Author: Rob Staton (Page 2 of 440)

I’m sat in my hotel room plotting out what my final day will be like in California before my flight home at 5pm. I’ll probably go and see the Golden Gate Bridge and play it by ear. Then it’s 11 hours all the way back to the UK.

I’m anticipating it’ll be the best long-haul flight I ever take.

What a truly incredible experience to be at Levi’s Stadium to witness this moment. Everything about the day was perfect. The weather was sufficiently excellent to the level you rue the day you weren’t born here. The stadium was packed with Seahawks fans.

I didn’t know what to expect from attending a Super Bowl. I’ve always felt it’s difficult to grasp what it’d be like on a TV broadcast. Would it be very corporate? A bit much?

Quite the opposite. It felt like any other sporting event frankly. Just that you were never more than 50 yards away from someone very famous. Green Day played a few songs eight rows in front of us before kick-off, with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning walking past like you were passing them in the mall.

Outside the stadium you’d casually just see former Seahawks, like Zach Miller and Ricardo Lockette, among the crowds desperately trying to find an Uber home.

Inside the stadium it felt loud when the Seahawks were on defense, with the Patriots fans a lot quieter when it was their turn. In fairness, I’d say it was more of a 60-40 split having thought it might 80-20 walking around San Jose on Saturday. But this was a moment for Seahawks fans. It was their day.

I’ve spoken about what 11 years ago did to me a few times in a way I’m not overly comfortable with. It feels a bit embarrassing to say a football game had an almost grieving effect on you — but it did. And it lasted a long time. The desperation not to see what was such an epic journey for a dynastic quality team end in abject misery was overbearing.

It took a long time to come to terms with the fact that would be the footnote of the LOB era. It’s a shame they were never able to channel that interception into a moment to come together and find inner-strength, rather than implode in anger. But I’ve never been in a locker-room or gone through that experience, so what do I know? Very little.

Even so, the emotions of that moment were unbearable at times.

It doesn’t seem real that 11 years on, this opportunity was presented. A chance to play the Patriots again in another Super Bowl. They opted to wear road whites as the home team, meaning the Seahawks would look the same as they did that day in Arizona. Chris Collinsworth was again in the booth for a NBC broadcast.

It’s as if the footballing gods were putting things right.

I posted a tweet after the game as the confetti fell simply saying ‘closure’. That’s how it feels to me. Not everyone will feel that way but I suspect many of you will. Any time I see that Malcolm Butler interception from now on I won’t shudder or immediately want to shut the TV off. I’ll think of this Super Bowl. I’ll think about how that experience became a feature of what made Sunday so amazing.

The Patriots used Butler to try and fire their fans up pre-game. I turned to Jeff Simmons and said I’m glad he’s here. I want him to be here for this too.

The Seahawks put things right. Minds will be calmer for this experience. We have another Championship to celebrate and there wasn’t a more perfect way to draw a line on the past.

The game itself was a one-sided domination. I could tell looking on X/Twitter that there was a little bit of handwringing about play-calling and missed opportunities. To me it was just a classic game of 2025 Seahawks football.

We live in an era, inspired mostly by social media and the talking head on TV (the cool kids) who want you to believe that there’s a way to play the game that is perfectly matched to all 32 teams, regardless of the game situation or opponent. Just do the 10 or so things the true ‘ball-knowers’ have decided matter and everything will be great. If you lose, well at least you lost looking really smart.

This isn’t football.

This sport is multi-faceted. There are many ways to win and it goes beyond an allergic reaction to ‘taking the points’ or ‘never run on 2nd and 10’ or ‘be aggressive on fourth down’.

Situational football matters. For me the most profound lesson from this season is Mike Macdonald repeatedly saying they let games declare and then act accordingly. It’s a level of measured common sense that a lot of teams simply did not possess this season, particularly in the playoffs.

When the Seahawks played the Vikings in the regular season, Greg Olsen — who was commentating for Fox — complained about the Seahawks settling for field goals. He stated ‘field goals get you beat’ — adding:

“I hate when commentators say it, I hate when coaches say it, I hate when the media says it. I don’t know what ‘take the points means,’ it doesn’t make sense to me.”

Olsen is frequently hailed as a broadcasting savant by a cheering online horde. He is, as some say, ‘team never kick’. He is not a fan of the field goal, an opinion shared by an increasing number of try-hards.

Yet here were the Seahawks, gleefully taking the points and the piss out of Olsen et al’s position on kicking. Jason Myers set a record for the most field goals in a Super Bowl (five). They understood what this game was — one where the defense was dominating and keeping the score ticking along was just fine.

Yes, it would’ve been wonderful to be more clinical in key moments and not let opportunities for touchdowns slip away. This isn’t Madden though where you just press the button and the ball goes to the open receiver for a completion. Not everything will go perfectly.

If the Patriots were more potent and productive on offense, I have no doubt the Seahawks would’ve treated the game differently. That wasn’t the case though, so field goals were fine. Frankly, at 12-0, it felt like the game was in complete control.

Cool-headed thinking, great situational awareness, a running game and superior play in the trenches. That’s why the Seahawks handled their business. You can win football games this way. It might not be trendy but it’ll typically be successful.

One other great success for Mike Macdondald is the way he’s created a team that is so together. I can’t recall another with this level of connection. I don’t have an intimate knowledge of every prior Super Bowl Champion, or near miss, but seeing the way these players interact across the entire 70-man roster feels unique.

I watched Top Gun Maverick for the 107th time on the plane to California. The scenes of celebration at the end felt very similar here, as established veterans took in a moment they perhaps thought wouldn’t come. The likes of Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence, getting their moment. Cooper Kupp was just taking it all in — imagine how he must feel today, getting a second Super Bowl ring but this time with his local team.

Then there’s the GM. Seahawks fans are so unbelievably blessed to have John Schneider at the controls. He has built two Championship rosters now. He hasn’t done it, either, by stumbling into a generational quarterback who just takes the league by storm. He’s done it the hard way — by building complete rosters.

Undoubtedly his place in the Hall of Fame should be secure in the future. It’s a fun exercise to think back to the battering he got in March for the inspired moves that transformed this team into a title-winner. Quite a few people ended up bearing their arse a few months ago and I’m not sure they’ve done enough to hold their hands up to that fact.

By the way, a penny for the thoughts today of Geno “Vegas is perfect for me, I really didn’t fit the culture in Seattle” Smith and DK “grass is greener on the other side” Metcalf.

Jody Allen looked positively overjoyed holding aloft the Lombardi trophy, with the huge Seahawks crowd still in the stadium roaring their approval.

Allen and Bert Kolde made one of the biggest decisions in Seahawks history two years ago and have been proven emphatically justified in doing so. It was time for a new era for this franchise. Backing Schneider and hiring Macdonald was a perfect example of inspired leadership when it was so critically needed.

So what now? Well, this is a draft blog first and foremost. Let’s start discussing ways that they can do it all again next year.

For now though, enjoy every moment. Celebrate in any way you can. The Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions again. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to write those words but here we are. They’ve done it.

Here’s a video I made of the sights and sounds of Super Bowl LX:

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

What an incredible transformation the Seahawks offense has gone through this season.

Gone are cornerstone players Geno Smith, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.  Those three were at the top of both the stats charts and the salary cap charts for years.

In their place have come Sam Darnold, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Cooper Kupp.  Together, they have changed the locker room and thus the team outlook considerably.  New (and soon to be former) Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak has managed in a single season to marry these talents to his concepts beautifully. 

With the addition of continuity on the Offensive Line, the support of a solid running game, the offense has gone from a very boom-or-bust unit to one that can win games for the team when called upon.

They will be facing a very good defense against the Patriots on Sunday.

In a sense, the Patriots are not unlike the Seahawks defensively: they may not have a superstar talent, a singular player that forces Offensive Coordinators to game plan around them.  What they do feature is solid talent at every level, starting with the interior Defensive Line, some opportunistic Cornerbacks and a Coordinator that knows how to scheme and game plan very well.  Vrabel is instilling his trademark fundamentals and as a result the defense leads the NFL with fewest missed tackles.

The expensive addition of Milton Williams in Free Agency has paid off handsomely.  He pairs with Christian Barmore to anchor the defense.  Williams’ impact on their run defense is profound.

If they have a weakness, it is in generating pass rush.  On the season, they are on the high-blitz (#10 most)/low-pressure-generation (#24 most) spectrum, often needing to commit extra resources to the pass rush.  They gamble that they will disrupt the passer quicker than he can find and exploit the vulnerable matchup.  They currently have one player in the top 50 pressure generators – Harold Landry – and his status for the game is in question with a knee injury (he was limited in practice Wednesday and missed Thursday).  They have three in the top 100 (the Seahawks have six).  They did take advantage of the Chargers’ decimated Offensive Line in the Wild Card Round, sacking Justin Herbert six times and generating a very healthy 29.5% pressure rate.

They are solid, disciplined and creative.  It will be a very fascinating challenge for Klint Kubiak.

We talked about how the Seahawks’ defense can win the game.

Now it is the offense’s turn.

Attack the Defense with Creativity in the Run Game

As we mentioned above, this defense can defend the run very, very well.  The Seahawks rely on the running game as much as any team in the NFL, clocking in at #3 in terms of running the ball in their offensive mix.

Something’s got to give.  There is a bit of an unstoppable force / unmovable object dynamic in play here.  More so with Zach Charbonnet out for the season with a knee injury, leaving Kenneth Walker as the primary back.

The Seahawks will not suddenly abandon the run.  There will be running between the tackles at times, even with the two monster Defensive Tackles on the field at the same time.  However, some creativity is in order so they can attack this defense in different ways.

The first way is to take advantage of personnel matchups.  There can be an element of “throw to set up the run” involved here.  Barmore and Williams “only” play about 60% of the snaps.  If the Seahawks can work their game plan out and get some traction, there will be opportunities to spread the defense out and run on lighter formations.

Kenneth Walker is known as a speed back but his determined running in the NFC Championship game showed he is not afraid of lowering his shoulder and getting the tough yards.  It will be advantageous if they can manipulate the game script to run when their stout tackles are not on the field.

The second way is to throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage and let your playmakers create.  It might be time to dust off this bunch formation play with Kenneth Walker (or Rashid Shaheed).  Or something similar.  A couple of plays like this – or the standard screen pass – might loosen up the defense a bit and get them thinking laterally instead of up field.  The Seahawks feature excellent downfield blockers in Cooper Kupp, A.J. Barner, Eric Saubert.  And you just know that Grey Zabel is more than willing to pull and hit someone.

The third (and most effective) is this: attack the edges of the defense.  It is no secret that the best way to minimize the impact of inside strength is to run away from it.  The Seahawks employ the Wide Zone as well as any team, and there are many ways they can run on the edges to create space for Walker to pick up some meaningful yards.  This is not just an idea to avoid running at the tackles.  The Patriots have shown they are vulnerable to this kind of attack.

Have a look at this play the Ravens ran with Zay Flowers:

Zay Flowers takes the handoff 18 yards for his first rushing TD since his rookie season!

NEvsBAL on NBC
Stream on #NFLPlus + Peacockpic.twitter.com/WLscxDaFHn

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 22, 2025

The Patriots are well-coached on defense, so as you can see, there are several defenders in the neighborhood.  Flowers cannot just walk into the end zone.  But between the misdirection and pulling blockers out in space (ready and willing to move some bodies), the Ravens have a successful play schemed up.  Have a look at Isaiah Likely (245lbs) send Dell Pettus (200lbs) flying with a block to clear the way.  It is not hard to imagine Barner or Saubert doing the same.  The rest is Flowers weaving and dodging through traffic.

The Seahawks ran this exact play with Shaheed recently so do not be surprised if they pull it out of the playbook for a change of pace.

Attack the Middle of the Field in the Passing Game

A lot has been said about Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.  They are very good corners but they can be beaten and the Seahawks will not hesitate to target them in the passing game.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is such a multi-functional weapon defenses cannot just match one cornerback to him for the whole game.  The way the Seahawks move him around pre snap and deploy him in so many different types of routes, he is going to get his targets and catches.

It is not just using Smith-Njigba as a target but he can be a decoy to pull focus.  He is so good, when he motions or adjusts before the snap, he will usually draw the attention of two or three defenders.  Klint Kubiak loves to use his “gravity” to pull defenders to him and then burn them with routes to those exactly open spots from the Tight Ends and Cooper Kupp.  This is where the Patriots can be exploited.  Craig Woodson (133.9 pass rating conceded) and Marcus Jones (102.2) have each been burned for seven touchdowns in coverage.  Working the field on quick slants and in-breaking routes can really give the offense some traction and momentum for when they want to take a deep shot.

There is good reason to think the Offensive Line will give Sam Darnold enough time to work.  When they do, some of these problem defenders will uncover.  If Darnold can find them at key times, it will make the offense explosive.

Watch Ladd McConkey get away from Jones for a 20-yard gain after Herbert gets good protection from six men in the pocket.

Here is Dalton Schultz hanging out in the flat and then rumbling for 42 yards after C.J. Stroud finds him.

I will say this again.  Give Klint Kubiak a week off, and he will cook up ways to burn defenses.  The Seahawks put 31 points on the Commanders in the first half and then 24 in the first half on the Niners after bye weeks.

Game Notes

— Early is the keyword.  The Seahawks offense needs to be aggressive early in the series and early in the game.  The Patriot defense concedes 5.75 yards per play on First Down, with a 102.1 passer rating and a 70.1% completion rate.  In the first half, they are middling at best on defense: 4.4 yards per rush, a 103.5 pass rating and 7.1 yards per pass.  They tighten up in the second half (Vrable is very good at making halftime adjustments) and later in the down.  The Seahawks can make the game much easier for themselves with some early success.

— Once again, poise is a huge key.  Sam Darnold needs to be poised and take care of the football.  He rose to the challenge in the NFC Championship game in a supreme way.  Now for the biggest game of his life, he will need to replicate that kind of play.  The Patriots like to try and disguise blitzes, with the “we’re going to rush six or seven” look pre snap and then drop three of them into coverage.  Having the vision, patience and perseverance to see these and locate where they are clogging the passing lanes will be very important.  As is his poise in the pocket when the rush is coming.  Again, something he did very well in the last game.

— Special Teams note: Marcus Jones can be a Shaheed-like presence in the return game.  They absolutely cannot let the Patriots get any “cheap points” with a return touchdown.  This will allow Vrabel to coach up all kinds of scenarios for the Seahawks to deal with.  Chaz Surratt is back for the game and kick coverage guys Mike Morris, Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight will need to be at their best.  They also will need to be very alert to any trick plays to try and steal a possession.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

The Seattle Seahawks are in the Super Bowl.

I keep repeating it to myself like some kind of realization exercise.  If I stop saying it, I will wake up and snap back to reality.  Reality being where the team has been for the last six or seven years.  Desperately needing major changes, while the messaging from Headquarters was consistent: We are just a bounce away and next year will be our year.

Major changes have been made.  Upheaval. It’s refreshing and the rebirth has been accomplished.  The defense has returned to its rightful place as a tough, balanced and aggressive unit that is among the league’s best.  On offense, the run game has returned — complemented by an explosive passing game.

Cherish these moments.  Thirty other teams and their fanbases are spending this time focusing on how to get where the Seahawks are right now.  One game away from glory.

All that stands in their way are the New England Patriots.

The Seahawks are favored to win the game for several reasons.  Not the least of which is they have weathered a much tougher test – with better results – than the Patriots have.

That is not to say that this game should be considered a cakewalk, even if that is how the game plays out on Sunday.  Mike Vrabel-coached teams are thoroughly prepared, well-motivated and fundamentally sound.  They are not to be taken lightly.  Seahawks fans know this as well as anyone.

This is too big a game to do just one Watch Points post.  We are going to present one for each side of the ball, starting with the New England offense vs the Seahawk defense.

What do the Patriots present on offense?

This season, they ran out a 47/53 run/pass mix, fueled by a two-headed monster at Running Back and Drake Maye’s ability to use his legs to push another dimension of his game onto defenses.  Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are generally akin to Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker, with Stevenson getting tough yards between the tackles and Henderson using his speed around the edges and getting good angles.

They are likewise very balanced in the passing game.  They do not have a Christian McCaffrey, a Trey McBride or a Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  What they have is depth and an Offensive Coordinator in Josh McDaniels who knows how to spread out their attack to keep opponents guessing.

Drake Maye is not a checkdown merchant.  He leads all Quarterbacks with 9.1 air yards per intended target.  He takes full advantage of the middling pressure rate (21.8%) that opponents have managed to bring.  Stephon Diggs is his go-to Wide Receiver, Hunter Henry is the designated First Down Machine at Tight End, Kayshon Boutte is the deep threat and they are complemented by the Running Backs, along with Wide Receivers Mack Hollins and DeMario Davis.

It is Maye that ties it all together though.  He is accurate on deep balls and is not afraid to either check it down or take off running.  Josh McDaniels likes to use misdirection and rollouts to keep defenses off guard and get them out of position.  In essence, they spread the touches as well as any offense in the NFL and force defenses to have multiple keys, which means multiple opportunities for coverage breakdowns and missed tackles.

They will be facing a defense that is one of the NFL’s best.  The Seahawks have the best rushing defense in the NFL.  They generate turnovers, get pressure without blitzing excessively and have a defender to match up with any player on your roster.  Edge setters, interior pressure creators, speedy linebackers and corners who can both cover and tackle.  It is all tied together with the Swiss Army Knife that is Nick Emmanwori, who can do it all.

It will be fantastic matchup.

How can the Seahawks come out on top?

Win On First Downs by Preventing Explosive Plays

The most effective way to disrupt their offense is to keep them from making good gains on First Downs.

The Patriots are one of the NFL’s best on First-and-10.  They are third overall at 6.75 Yards Per Play (the Seahawks are the best at 6.84) and Drake Maye is especially dangerous. 

How dangerous?

He has a 78.8% completion rating, a 129.1 Passer Rating and is gaining 10.6 Yards per Pass Attempt.  Just to illustrate how good that is, Sam Darnold is the closest to Maye, at 69.4%, 116.7 and 10.0, a healthy step down.

Just for good measure, when he runs, he is picking up 5.1 yards per rush.

He was easily the best player in the NFL on First-and-10s in the regular season.

When you add Henderson’s 5.5 yards per rush and Stevenson’s 4.4 on First-and-10 plays, the Patriots have an offense set up to run their entire playbook on Second and Third Down.

That is the bad news.  Now for the good news…

The Seahawks defense is alternately one of the best at First-and-10 plays.  They are top ten at almost all those numbers we quoted for Maye:  5.09 YPP (#4), 65.8% completions (15), 6.2 YPA (6) and they concede 4.0 yards per rush, good for #2 in the NFL.

They have the versatility to match what the Patriots want to do on offense.  They can play tough between-the-tackles football, they can create pressure without blitzing and they have players who can match up with targets, be they Running Backs, Tight Ends or Wide Receivers.  If and when the defense can be successful right out of the gate, it will limit Josh McDaniels’ ability to mix up his playbook and build some themes he can exploit later in the game.  Tempo and rhythm are strong weapons when you have a young Quarterback in a high-stakes game – even more so when it is on a neutral field.

The Seahawks should be able to contain those early-down explosive plays and limit their effectiveness overall.

What gives us such confidence?  It has already been done in the last two games.

In the Wild Card Round, New England had 6.89 Yards Per Play on First-and-10, powered largely by three explosive Drake Maye passes that gained 118 yards.  Take those away, and they gained 2.5 YPP and the offense was very average.

In the Divisional Round, Houston limited them to a meager 2.92 YPP on First-and-10 plays enroute to only conceding 248 total yards of offense in the game.

In the AFC Championship game, the Broncos took it to another level with only 2.67 YPP and the Patriots only picked up 206 total yards.

There is evidence that New England can play well (and get explosive plays) on other downs of course.  But if the Seahawks can employ their patented blend of run-stopping and getting pressure on the Quarterback without sacrificing their coverage principles, it will be a very successful day for the defense.

Defending Drake Maye

Maye excels at hurting defenses in three ways:

1 — he regularly throws downfield, challenging defenses and creating explosive pass plays

2 — he only has 10 Interceptions against 35 touchdowns this season.  Those are MVP-caliber numbers

3 — he scrambles more than any Quarterback in the NFL.  More than Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert

It will take a complete defensive effort to contain him.

We talked in the Warren Sharp link above about how flooding coverage can work against Maye — and yes that is something the Seattle defense excels at.

Getting interior pressure will do a world of good against Maye.  It closes off his lanes and changes his eye level.  The linemen will have to work at keeping gap integrity when it is just the standard rush.  If Maye escapes containment he can become an explosive runner.  This is where stat guys like me can get a little stuck.  Pressure and sacks are great.  But keeping the Quarterback under wraps and forcing short checkdowns that can do minimal damage or throwaways are also effective.  With the speed the Seahawks have at the second level, they should be able to keep things in front of them and limit explosive off-schedule plays.

Mike Macdonald will have a plan to handle this.  My guess is he will instruct his linemen to keep their gaps as a priority and only abandon them when Maye is within arm’s reach.  He will also disguise some of his coverage and rushes to keep Maye and the linemen focused on what is happening in front of them rather than downfield.

I do think he will cook up some schemes to ‘bait’ Maye into running.  Perhaps the linemen split a gap and leave it wide open and have a blitzer take a two-count after the snap and rush the open gap.  Ernest Jones, Drake Thomas and Nick Emmanwori can fill this role nicely.

It should be noted that the Patriots are rolling out rookies at Left Tackle and Left Guard.  There will be opportunities there to win one on one battles without any exotic scheming.  Evidence:  Maye has been sacked fives times in each of his three playoff games.  As you can see, it is a mix of blitzing, coverage and pass rush being well aligned and some clear one on one battles being lost.  It is not unrealistic to think the Seahawks can keep that streak going and sack him at least five more times in this game.

Another statistic to underscore coverage and getting pressure without blitzing is critical: Maye’s sack percentage when blitzed (10.3%) vs when not (8.05%) lends itself to being very selective in blitzing.  It is not necessary to get sacks solely from blitzes.  That style is right in the defense’s wheelhouse.

Something has been revealed in those three games: Maye is vulnerable to being stripped of the ball.  He only had eight fumbles all season.  In the last three games?  Six more.  That is fourteen in total.  Sam Darnold – derided as a turnover machine most of the year – has twelve.  The Patriots have benefited from “fumble luck” in that some of these have been jumped on teammates in the right place at the right time.  One or two of these bounce the Seahawks’ way and we could have a rout on our hands.

Other Game Notes

— Josh Jobe has been targeted for explosives in the passing game and we all know that Tariq Woolen had a huge blunder in the NFC Championship game.  Do not think Vrabel and McDaniels failed to notice that.  Jobe will have to be ready to be targeted mercilessly.  Woolen will probably have Diggs in his ear all game long, trying to provoke him into another stupid penalty.  A fantastic performance by both will make this game far, far easier.

— McDaniels loves to use motions to distract the defense from what his true intentions are.  He will use Stephon Diggs to pull focus and bootleg Maye in the exact opposite direction for a layered pass with short (a RB) and deep options (Hunter Henry) on crossing routes.  The edge defenders will need to counter this with their instincts and smarts.  Having had three full games against the masters of pre snap deception in Shanahan and McVay, I think this defense is as experienced in deciphering intent and keeping disciplined as any.  Holding the edge and sniffing out Maye booting out will be critical at times.  This sounds like a tailor-made play for DeMarcus Lawrence to cause some havoc.

— Keeping the running game in check will be critical for one factor in particular: Maye is the second-most effective passer in the NFL off play action at 10.18 yards per pass attempt (Darnold is #1 at 11.33).  If the defense can put more of the game in Maye’s hands, the factors for pressures, sacks and turnovers increase dramatically.

We will be streaming our Super Bowl preview show at 2pm PT today, you can watch it below:

Prepare for surprises in the Super Bowl

Mike Vrabel mentioned last week he tries to calculate how many points he needs game-to-game. The Seahawks are averaging 31 points in their last five games, all against playoff teams. It’s hard to imagine Vrabel is plotting to keep things close and tight, even if that’s what ends up happening on the day.

The chances are he’ll think New England needs +30 points. In order to do that, he may have a few tricks up his sleeve.

For example, when he was coaching against the Titans against the Chiefs six years ago in the AFC Championship game, he had Ryan Tannehill throw a touchdown pass to offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, acting as an eligible receiver. He also had a big conversion on a fake punt, thrown by the punter.

In the prior game against the Ravens he had Derrick Henry throw a jump-pass touchdown in the red-zone.

If the Patriots are moving the ball freely they might not need to resort to this kind of thing. However, if the Seahawks start scoring, it may be something he turns to. The Eagles famously pulled off an upset against the Patriots eight years ago featuring the Philly special, winning 41-33. Vrabel might think he needs to be similarly aggressive and creative.

In a recent Athletic piece, he was ranked the third most successful coach when being aggressive on fourth down. Don’t be surprised if he consistently takes chances to keep possession of the football in an attempt to score the points he feels like he might need to win.

Klint Kubiak is very important

When you reflect on Seattle’s last few games, the play-calling has been a huge factor. The Seahawks moved the ball freely in their two games against the 49ers. They had to out-gun the Rams in the NFC Championship. Against the same opponent in week 16, they were able to find answers in the fourth quarter and overtime to create vital scoring opportunities.

Kubiak has found the right balance between run and pass, with enough aggression timed at the right moments. The Seahawks have done an excellent job assessing what is needed against their opponents. You could see their aggression ramped up against LA last time out, because they understood what kind of game it was. The play-calling on the final drive to seal it was ballsy when many coaches would’ve been conservative.

A lot of the focus will be on how Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels get on against Seattle’s defense but it could easily be Kubiak who is needed to produce another big performance, before his departure for the Raiders.

Fourth quarter pass rush is key

In so many of these Super Bowls, pressure late in the game is the deciding factor. Had the Seahawks not lost key personnel 11 years ago when protecting a 10-point lead, they would’ve had a great chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls and that play possibly would’ve never happens.

The likelihood is someone is going to have a big pass-rush moment in the final quarter — but who will it be?

Could it be an unlikely hero? Boye Mafe played very well against the Pats in week two of the 2024 season. He’s not had the contract year he would’ve hoped for. Can he produce a timely impactful moment to march into the open market with a major performance in the Super Bowl?

Speed off the edge has challenged this Pats O-line. Maybe Mafe can be the man to do the damage?

Odafe Oweh, another player with a similar skill-set to Mafe, had three sacks when the Pats beat the Chargers in the Wildcard round. Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson had five sacks between them when they faced the Texans. Jonathan Cooper and Que Robinson combined for 2.5 as New England overcame Denver.

It might be that Seattle’s quickest EDGE has a day — even if he’s been surprisingly quiet for most of the season.

Maxx Crosby watch continues

Jay Glazer started doing the media rounds at the Super Bowl today and he was asked about Maxx Crosby’s future in the video below. Basically — he made it clear he will be traded at some point in the off-season with many teams seen as a fit:

Maxx Crosby’s time with the Raiders is most likely DONE, per @JayGlazer 👀

What kind of haul would the five-time Pro Bowler get in the trade market? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FK1EkdKXRd

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 4, 2026

He also said the eventual deal could be worth more than the Micah Parsons trade. You might scoff at that kind of price but remember this — Parsons is a handful. Crosby is not. He is what Mike Macdonald refers to as a ‘force multiplier’. The kind of person who lifts everyone else and sets a tone on and off the field.

Having Crosby types in Seattle’s locker-room is a big reason why they’re in the Super Bowl.

As we’ve discussed many times — the lack of quality in the draft will likely drive an active trade market this year. Good teams looking to take the next step will be prepared to be aggressive. I still believe that will include the Seahawks, regardless of what happens on Sunday.

They have some older defensive linemen on the roster and we don’t know if they’ll continue beyond the weekend. If you want to stay at the top, you’ll need the players that can keep you there. It’s bad enough that the Seahawks will need to replace an offensive coordinator and other members of staff. They can ill afford to drop their talent and experience levels on defense too.

The other thing to note is the Seahawks are officially picking either last or second-to-last in each round of this draft. With the intention, surely, of being competitive again next year — the actual stock used to make a deal is not quite as significant.

I think they’ll be in the mix for Crosby — but many others will be too.

Coaches moving on with Kubiak

Adam Schefter said on his podcast this week that a minimum of 1-3 coaches will depart Seattle with Klint Kubiak, when he moves to Las Vegas.

How long are the offensive staff members contracted for? Anyone out of contract is free to move, as will be coaches who are getting clear promotions. Anyone who is under contract can’t just make a lateral move and you’d imagine the Seahawks, facing a challenge to find replacement staff, might not be inclined to allow an exodus to happen.

Rick Dennison will almost certainly depart as he is especially connected to the Kubiak’s. John Benton, you’d assume, will also go — depending on his contract status and/or Seattle’s willingness to let him move on too.

The question then becomes who Kubiak wants to be his offensive coordinator. He is close to Andrew Janocko so does he make sure he comes with him via a promotion? Does he offer the job to Justin Outten? Do the Seahawks counter those offers by offering their OC vacancy to either?

I found it interesting that Janocko called plays in the final pre-season game at Green Bay. We’re all assuming Outten or Jake Peetz are likely internal candidates. Janocko might’ve been given that opportunity with the idea he could be a future internal replacement. He might understand Kubiak’s system better than anyone, given their time together in Minnesota, New Orleans and now Seattle. He’s also been Sam Darnold’s positional coach for the last few months.

It’s something to keep in mind.

Another name to throw into the mix is Jay Harbaugh. He was an offensive quality control coach for the Ravens and coached running backs and tight ends at Michigan. I’m not sure he’s completely tied to special teams in the NFL and he’s done such a good job there, perhaps he can pivot to offense?

Puck Sports Super Bowl preview

Finally, check out my conversation with Puck ahead of the big game this weekend…

If you can like the video below on YouTube and leave a comment, it’d be much appreciated!

This was not a classic Senior Bowl

In previous years we’ve seen the week in Mobile become a king maker at quarterback, shine a light on future first round defensive backs, entertain with high quality OL vs DL 1v1’s and provide a platform for budding star receivers to show what they can do at the next level.

I’m not sure we saw any of that this week.

Garrett Nussmeier showed he was by far the most natural quarterback and he will have given his stock a little boost after a challenging 2025 season. He threw with anticipation and timing, made some excellent completions during scrimmage drills and looked the part during the game. There’s always been a player here.

Yet he’s also 6-1 and 202lbs with 8 6/8 inch hands. That’s not the typical profile of a NFL quarterback. I’m not convinced he will be driving his stock back towards the opening frame and might still be a player with mid-round upside at best.

Several big name cornerbacks underwhelmed, such as Chris Johnson and Malik Muhammad. Julian Neal and Daylen Everette didn’t do enough to really propel their stock. Davison Igbinosun was easily beaten on numerous 1v1 reps but ended up getting a good press seemingly because Zebra had him as the fastest player in Mobile.

Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields was all but anointed a first round pick by the NFL Network. Yet look at his routes. They were laboured and lacked any kind of suddenness. Speed has been a concern for Fields and while he made the catch of the week on a downfield bomb and clearly has good hands, body control and tracking — how is he separating at the next level? He looks like he runs in the late 4.5’s. It felt like none of this was considered amid wall-to-wall positivity.

In the trenches, Caleb Banks put on a fantastic showing but was pretty much hoisted by his own petard. He was so freakish and dominant on certain reps that when he wasn’t just demolishing the man in front of him, people started to nitpick. There simply aren’t many humans with Banks’ incredible size, length and athleticism. He is an outstanding talent.

Other players, such as Bryson Eason at Tennessee and Rayshaun Benny at Michigan, made an impression to warrant further study in the coming days. There was also far too much pre-determined hype. Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter was given top billing by many in draft media for his week in Mobile. I thought he had too many moments where he was too upright and handled. He was more inconsistent than Banks. The idea that he had a fantastic week didn’t chime with the pictures on TV. He has great quickness for his size, brilliant length and there’s a lot of potential here. We don’t have to exaggerate how he performed in Mobile, though.

The EDGE rushers showed a distinct lack of quickness. How many used speed moves to win on the outside during 1v1’s? I can’t think of many. The group focussed on power and driving through contact. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s harder to project to the next level where the tackles are bigger and stronger. Players like TJ Parker, Derrick Moore and Gabe Jacas felt like they were getting a bit too much praise for what they showed.

On the offensive line, I don’t think anyone really made a statement. The media are focusing on Max Iheanachor and he did well — but he has to get stronger. James Brockermeyer was probably the most pleasant positive surprise. Sam Hecht played very well. Twitter seems to be bending over backwards to criticise Gennings Dunker, claiming he lacks speed and quickness. It feels like the definition of trying too hard to create talking points.

Player notes for prospects who stood out

Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)

If you asked me who clearly had the most star potential in Mobile it was Florida’s Banks. At 6-6 and 335lbs, with 35-inch arms and nearly 11-inch hands, he shouldn’t be able to move this quickly:

When Caleb Banks’ pad level is sound, there’s almost no stopping him. Watch how much he resets the contact point on the 1st rep. Alien levels of power capacity, then the fearsome rip-down & swim.

On the 2nd rep, his quickness alone is too much to handle. Clear Round 1 talent. pic.twitter.com/ZqJ4Vcqltb

— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) January 30, 2026

The idea that Banks had a mixed week because he didn’t win every rep, had inconsistent pad level sometimes and had a few reps where he didn’t dominate is indicative of the nonsense draft media and people online spout these days.

If Banks was a complete player with his physical profile he’d be the first or second overall pick. The reality is this is a player with absolutely enormous upside — and it’ll be up to his future coaches to work on his technique and deliver on his potential.

Medical checks will be important and so will interviews. I don’t know anything about his personality or work habits. But if there was one player in Mobile who you thought — this guy could be special — it’s Florida’s Banks.

James Brockermeyer (C, Miami)

I thought Brockermeyer was the most consistently impressive offensive lineman in Mobile. It’s his recovery ability that stood out to me. If opponents managed to gain position early attacking his outside shoulder, he quickly regained position to wall off the route to the quarterback.

As you can see below, he took on some of the big beasts on the American team. Arkansas’ Cameron Ball kept trying to club everyone into next week. It worked sometimes — but not against Brockermeyer. Alabama’s Tim Keenan has a 35lbs weight advantage against the center. Brockermeyer held his own. He battled with the length of Chris McClellan and won:

After participating in the National Championship, James Brockermeyer has been a consistent player at the 2026 Senior Bowl.

He gets his hands up quick, plays with good leverage and strains throughout the reps! He also recovers and adjusts to the defender well. pic.twitter.com/ZVJe4I9XKe

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

I’ve had a look at some of his tape and you can see why his pass-pro grades are higher than his run-blocking. Even so, there’s something to work with here. In every 1v1 and scrimmage session that I watched, Brockermeyer caught the eye. I’m intrigued to see his testing results.

Kyle Louis (LB, Pittsburgh)

A blog favourite well before the Senior Bowl, it wasn’t a surprise to see Louis’ excellent performance in Mobile. It was surprising to see so many people writing him off during the college season as a safety convert in waiting. Louis can play linebacker — it’s to his credit that he has a versatile enough skill-set to potentially line up in multiple positions.

What you see on tape flashed here. He’s an explosive blitzer flying to the QB when given a runway. Despite his lack of size, he has shown he can play at the line, absorb contact and still make plays. He competes like crazy. He works through traffic with great agility, dodges blocks and shows stop-start qualities. His transitions are loose for a linebacker, he has impressive coverage skills and his speed running to the sideline is superb. He’s an electric player who was a team captain and has a reputation for being a ‘first in, last out’ type of player.

#Pitt LB, Kyle Louis has been FLYING AROUNG the 2026 Senior Bowl!

In every drill he participates in, he’s been a PROBLEM! Kyle’s a bendy athlete and un-guardable in pass-pro, he triggers and flies to beat linemen in the run-game. And in coverage, his feet & speed are GREAT! pic.twitter.com/M6GIyOqHhS

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

That video says it all. Look at the different areas he succeeds — flowing through traffic to find gaps to attack the ball-carrier, sticky coverage, good hands, high-level instincts, getting away from blocks to make plays.

He was also the 10th fastest player at the Senior Bowl (20.31mph).

Now, despite this glowing write-up and the clear evidence of a great week in Mobile, the perspective has to be that he isn’t necessarily going to play a high-impact role at the next level. At least in some schemes. There also aren’t many top, top linebackers in the NFL these days. This will couch his value and I wouldn’t overreact in projecting where he might go.

Nevertheless, the team that eventually selects Louis is unlikely to be disappointed.

Rayshaun Benny (DT, Michigan)

I hadn’t really studied Benny going into Mobile but in every session I watched he caught the eye. He was extremely active at the line, combining a strong get-off with a smooth arm/over and swim to avoid contact. He was swiping the hands of linemen away to stay clean and he has enough quickness to exploit openings.

He’s ideally sized to be a quicker, penetrating defensive tackle. He’s 297lbs at 6-3 with 33.5 inch arms.

Michigan’s Rayshaun Benny with a big goal line stop at the Senior Bowl. Violent club-swim to win.

Benny has had a nice week in Mobile, and is one of the top SR IDL in the draft class. pic.twitter.com/g3yodLqB5i

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 30, 2026

Benny demanded more attention in Mobile and he’ll no doubt be getting it in the coming days as media and scouts likely double-back on the Michigan tape for another look. He was extremely impressive and certainly looked like he can play in the NFL.

Mike Washington Jr (RB, Arkansas)

Another player we talked up a lot during the season, Washington has a very clear path to success in the NFL. Running backs need a degree of quickness these days. We are even seeing an increasing number of smaller, faster backs excelling and registering among the league’s best playmakers.

Washington is not a small back — he’s 6-0 and 228lbs. He also has, remarkably, 34 1/8 inch arms. Yet he has such a gliding quality when he accelerates. He was the second fastest player at the Senior Bowl (21.02mph) and it shows.

Combine that speed with the way he finishes runs and the fact he had a series of games in 2025 where he collected yards after contact and he has an opportunity to develop into a complete modern-day running back.

#Arkansas RB, Mike Washington Jr. has had eye-opening reps at 6’0 1/2″, 228 lbs.

When he gets going I sure as hell don’t think tackling him looks fun, he’s ran some routes that completely lose the linebacker and the hands were under the spotlight too! pic.twitter.com/aIdkuJYOIW

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

I’ve seen people talking about Washington as a really good day-three pick. I don’t see any way he gets out of day two. And he might go earlier than people think.

Thaddeus Dixon (CB, North Carolina)

I’m really surprised by how little coverage there’s been of Dixon’s Senior Bowl. To me he was the clear winner during WR/CB 1v1 reps and clearly improved from practise to practise. Perhaps it’s the well deserved off-the-field concerns for the former Husky — reportedly he had eight driving citations in 2025 alone. It’ll be a real shame if being a bonehead stops him making the most of his talent.

Dixon is ideally sized (6-0, 194lbs) with a shade under 32-inch arms. In practise he mirrored receivers with ease, staying glued to their hip-pocket. He’d consistently keep his eyes on the quarterback in motion, meaning he was typically in a position to play the ball. In the red zone in tight spots he’d use his length to break up passes. He had multiple interceptions during the week. He was physical and disrupted routes, then had the ball-skills to make a play.

Awesome interception from UNC’s Thaddeus Dixon. Showing off the hands and body control near the sideline pic.twitter.com/Xs3EoCRnDX

— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) January 29, 2026

The character issues will likely put teams off and that’ll damage his stock. It’s a shame because there’s a player here. The Seahawks might have some decent intel on the person due to his two years at Washington. I’m asking around to find out what I can.

Bud Clark (S, TCU)

A lot of attention is going to go Clark’s way for his turnover production (15 interceptions during a six-year spell at TCU). We saw reasons for that in Mobile. He made the interception of the week, improbably bringing in this pass. However, park the picks for a minute.

There are few things more enjoyable in the sport of football than highly competitive, sparky, aggressive defensive backs. Players who play beyond their size, compete, and provide a heart for the roster. That’s Clark. You can see the way he reacted to every play in coverage all week. Look at the video below and see how tight he is in coverage, scrapping to break up passes:

TCU Defensive Back, Bud Clark EXPLODED on the scene after just “good” days 1 & 2!

Bud was ALL OVER THE PLACE on Day 3 of the Senior Bowl practices, making excellent plays on the ball, catching an interception from a single-high safety alignment! He was so sticky at nickel too! pic.twitter.com/uvjJP6HN6s

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

This isn’t just a player content to sit in space and fly to the ball, collecting lofted passes (as he did with Sawyer Robertson’s interception early in the clip above). He is someone who will compete. He’s a captain. He’s the kind of player whose stock may be capped by size and testing but often finds a way to impact a team at the next level.

Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech)

I was really surprised by Rodriguez in Mobile. I’m sure many will argue I shouldn’t have been because he has impactful tape. I just didn’t realise he was the athlete he hinted at here.

Plenty wasn’t unexpected. He consistently put his head down in scrimmage to level tight ends and pulling guards, flashing the kind of take-on willingness and power you need in the NFL. His subtle side-steps don’t flash Fred Warner stalking range but he’s good enough to move around the line and flow to the ball.

Then during coverage opportunities he was dropping with a smoothness I didn’t expect to see. He basically shut-down running backs during 1v1 routes and gave the impression he might have far more starting upside than I initially thought.

LINEBACKER, JACOB RODRIGUEZ WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE ON DAY 2 OF THE SENIOR BOWL!

He forced 2 fumbles and snagged an interception all in one day! He’s very smart, doesn’t overrun much and can shed at the point with impressive lateral moves and hand strength/coordination! pic.twitter.com/v4N0EcxhyN

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

There were a couple of other moments on tape where he dropped with more suddenness than Kyle Louis. Let’s not get too carried away — there are some reps where his somewhat modest speed is evident. He is not particularly fast — but there’s a sharpness to his play. Overall this was a highly impressive week for the Texas Tech linebacker. His combine testing will be interesting.

Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State)

Another really impressive center performance. Hecht consistently did a good job keeping his opponents square-on. If James Brockermeyer’s best trait was recovery, Hecht took away the need to recover by shooting his hands inside quickly and controlling his reps.

Once engaged and in position he showed off a strong, straight back and combined it with tip-tapping feet to stay in front. Opponents found it very difficult to get away from Hecht and everything felt controlled.

Kansas State, Center/Guard, Sam Hecht was ONE OF THE BEST IN SHOW… AGAIN!

Sam has impressed me more than anyone else through the 3 days of practice! I saw maybe one loss on tape and it was Darrell Jackson Jr. in a 1-on-1 & I don’t think it translates. GREAT WEEK! GREAT PLAYER! pic.twitter.com/w3d110HXNX

— IanM (@IannmNFL) January 30, 2026

I’ll definitely be watching more tape this week. He has a decent zone-blocking grade (79.8). There’s a potential future NFL starter here for a zone system.

Other players who created a positive impression based on what I saw

Josh Cuevas (TE, Alabama)
Will Kacmarek (TE, Ohio State)
Quintayvious Hutchins (Boston College)
Gennings Dunker (T/G, Iowa)
Gracen Halton (DT, Oklahoma)
Bryson Eason (DT, Tennessee)
Reggie Virgil (WR, Texas Tech
Zion Young (DE, Missouri)

Players who received a bit too much hype

Sam Roush (TE, Stanford)
Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame)
T.J. Parker (DE, Clemson)
Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
Derrick Moore (DE, Michigan)

I am watching the Senior Bowl now — expect some thoughts on the game later tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to post this video: