I am not going to go so far as to think Carroll fixed the game. I mean that would some sort of script.
It was a horrible call, and I am sure the Hawks really did desire for Wilson to get the MVP of the SB rather than Lynch. They will be needing to make that business decision this off season. One RBs usually have a short career due to the nature of the position. Lynch has been in the league since 2007.
Wilson will be in the league for a long time and the Hawks will have a tough time giving both of them a lot of money if they are planning on keeping their defensive talent together. The fact is if Lynch did score the TD, he would have been the MVP most likely. The Hawks would have a very tough time justifying not giving him a big contract after an MVP performance.
Now, having said that, I do not believe it was a fix. I think people are going way over the top with that notion. I think Carroll is a bit of a scumbag based on the crap he pulled at USC. Leaving them high and dry.
I happen to think a lot of coaches have pulled crap. Saban with the Dolphins, Urban Meyer was anticipating bad things happening at UF so he split there. Etc etc etc.
It was a bad call to ask a 5 foot 10 QB to throw a slant where all of the defenders are. If they are going to pass, run some sort of play action bootleg roll out. Wilson certainly would have gotten away from the LB who was on him since they were in man coverage and the entire defense anticipated the run.
It was not that they passed, it was the pass play that was called which made it ridiculous. The conspiracy stuff is way too over the top.
I still think he did it because the Pats were waiting for the run. They were expecting it and ready for it, so he wanted to throw them off and was hoping his guy would make the play for the pass, but our guy did instead.
Calling it a "fix" is retarded.
The play failed because first it was one of those "rub" plays where an area is cleared out for the intended receiver.
Browner sniffed it out and blew up Kearse who was supposed to be the clearing part. That overloaded the area and allowed Butler to jump the route of #83. The play was Bang Bang timing with Wilson throwing to a specific spot at the exact right time. Wilson delivered the ball when and where he was supposed to.
The play was handled perfectly by Browner and Butler. It was mishandled by Kearse and Lockett. There is no way Carroll could have had Two Seattle receivers do exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time to produce the end results that occurred. The most remarkable thing was that the Pats DB ended up with the ball. I would guess that if the same play was run 7-8 times out of 10 the Hawks score. 2-3 times the DB breaks up the pass and 1 in ten the DB gets an interception.
Percentage wise the attempted pass was a far better play statistically than Lynch getting a TD.
I would have very much liked for Lynch to get the score and the MVP. If the pass had just gone for an incomplete and not a score they would have tried Lynch and if he failed called their last TO.
It sucks that The Hawks let this one slip away in the last seconds. They really should have won. The heavy odds would have been a TD for Seattle starting from the 2nd and goal at the one.
The Patriots were lucky they finally got an excellent play out of Browner and Butler together in those last few seconds.