McCombs: 5 takeaways from Super Bowl XLIX

I had plenty of reasons to be down on Super Bowl XLIX headed into Sunday evening’s game. But the game on the field was certainly better than last year’s blowout of the Denver Broncos by the Seattle Seahawks.

Here are five things I took away from the New England Patriots 28-24 win:

1. A DOUBLE STANDARD

Multiple media sources reported that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell refused requests by Bob Costas and NBC, the network that broadcast Super Bowl XLIX, for a pregame interview.

So, let me get this straight. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch doesn’t want to talk to the media. But because of threat of fine by the commissioner’s office, he shows up week after week during the season and then all of Super Bowl week and gives ridiculous answers.

Meanwhile, Goodell can decide not to talk at all? That doesn’t look so good.

But then again, when has the NFL looked good recently?

2. LIVE BY THE SWORD ...

Six seconds. From the 11 yard line. It was an insane decision.

With the Seahawks trailing 14-7 and six seconds remaining in the first half, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll decided to run a play from the Patriots 11 instead of taking the almost certain three points, despite knowing they would have the ball first in the second half.

What would happen if the clock ran out?

Well, fans didn’t even have time to ask that question because Russell Wilson threw a quick strike touchdown pass to Chris Matthews -- who’s that? -- to tie the game at 14 at the half.

“What are they doing?!?” quickly turned into, “Wow! What a gutsy call!”

This is the play that made this a competitive game and, in my mind, changed my perception at the time about which team was in control.

3. HARDBALL

Speaking of Chris Matthews, the Seahawks wide receiver who shares a name with the MSNBC political commentator, had a breakout game on the game’s biggest stage. If not for the outcome of the game, he was the likely choice for Super Bowl MVP with four catches for 109 yards and that first-half touchdown.

Matthews’ unlikely path to the Seahawks went from junior college to the University of Kentucky to the Cleveland Browns to Winnepeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League to Foot Locker, among other odd jobs, before he got a tryout in February.

He didn’t catch a pass all season, though he did make one of the biggest plays of Seattle’s season, recovering the Seahawks’ onside kick late in the NFC Championship win over the Green Bay Packers.

But as much as Matthews’ story of hard work and perseverance was a positive for Seattle, it has a down side. He was only a factor because the rest of the Seahawks’ receiving corps was completely ineffective for most of the game.

In a year that saw a number of breakout seasons by young receivers -- Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant, Jordan Matthews and Mike Evans -- Seattle struggled at receiver before and after the trade of Percy Harvin.

Wide receiver is a position the Seahawks must upgrade in the offseason.

4. CHECK YOUR HEAD

The same week the NFL tried to feed the public the line that concussions were actually down this season, the league proved to the public why they shouldn’t take anything the league says seriously.

In the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing by 3, Julian Edelman caught a pass from Tom Brady and was promptly blown up by Seahawks defender Kam Chancellor with a helmet-to-helmet hit that should have drawn a flag.

Edelman withstood the hit and didn’t go down. But after a few steps, it became clear he wasn’t OK.

Later on the drive, Edelman caught the go-ahead touchdown pass for New England. But it’s fairly obvious had the NFL been observing it’s own rules, he never would have been in the game.

When asked after the game about his condition, Edelman said he couldn’t talk about injuries.

Players found to have a concussion are not allowed under NFL rules to speak to the media after the game, so either he was never tested or tested OK.

Maybe we’ll find out. Maybe we won’t.

How many days will it take for it to be reported that Edelman played with a concussion after the Chancellor hit.

— Howard Bryant (@hbryant42) February 2, 2015

5. ... DIE BY THE SWORD

Second and goal from the Patriots 1, less than 30 seconds left in the game.

Barring the miracle of all NFL miracles, a Seattle touchdown seals a repeat Super Bowl win.

On the play before, Lynch had rumbled 4 yards to the 1.

With a time-out left in case something went wrong, it seemed elementary: Hand it to Lynch, win the Super Bowl.

But we all know by now, that’s not what Pete Carroll did. Instead, he had Russell Wilson throw a pass.

And it was picked off. The one scenario the Seahawks couldn’t afford.

As bold as the play call at the end of the first half was, this one was twice as ill-advised.

Commentators and fans alike were shocked. And the beating the play call took on social media was harsh.

That was the worst play call I've seen in the history of football.??

— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) February 2, 2015

By the time all is said and done, Carroll may have hard time overcoming this blunder.

This story was originally published February 2, 2015 at 3:11 AM with the headline "McCombs: 5 takeaways from Super Bowl XLIX."