Short answer
The Malcolm Butler interception game is Super Bowl XLIX, and this is Seattle's last drive from its first snap: down 28–24 to New England, 2:02 left, ball at the Seattle 20, three timeouts. You call every snap, including the one everybody argues about, and your calls are graded against Pete Carroll's, which score in the 90th percentile in our engine.
The situation
Super Bowl XLIX, February 1, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona. Seattle led 24–14 entering the fourth quarter, but Tom Brady threw two touchdowns, the second to Julian Edelman, and New England led 28–24.
Russell Wilson starts at his own 20 with 2:02 left and all three timeouts; New England has two. Seattle needs a touchdown, and it has Marshawn Lynch.
How the real drive went, play by play
Wilson's first throw went to Lynch for 31 yards to the New England 49. Two deep throws fell incomplete, the first broken up by Malcolm Butler, and Seattle used a timeout in between. On 3rd-and-10 Ricardo Lockette caught 11 yards to the 38.
Then Jermaine Kearse made a juggling catch while lying on his back, with Butler on him, for 33 yards to the 5. Seattle used its second timeout at 1:06, and Lynch ran 4 yards to the 1. New England didn't call timeout, and the clock ran.
With 0:26 left on 2nd-and-goal and one timeout, Seattle threw a quick slant to Lockette. Butler, an undrafted rookie, jumped the route and intercepted it at the goal line. New England won 28–24.
The calls that decided it
Here's the case for the pass. With 26 seconds, one timeout and three downs to score from the 1, you can't run three times: a stuffed run on 2nd down needs the timeout, and a stuffed run on 3rd down runs out the clock. An incompletion stops the clock for free, so a pass on 2nd down leaves time to run on 3rd and 4th. That's why Carroll's calls on this drive grade well in our engine.
The case against: the pass was a slant into a crowd, and a turnover there ends it. A fade or a throw-away-if-covered design keeps the same clock logic without the risk. And handing it to Lynch on 2nd down, then using the timeout, still leaves a 3rd down. On this board you make the call, and the engine shows you how much clock each option really costs.
More Legends
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- The Minneapolis Miracle · NFC Divisional round, down 1, 0:25 left, own 20
- 13 Seconds · AFC Divisional round, down 3, 0:13 left, own 25
- Every Legend and Playoff Run
FAQ
What was the score of Super Bowl XLIX?
New England beat Seattle 28–24 on February 1, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona.
How much time was left when Malcolm Butler intercepted the pass?
0:26 left, on 2nd-and-goal from the 1, with Seattle holding one timeout.
Who was the pass intended for?
Ricardo Lockette, on a quick slant from Russell Wilson. Butler jumped the route and caught it at the goal line.
Why didn't Seattle run the ball?
Pete Carroll said the pass was meant to stop the clock with an incompletion so Seattle could still run on 3rd and 4th down with its one timeout. You can test that logic yourself on this drive.
Do I need to pay to play this?
This Legend is part of the Legends Pass, a one-time purchase that also unlocks every Playoff Run and removes ads. The daily drive, Practice and Survivor stay free, and 28–3 is a free Legend you can try first.
Sources
- nflverse play-by-play data — the real drive, snap by snap: down, distance, clock, timeouts and play descriptions
- Super Bowl XLIX, New England vs Seattle box score — Pro Football Reference