded with questions regarding his decision making on that fateful play.
Final Thought:
This game was going to define player’s legacies regardless of the outcome. However, there’s no way anyone would have predicted that one play would impact not only the players legacy, but the legacy of the sport itself.
Comments from the Sideline 