Well Seahawks fans, you knew it was going to be brought up. There was simply no way around it with this matchup.
The last time the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Patriots made one of the most iconic plays in football history, as Malcom Butler intercepted Russell Wilson on the goal line with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. This play clinched the win for New England while keeping Seattle away from dynasty territory.
As much as that play has been hailed as one of the best in Super Bowl history, it was an equally frustrating decision to pass the ball from the Pete Carroll on the Seahawks sideline, a decision that has come under fire so many times in the last 11 years.
So, of course, current Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked what he would do in that scenario. Clearly frustrated from the amount of times he had been asked that question, Macdonald defended the legacy of the franchise instead of saying what he would’ve done in that scenario.
“I’m going to keep answering like this: to get to two Super Bowls in a row, an opportunity to win a second one in a row, that takes a lot of great stuff, it takes a lot of alignment,” Macdonald said. “For me to sit here and criticize any of those decisions or any of those players in that moment is a disservice to those people. We’re really proud of our history, there [were] a lot of great people involved in that, a lot of them are still in our building.”
Macdonald Defends Carroll and Seattle History
Super Bowl XLIX was year three of the Carroll-Russell Wilson combination, one that payed immediate dividends for the Seahawks. Seattle had a strong offense with Wilson, Marshawn Lynch at running back, and depth at the wide receiver position. They also had one of the best defenses of the 2010’s.
After winning the Super Bowl in year two of Carroll and Wilson, a win in Super Bowl XLIX would have changed the entire narrative of that generation of Seahawks football. It could have, in one fell swoop, taken the air out of the Patriots dynasty, and kickstarted a dynasty of their own.
Instead, New England went on to win two more Super Bowls in the next four years, while Seattle is still waiting for its next one.
Seahawks Looking For Revenge Against New England
Of course, these are two entirely different teams matching up in the 2026 Super Bowl, but for a generation of Seahawks fans, this game is a chance for vengeance against the team that made Seattle the laughingstock of the NFL for a number of years because of one play.
And this time around, Seattle is the favorite, both on the betting lines and in the court of public opinion. Many believe that New England got too good, too quickly after the Tom Brady era ended, and don’t want to see them kickstart a new dynasty. The Seahawks are the only thing standing in their way.
So it’s up to Seattle to provide a cathartic experience for their fanbase and allow every other non-Patriots fan to take a deep sigh of relief.
Mike Macdonald Defends Pete Carroll & Seahawks Over Infamous Super Bowl Play