The stunning play that secured the Patriots' win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49

GLENDALE, Ariz. — With 26 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks stood one yard from history. Down 28-24 to the New England Patriots, they had second-and-goal, a timeout remaining and Marshawn Lynch—the most punishing runner in football—poised to strike. What followed was a decision, a throw and an interception that instantly became the most scrutinized sequence in NFL lore.

Undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler, who had not recorded a professional interception before that moment, changed everything. Lined up inside Ricardo Lockette on the right side, Butler recognized the stacked formation, remembered the scouting report and broke hard the instant Russell Wilson began his throwing motion. The quick slant never reached Lockette; Butler arrived first, cradling the ball at the goal line and collapsing to the turf as confetti began its slow descent inside University of Phoenix Stadium.

The play’s shockwaves were immediate. NBC’s Cris Collinsworth, broadcasting the game alongside Al Michaels, exclaimed on-air, “I’m sorry, but I can’t believe the call. I cannot believe the call.” Speaking this week ahead of Super Bowl 60, Collinsworth admitted he still replays the moment in his mind. “I think about it all the time,” he said. “I didn’t know who had the ball until Al screamed, ‘Malcolm Butler, interception!’”

Seattle’s choice to pass rather than hand off to Lynch has since been labeled by critics as the “dumbest play call” in football history. Former 49ers great Dwight Clark and NFL all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith both publicly questioned the decision. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, however, accepted full responsibility, explaining that New England’s goal-line personnel—featuring eight heavy defenders—made a run matchup unappealing. The intention, Carroll said, was to “waste a play,” leaving third and fourth down for Lynch if needed. The interception rendered that plan moot.

Butler, an unknown commodity out of West Alabama during training camp, credited teammate Brandon Browner for directing him to Lockette. “Who I got? Who I got?” Butler recalled asking. Browner’s reply—“You got the guy in the back”—set Butler in motion. When Lockette cut inside, Butler pounced, beating the receiver to the spot and securing the first takeaway of his career at the most critical juncture.

The Patriots’ sideline erupted. Tom Brady, who had watched previous Super Bowls slip away on miraculous catches by David Tyree and Mario Manningham, finally saw fortune reverse. Brady knelt once after the turnover, sealing New England’s fourth championship and igniting a dynasty-extending celebration.

Wilson, who took sole blame post-game—“Put the blame on me. I’m the one who threw it”—and Carroll would both spend years fielding questions about that singular snap. Butler’s life changed overnight: from roster hopeful to Super Bowl immortal, his name now etched alongside the league’s most indelible moments.

In the pantheon of legendary sports snapshots—Tiger’s chip on 16, Gibson’s pinch-hit homer, the Miracle on Ice—Butler’s interception stands as a simultaneous triumph and cautionary tale, a reminder that one yard, one second and one decision can alter legacies forever.