The Seattle Seahawks 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX apparently fractured the Seahawks locker room after the coaching staff decided to throw the ball instead of handing it off to Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line.
Former Seahawks defense star Cliff Avril spoke to NFL Network’s Dave Dameshek and explained how Wilson’s interception against the Patriots led to players questioning Pete Carroll’s decision making.
#DDFP
Strong words from @cliffavril on the irreparable damage that Super Bowl INT caused the Seahawks' would-be dynasty.@SportsRadioKJR @NFL
WATCH pic.twitter.com/0h0n7Lbwtd— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) May 23, 2018
“If we win that Super Bowl, I think we probably would’ve won another win within the two years that went by,” Avril said.
“I think the team would’ve bought in more into what coach Carroll was saying instead of going the opposite way of ‘Hey, this is what we thought the foundation of the team was’ and that’s not what happened on that particular play.”
According to Avril, Carroll’s ill-fated decision to pass from the two-yard line instead of handing the ball off to running back Marshawn Lynch caused players to question their coach rather than follow his lead. Being so close to another championship and seeing it slip away in this fashion, he believes a “lot of guys were turned off by the message.”
It seems like Carroll and the Seahawks have cleaned house and removed players who have been vocally opposed to the coache’s decision to pass the ball during the Super Bowl.