Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll faced accusations of running up the score after his team laid a 58-0 whooping on the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Carroll can expect more of the same this week after the Seahawks converted a first down on a fake punt against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Seahawks had a 30-point lead at the time in a game they ultimately won 50-17.
With 12:49 to play in the fourth quarter, Seahawks punt protector Chris Maragos took the direct snap, stepped to his right and flipped the ball to running back Michael Robinson, who darted through the middle for a 29-yard gain.
It was a neat little play, but one we're sure the Bills thought little of while trailing 47-17.
After the game, Carroll acknowledged the fake punt shouldn't have happened.
"I feel bad about this," Carroll said. "It was part of our game plan, it was something I could have called off, and I didn't. It's unfortunate that it comes across like there's something wrong there. That's my fault, totally, for not stopping it from happening ... in the sense that it looked bad."
Carroll's strategy brought to mind a similar situation with the Baltimore Ravens last month, when John Harbaugh called for a fake field goal with his team holding a 41-17 lead over the Oakland Raiders. The Ravens scored a touchdown on the play, and Harbaugh drew criticism for the move.
Harbaugh had no regrets. Carroll can't say the same.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
