Pete Carroll has made some costly decisions late in games that have kept his teams from having a chance to win big games – the interception against the Patriots in the Super Bowl and the delay of game in Week 17 against the 49ers come to mind.
And it sure seems like he did that again late in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Seahawks faced a 4th and 11 from their own 36 while down by five points with 2:41 remaining in the game. Instead of going for it, Carroll opted to punt the ball back to Aaron Rodgers and Packers.
The Packers picked up two first downs and Rodgers took a knee with 38 seconds to end the game and Seattle’s season.
You have to think going for it on 4th down would at least give them a better chance of perhaps keeping the ball and keeping their hopes alive. Giving the ball to Rodgers and trying to keep him to under two first downs doesn’t seem ideal.
I mean, you have to go for it! You’re season is on the line!
Carroll addressed it after the game:
Pete Carroll said he gave no thought to going for it on 4th-and-11. Punting was always the move from there. Odds too great to pick up a first down at that distance.
I asked if there was a lack of urgency to get punt team out there and he didn’t want to go down that path.
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) January 13, 2020
Fans crushed Carroll for it:
Pete Carroll can be furious with the spot but that’s not going to change the fact that he chose to rely on his defense instead of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. That punt was inexcusable.
— Rob Pizzola (@robpizzola) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll lost Seattle this football game.
I actually hope this is a learning lesson for fans: remember when we bitched all year about Seattle’s coaching decisions? We feared it would come back to bite them. And did it.
Punted with 2 minutes to go.
Cowards.
— Evan (@EvaninSEA) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll has been coaching for forty-seven years and chose the option of "punt and try to stop Aaron Rodgers from getting two first downs in a playoff game"
— BUM CHILLUPS (@edsbs) January 13, 2020
The fact Pete Carroll refuses to acknowledge the situation doesn’t change if they turn the ball over at the 40 or punt to the 20 on fourth and 11 tells me he doesn’t understand the analytics. “We didn’t want to put it all into one play.” Except you did, just for your defense.
— Joshua Hart (@JTHart23) January 13, 2020
#NFLPlayoffs #Packers fans when they saw Pete Carroll punt with 2:50 remaining pic.twitter.com/oJZlxeGhgq
— c̷h̷r̷i̷s̷ b̷r̷a̷d̷l̷e̷y̷ (@BradNaszty) January 13, 2020
Really bold of Pete Carroll to punt and ask the defense, who is getting torched, to get a stop instead of letting his incredible QB go for 4th and long.
— Chad Chavez (@ChadAChavez) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll has more faith in the defense than Russell Wilson that’s the only reason I can think to punt
— DEVONTAE🤴🏾🏎 (@CLAPPEDTAE) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll punted it with 2:50 left down by 5, lol pic.twitter.com/3kkx3uK0ql
— Daggerhands (@Daggerhandz) January 13, 2020
I don’t get Pete Carroll, he always acts like such a bad ass coach but is terrible in late game situations…after completely messing up the 49ers game it’s 4th and 6 at midfield with 2 minutes left and you punt??
— NFL Betting King (@MoneyKingLocks) January 13, 2020
Nice punt there by Pete Carroll so his team couldn’t get the ball back
— Peter Butera (@PeterButera3) January 13, 2020
Lmao Pete Carroll decided to punt instead of going for it on 4th down. This one is on him and not the refs https://t.co/wqoARnoK4a
— Alfred (@CallmeAlfredo) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll: can you win a game in the fourth quarter (when you punt with just over 2 minutes remaining) ???? THE ANSWER IS NO🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴
— Luke Sullivan 🦉 (@LukeSullivanOG) January 13, 2020
No one:
Absolutely no one:
Not a single soul:
Pete Carroll: “Let’s punt with 2 minutes left and just a TD away from a win”
— Jedi Kyle 💫 (@kyle_2023) January 13, 2020
Pete Carroll is an idiot. Why punt with 2 minutes left
— Jay Ripp (@RippJay) January 13, 2020
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