RUSH: Let’s go back to yesterday, me, on this program.

RUSH ARCHIVE: Here’s what’s gonna happen. The legend is Belichick’s a genius, and that’s how this is all gonna end up. I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen. Belichick didn’t call time-out. Forty seconds left. Second and goal. Forty seconds. The story is that the Patriots had capitulated, given up, meaning, let them score with as much time left and get down for a field goal that would tie it. That’s the thinking, capitulation not conceding, capitulate, just don’t contest, let them score the touchdown. Belichick is gonna be said to be a genius. What’s gonna be said is — it may have been said already in other places; I don’t know, ’cause I haven’t listened, ’cause I never do, but the key to Belichick not calling a time-out, they’re gonna say that Belichick not calling a time-out lured Pete Carroll into making the mistake. That Belichick’s a genius by having the defensive personnel in the game that he had at that point was a lure.

RUSH: What personnel did Belichick have in the game? He had three cornerbacks. He did not have a goal line, standard goal line defense. He had eight guys lined up in the box, I mean, played for the run, but he didn’t have two cornerbacks, two safeties. He had three cornerbacks and a safety in there. Wasn’t running a standard nickel defense, which you don’t do on the goal line anyway. But this, not calling the time-out, that was genius because, well, the Seahawks expected Belichick to call a time-out and they were gonna use the New England time-out to take the time, it would be a 30-second time-out in that circumstance, to discuss on the sideline what to do, throw a pass, run the ball with Lynch or whatever.

But Belichick outfoxed ’em, yes. Belichick lured them into losing the game by not calling the time-out. The Seahawks waiting and waiting for the time-out, which was never called, time ran off the clock, Seahawks panic and decide, all right, let’s throw the ball because — and that’s the genius of Belichick. That’s what I said is gonna happen. Here it is in the Washington Post: “Bill Belichick Made a Sneaky-Smart Decision That Might Have Contributed to Fateful Play Call by Pete Carroll — Pete CarrollÂ’s confounding last-minute play call Sunday night will be dissected, debated and mocked for as long they play Super Bowls.

They go on say that Belichick not calling a time-out just totally discombobulated — exactly what I said. Just exactly what I said. Audio sound bites, a little montage here, various sports personages making the same thing from yesterday and last night.

MIKE FLORIO: You just get the feeling Bill Belichick knew what was coming.

ROSS TUCKER: I thought he really out-coached the Seahawks.

CHRIS MCGEE: I don’t know what he was thinking not calling that time-out, but itÂ’s probably the greatest play of his career that he didn’t call. It’s pretty remarkable.

PABLO TORRE: Belichick didn’t use that time-out. Pete Carroll maybe found himself with a bounty of options suddenly that really weren’t that bountiful after all.

JIM ROME: This guyÂ’s made out to be a genius. If, in fact, Belichick looked at that set up and he saw three wide receivers, and he thought to himself, let them run that play, we have it, and then he didn’t call a time-out for that reason, he’s the smartest guy ever.

RUSH: See? See? So it’s gone from the Seahawks just making an absolute bonehead call to they were lured, trapped, and suckered into making a bonehead call by the brilliance of Belichick. Now, I suppose, folks, it could be. The one thing, if it’s true, Belichick is never gonna own up to this. Belichick has always downplayed his own genius in everything else. So they’re never gonna get any confirmation. But with emotions running, and when you’ve got that kind of time left, not much, the world is going by in much faster speed than normal speed. I mean, the idea that anybody would have the presence of mind to think those kinds of — I guess it could be possible. That’s why I made the prediction, because people are saying it. So there it is. You can count on me, ladies and gentlemen, coming up with this.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here’s Randy, Mississippi. Randy, great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER: Oh, it’s my honor to speak with the great one. How you doing, Rush?

RUSH: I’m fine, sir. Thank you very much.

CALLER: Well, I just had a comment on that Seahawk-Patriot game. I think Carroll made the right call, to tell you the truth. Lynch was 1-for-5 in that situation in the past, and I tell you, that pass is rarely intercepted in that area, and I think Russell just overthrew the pass just a little bit right into the Patriot’s hands.

RUSH: Well, that’s actually not what happened, but I understand. Look, I don’t mean to sound mean saying that’s not what happened. I’m not being disrespectful Randy, ’cause some people think it was a good call. You’re one of them, and that had they executed, everybody talking about what a brilliant call it was, and that happens to be true, if they’d executed it. But they had the wrong receiver chosen. They should have chosen some guy six four, six five. If you’re gonna throw it do a fade route in the corner of the end zone where if it’s incomplete, it’s no way intercepted. This route, they gave it to this guy Lockette who had not done much all day — did you see the way he got bounced off his route by this cornerback?

The reason he got bounced off of his route is because the pass was ill thrown. He led the receiver. He should have thrown that ball over the receiver’s back shoulder where only the receiver could have caught that ball. The only thing the cornerback could have done was maybe deflect it. But he led the receiver, and had he not done that — and he’s close enough not to have led. He could have just fired a dart right in the receiver’s gut or on that back outside shoulder, where the cornerback couldn’t have gotten to it. But your point is it was Wilson’s fault, and I don’t disagree with that if you’re gonna analyze the play for what it was.

But I still think it was the wrong call. If you’re hell-bent on throwing a pass, you’ve got this guy Matthews. Now, I know the Patriot defense had put a different cornerback. Kyle Arrington had been burned by Chris Matthews, so they took Arrington and put a taller cornerback on Matthews, and that cornerback shut him down from the moment they made that change. But you still go with your six five guy on a corner fade route, and if it’s incomplete, it’s incomplete; you still stop the clock and you’ve done your precious pass play, as Carroll said. Matthews, the receiver, he’s got a good future. He’s fine, gonna be fine.

Anyway, let’s see. Fred in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, hi. You’re next on the EIB Network. Graduate to have you, sir.

CALLER: Hello, Rush. Thanks for taking my call.

RUSH: You bet.

CALLER: I am in Wilkes-Barre, I’m actually a truck driver from Akron, Ohio. But just to follow up on that previous caller, I also have the take that it was a good call. Something that’s not getting attention, though, the touchdown was there except for one thing, the New England rookie that made the interception. I wonder why he doesn’t get any attention.

RUSH: Well, he’s starting to. In the shock of the disbelief of the call, the focus obviously on the coaching staff of the Patriots. Now as time is passing they are focusing on Malcolm Butler. Brady is gonna give him the truck that he won for MVP. He’s gonna give it to Malcolm Butler. Malcolm Butler makes the league minimum. He’s an undrafted rookie free agent, which I think rookie minimum is 500 grand, you know, Brady and Gisele spend that in a day. So he’s gonna give him the truck. But, yeah, “good call,” I mean, it wasn’t good. It didn’t work.

CALLER: Well, if that rookie didn’t have it figured out, then Seattle’s brilliant.

RUSH: Yeah, yeah. I’m out of time here, I’ve gotta go, I wish I weren’t, but I am, so…