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Few plays in Super Bowl history are as iconic as Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception. The game-winning play for the Patriots to preserve a 28-24 victory over the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 is 11 years old in 2025, but it's fresher than ever with New England and Seattle meeting again in Super Bowl 60.
While Butler and the Patriots' defensive personnel and coaches have gotten plenty of credit over the years for denying the Seahawks, the Seahawks have gotten equal heat for an ill-fated play-call that continued to haunt them.
Although there is no guarantee the Seahawks would have scored the game-winning goal-line touchdown by deciding not to pass at the goal line, the thought of what could have been, including a special Seattle Super Bowl repeat, has lingered.
The Patriots executed. The Seahawks didn't. Everyone knows that result, but here's an updated, more in-depth look at the process that led to Seattle losing:
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The Seahawks didn't surprise the Patriots with the decision to pass
This might be the least surprising fact, given how much the key former Patriots have talked about it, including Butler, head coach Bill Belichick, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and football research director Ernie Adams.
Butler told Sporting News the Patriots became aware of the Seahawks liking to spread the field with three wide receivers in short red-zone situations. Belichick and Patricia had the Patriots prepared to see that look at some point in Super Bowl 49. They saw it on second-and-goal from the 1 with 27 seconds left in the game.
Russell Wilson was in the shotgun at the 6-yard line with Marshawn Lynch flanking him to the left. The Seahawks went with Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Ricardo Lockette as the three wideouts on the field. The tight end, who lined up to left tackle Russell Okung, was second-year undrafted backup Cooper Helfet. The rest of the offensive line was left guard James Carpenter, center Max Unger, right guard J.R. Sweezy and right tackle Justin Britt.
The 11 Patriots were led up front by defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones. They had four tackles on the field in Vince Wilfork, Chris Jones, Alan Branch and Selver Silaga. The two linebackers on the play were Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower. Matching the Seahawks' 11 personnel, they had Butler on the field to help in the slot to join cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. With no safeties, Hightower was tasked with taking the middle of the end zone.
That versatile 6-2-3 alignment put the Patriots in a good position to stop the inside run and the athleticism of Collins and Hightower to help in coverage was key. Butler doesn't get his opportunity, however, without what happened on first down.
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The Seahawks' hand was forced from the Marshawn Lynch run that fell short on first down
Two plays before Wilson being intercepted by Butler at the goal line, Butler made a great play in downfield coverage on Kearse. Unfortunately, his would-be pass breakup landed in the hands of Kearse before it hit the ground, leading to a 33-yard reception that put the ball at the Patriots' 5-yard line.
The ensuing first-and-goal play at 1:06 was a run for Lynch around left end behind Okung. There looked to be a clear path to the end zone, until Hightower was able to peel off Okung's block and free himself to make a shoulder tackle to stop Lynch short at the 1.
Without that effort by the powerful, sure-tackling Hightower, the Seahawks take the lead and don't even need to make a second-down decision.
The Seahawks would have had a tough time rushing Marshawn Lynch because of another big Patriots play
Adams, in a recent, rare exclusive interview with The Boston Globe, added an interesting layer to why the Patriots were so well prepared for either the Seahawks to run or pass on second down. Long before the goal-line stand vs. the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, the Patriots had a big one under Belichick in the 2003 regular season to beat Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy and the rival Colts.
On that play, a fourth-and-goal from the Patriots' 1, Manning handed off to fellow future Hall of Famer Edgerrin James. James was stuffed inside by linebacker Willie McGinest, who was unblocked on the left side of the Patriots' alignment. Ninkovich was in that same unblocked position on the left side on the Butler play, given the Seahawks offensive line had to deal with six defensive linemen and the Seahawks were spread out with their wide receivers.
The Seahawks did due diligence to understand running for the touchdown would not be easy, going either inside or toward the right side where Ninkovich was. So the Patriots' past defense put the Seahawks in position to pivot to passing, calling a familiar play.
The Seahawks also got burned by former teammate Brandon Browner
Patricia gave a great breakdown of the Patriots' scheming on the play as a guest of one-time Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman's "Games With Names" podcast. Patricia wasn't sure whether Belichick would call a timeout before the second-down play and didn't want to give away his personnel if that were the case.
Patricia gives another Patriots' defensive back a big shoutout for being ready for the play. Browner was the former Seahawks corner starting opposite Revis. He had a tough year in coverage, but at 6-4, 221 pounds, he was the right guy to battle Kearse, 6-1, 209 pounds, who was setting up a pick play to free Lockette for the inside pass from Wilson.
Browner, familiar with the concept from being with Seattle and practicing against the offense the season before, made sure Kearse was out of Butler's path to have a clear shot at Lockette and the ball.
The Seahawks still could have thrown the ball to Marshawn Lynch
Patricia told Edelman didn't know for a moment what had happened after Butler's interception, because when he heard the celebratory "pick!" from his team, he thought it meant what Kearse was trying to do to Browner instead. Patricia was actually most worried about Lynch, running his route to the left flat.
Lynch was one-on-one with Chandler Jones, who was dropping back in coverage. Wilson did his best to zip the pass into Lockette inside with disastrous results based on the position of Browner and Butler. The Seahawks should have stayed one step ahead of the Patriots and designed the play for Wilson to swing the ball out to Lynch, rather than doing something the Patriots knew might come.
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The Seahawks didn't have a good option running with Russell Wilson
When the Seahawks pulled off coming back from 19-7 down late in the fourth quarter to beat the Packers in the classic 2014-2015 NFC championship game, they were faced with a third-and-goal at the 1-yard line. They also used three wide receivers on that play, with Lynch to the left of Wilson.
The difference was that starting tight end Luke Willson was used in a staggered off-line H-back look, also to the left of Wilson behind Okung. Because of Willson there to block in front of his running lane, Wilson was able to fake an inside handoff to Lynch and then dart into the end zone toward Okung and Willson.
The Seahawks didn't give themself that opportunity against the Patriots because they used Helfet inline off Okung instead of deploying Willson in a similar look.
The Seahawks still should have handed the ball off to Marshawn Lynch
The Seahawks were consumed with trying to run out the clock and deny Tom Brady and the Patriots any chance of responding with a game-tying field-goal drive. They had one timeout in their pocket when Butler intercepted the ball.
The key was the fact that the play came on second down. Had they taken the timeout after Lynch got to the 1 on first down, they would have at least two chances to get in on rushing plays with about one minute left on the clock, instead of letting it run and being down to 27 seconds.
With one minute, they would have been able to take their chances pounding Lynch twice right between the tackles. Lynch's powerful running style and the pure physical will of the offensive line could have gotten the half-yard on two consecutive runs.
The Seahawks got too cute in trying to outsmart the Patriots, but the Patriots were two steps ahead. Seattle should have worked to go brawn vs. brawn, because going brain vs. brain cost the team a Super Bowl repeat.
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