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wvParticipantI honestly believe there was no good argument for Maye being that close to Stafford in the voting.
Yeah, well history is written by the MVPs. Or somethin.
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vwvParticipantThis guy is just-plain-likeable. I’m sorry.
wvParticipantBarnwell’s post-super bowl article:
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47871743/seahawks-win-super-bowl-patriots-2026-recap-barnwell-defense-walker-darnoldSuper Bowl LX: How the Seahawks shut down the Patriots
NFL teams with young players in key positions dread the unexpected. With two weeks of preparation between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, veteran coaching staffs like the one in New England are going to be able to break down tape and prepare second-year quarterback Drake Maye for everything the Seahawks have shown on film, especially from their past few weeks of football. I have no doubt that Maye and his offensive brain trust had answers for what they expected from the Seahawks on Sunday, but knowing what the Seahawks are going to do and beating it are two separate things.
Just when Maye thought he had the answers, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald changed the questions. The Seahawks brought a devastating wrinkle into their defensive game plan. And while Seattle probably would have been good enough to win the game without it, the unexpected look saved for the biggest game of the year tormented the Patriots, producing chaotic moments for New England’s offense before topping things off with a defensive touchdown.
A more experienced quarterback or one with better protection might have had the wherewithal and time to adapt quickly. Maye did not, and the Patriots were flummoxed by something the Seahawks hadn’t shown on tape in nearly two months. The end result: Seahawks 29, Patriots 13. Let’s make sense of what happened in Super Bowl LX.
The Witherspoon pressure wrinkle
I have no problems with Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III winning MVP in this game, but I would have been happier to see Devon Witherspoon take home the hardware for what he did on defense. The Seahawks cornerback was excellent in coverage and made a number of splash plays, including the one that helped create Seattle’s game-sealing defensive touchdown in the second half.
To get there, Macdonald broke with an established tendency and showed the Patriots something they either weren’t expecting or severely underestimated. During the regular season, the Seahawks blitzed only 20.7% of the time, the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL. On Sunday, that number actually dropped to 15.1% — but it was heavily split by half. Macdonald blitzed Maye 33.3% of the time in the first half before dialing it back and sending extra rushers just 8% of the time after the break.
What’s more important than the general blitz rate, though, is which player the Seahawks sent after the quarterback. Witherspoon is an excellent blitzer and physical force around the line of scrimmage, but Macdonald had held off on using him to get after the quarterback. The third-year pro had rushed the quarterback just 33 times across 12 regular-season games. More recently, Witherspoon hadn’t been sent on a single blitz in Seattle’s past four games, covering the final two regular-season contests and Seattle’s wins over the 49ers and Rams in the postseason.
In the Super Bowl, though, Witherspoon rushed Maye seven times, with one being wiped out by an offside penalty on a teammate. His other six pass-rush snaps produced one sack and what was really a strip sack on a second, only for the ball to stay in the air as it flew into the hands of Uchenna Nwosu for what went down as a pick-six. Those pressures didn’t single-handedly win Seattle the game, but they created big plays and seemingly got into Maye’s head for the entirety of the contest.
Let’s start with the first Witherspoon blitz of the game. The Patriots were facing a third-and-9 in the first quarter from the Seattle 44-yard line. Even a few yards here might put the Pats in position to attempt a long field goal. Macdonald was incentivized to produce a negative play or an outright stop to force a punt, and the Seattle coach dialed up one of the more exotic pressures the Seahawks have shown all season:… see link for rest of article
wvParticipanti’m still a little taken aback that mina kimes voted for maye. i think it was close, but i woulda thought she woulda voted for stafford.
One of the stats that pointed toward Maye was common opponents. Pats were 6-0 and Rams were 4-2. I think the QB stats in those 6 games favored Maye.
I also think what Maye can do with his legs was a significant point in his favor.It was close.
Mina did say she would not have voted for Maye if the Charger, Texans, and Bronco games were included.
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vwvParticipantJalen Hurtz and Sam Darnold have won the last two Rings. The PFF boys were noting that you dont need a Mahomes or Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow to win a Super Bowl. You need a complete team.
The Rams are awfully close to being a complete team. A couple guys in the secondary. A reliable return guy on special teams.
Seattle, LA, and the 49ers just might be the three most complete teams in the NFL next year.
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vwvParticipantAdam Schefter pointed out, “Russell Wilson helped Seattle win their first Super Bowl, and he helped them win this one”
The Wilson trade got Seattle:
1st Rd pick: LT Charles Cross
2nd Rd pick: OLB B. Mofe
1st Rd pick: CB Devin Witherspoon
2nd Rd pick: OLB D.Hallw
vwvParticipantThe impressive thing about the Seahawk defense this year (and the Eagles last year) is it was done in this era where the rule changes all favor the offense. I mean this is not the era of Doomsday Defenses or Steel Curtains or Fearsome Foursomes or Purple Gangs or Gang-Greens.
Last year the Chiefs Oline looked overmatched. Pats Oline looked overmatched this year.
Maybe the Oline is important in foot ball.
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vwvParticipantRandom things said on the internet
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Calling Drake Maye “The Schedule” is some of the best slander I’ve heard in a minute
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Worst Super Bowl for a guy named Drake since last year
—————–The Seahawks are the first Super Bowl champion to go their entire postseason run without committing a turnover
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Kyle Shanahan on NBC, asked about what makes the Seahawks so difficult: “I know you guys want my expert opinion, but I haven’t scored a TD on these guys the last two times I’ve seen them.”
——————-Sam Darnold won a Super Bowl before Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy and Joe Burrow.
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Mike Tirico: “Cris, all of a sudden, there’s a rhythm to the New England offense…”Cris Collinsworth: “[Drake Maye] is reading the defense now… a couple of the best plays that he’s had so far…”
*Interception*
Collinsworth: “Ummmm, I’ve got nothing for you here.”
—————wvParticipant17:10 mark of the Rodrigue vid above. Jourdan Rodrigue “costs the Rams the Super Bowl”.
She did a show and Mike MacDonald ‘took notes’ on it and learned stuff…
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vwvParticipantRodrigue and Rosenthal
wvParticipantSeattle’s defense looks absurdly-fast. They hit hard, but its mainly the speed that stands out when you watch them. And they are always in the right spot. Each player the perfect distance from his team-mates. Playing like one organism.
And Stafford, McVay and the Rams offense torches them regularly.
The NFC Championship in Seattle, really was the ‘super bowl.’
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vwvParticipantThe Riley Mills sack. At about the 1:40 mark of the vid.
It was Aaron Donald-like.
Or else the Pats Oline is horrendous.
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vwvParticipantIt would also be nice if a boatload of Seahawk players demanded more money, now.
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vwvParticipantWonder what Mina thinks of her MVP now.
I think Darnold had one great game in the second half of the season. And it was against the Rams. Ah well.
My questions about the Pats have been answered. Good, solid team. Good coach. Good young talented QB. But got blown out by the first complete-team they played all year.
Now let us hope Seattle players start talking about dynasties like the Eagles players did after they beat the Chiefs.
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vwvParticipantAh, big reveal. With a high pick for the first time in years, the Rams are looking for colder players.
I think the Chicago game might have influenced that.
Snead’s words can be blizzardy if not completely perforated, if you get the metaphor, analogy, simile, catachresis, whatever I’m trying to say.
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vwvParticipantI want to see Bad Bunny toss a roll of paper towels into the audience.
wvParticipantThe Patz chance in this game turns on being a defense that can disrupt Darnold’s rhythm. If they can make Darnold sputter, they could win it.
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Yup.
Darnold has a chance at a Warner-like story-book ending. Or…maybe he turns to a pumpkin. We shall see.
Either way, I would avoid Malcolm Butler if i were Darnold.
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vwvParticipantIn 99 I was unsure about the Rams because of the cupcake schedule. They ended up proving to be a legit-great team.
Like a LOT of people I’m still unsure about the Pats. Normally if a team wins three playoff games it proves a lot — but the Pats have had this weird road. They had a total cupcake regular season. Then they got the Chargers who had an injury-ravaged lame offense and faced an injured-bulgerized Herbert. Then they got the texans who had a terrible offense and the QB had a historic meltdown the likes of which i have never seen. Then of course they got the Broncos who had a back-up QB and the Broncos still almost won.
So just how good are the Pats? I dunno. I have never been this unsure about a team at this late stage. Maybe they are great, maybe they are just ‘good’ and lucky. I dunno. Seattle is the first real test for them in my opinion. The first ‘complete’ team they will face. So, we will see.
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vwvParticipantOn the idea that short TD-passes dont count as much — I watched a video a while back where Ray Lewis was talking about the game when the Ravens beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl. He pointed out that in film study he realized Colin K, was lousy at throwing the fade. So the Ravens D adjusted accordingly. Point is, not every QB can feather the ball accurately on those redzone fades. Turns out Stafford has a great feel for those kind of throws. He makes it LOOK easy. But its not.
The idea Maye was ‘robbed’ is silly. There’s a reason the vote was so close. There’s plenty of stats in favor of Maye and plenty in favor of Stafford. Its a bit like Faulk vs Warner. It can be argued forever. But no-one was ‘robbed’ either way.
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vwvParticipantwvParticipantSo do they NEED to draft a QB this year? I dont think so.
We know Stafford is year to year now. But I would think two years tops, given all the risks.
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vwvParticipantI agree with much of that about the show but would quibble in a few areas.
The billionaires in the show do not come across as caring about their employees. They care about their money and making more.
The oil industry is not fighting the cartels, at least in the first season, it’s all about turning a blind eye so each can do their own business until their is a falling out and even then, a desire to go back to live and let live.
There is a small nod to eventually needing to come up with something else with a giant dose of until then this is the bull we have to ride.
People who like this show, imo, are also likely to like Yellowstone and Tulsa king.
Yeah, thats fair.
But i still think its fair to say “the oil company is battling the drug cartel” in that first season (the only season i watched). They battle when they are not co-existing in a tense-truce type situation.
And that ‘positioning’ of Big Oil vs Drug-Cartel end up creating this weird psychological space in the viewer’s head where instead of, like, the FBI vs Criminals, you get Big Oil vs Criminals.
It creates a subtle condition where Big Oil is the ‘hero’ saving us from the bad-guys. Its subtle but its there under the surface.Just my take.
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vwvParticipantwvParticipantJust getting around to reading that long Barnwell article. I like that “explosive play differential” stat. Seems like it reduces a whole lot of football chaos down into a nice neat meaningful stat.
“…It should be no surprise then that the best teams at creating and stopping explosive plays made it through the postseason. In terms of explosive-play differential — the gap between the rate at which teams generated explosive plays and prevented their opposition from doing the same — each of the four teams in the conference championship games ranked in the top five during the regular season. The Rams created explosives 12.6% of the time on offense and allowed teams to make their own only 9.5% of the time on defense, with that resulting 3.1% difference being the third-best mark in the league. The Packers (3.2%) were second, and the Broncos (2.3%) were fifth.
The Patriots were in fourth at 2.8%, buoyed by a league-best explosive creation rate of 13.6% on offense. And the Seahawks, who will be favored on Sunday, outpaced everyone. Their 4.7% explosive-play differential was the best mark in the NFL and the ninth-best figure posted by any team of the past 25 years. And they were truly elite on the defensive side of the ball, meaning we’ll get the league’s best offense at creating explosive plays versus the league’s best defense at stopping them Sunday…”
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vwvParticipantThe Sonny J highlight — I have ‘never’ seen that. Damn. I cant believe I’ve never seen that highlight before.
If that highlight was well-known, you just KNOW Mahommes and some of these kid-QBs would be tryin that.
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vwvParticipantBomani musing about a point he makes a lot — there seems to be a lot of black DCs, but not a lot of black OCs. (after the bit about Eagles Oline coaching quitting)
wvParticipantI cant remember the last time two Defense-minded head coaches faced off in the Super Bowl.
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vwvParticipantwvParticipant“He says a young defense felt a sense of entitlement as the headed into the NFC Championship.”
I have no idea what to make of that.
At any rate, the defense allowed 31, 27, 34, 38, 31, 31 in six of their last 9 games including playoffs. Six of nine games the defense must have ‘felt entitled’.
I think the secondary was light on talent, and the front four had some nagging injuries. Its fixable in one off-season. Thats the good news. Bad news, of course, is it takes a shit-load of luck to make it back to the final four. And, the NFC has some very good teams on the rise.
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vwvParticipantSome discussion of what an OC does under McVay
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