Just win. I don't care how, and I don't care what the score is. I just want them to play their game, and hopefully that's enough. Pretty confident, but also anxious about it. Football is a funny game. The guys in the striped shirts need to do their job, but let the players play the game.
I think the game will come down to pressure. Can we get more on Maye, or does NE find a way to get more on Darnold? If NE is willing to blitz to get pressure, Kubiak needs to have answers when they do, and Sam needs to punish them. If we can't get into Maye's head, he will have success. Any good QB will be successful with time in the pocket.
If history repeats itself, Special Teams will have their say before the game is over, and that's probably a big edge for Seattle.
I have a lot of faith in Mike Macdonald. We might have the best coach in the NFL. That's not a bad edge to have.
He rates the NFC west as the number one division in the NFL. The Seahawks won the number one division, woohoo! However, he ranks the AFC east as the number 5 division. So the Pats are the winners of the number 5 division. He rated the AFC south and the top AFC division. What do you know, this year the NFC west played the AFC south. How did that go? Pretty well, the NFC west won 10 of 16 games against the AFC south. The Seahawks won all their games.
Just something to give us maybe a little more confidence going into the big game.
I've watched WAY more video in the last 10 days than I've ever watched before, and here's what I think.
Most ot the content providers have good, solid reasons to favor the Seahawks. The New England supporters seem to believe in potential or good mojo. "Hey, Drake Maye is awesome, he just needs a chance to prove it...". I'm a Science kind of guy and tend to go with recent proof. A dozen things would have to go just right for NE to win, that's possible, but unlikely. I'm going with the Seahawks 31-9
Joe… This is Mike from East Wenatchee.. I love the research you put into this newsletter!! It is truly amazing and provides the necessary depth of information for this old HS FB Coach… The Hawks will win, by at least 7.. Maybe more because of their defensive intensity and offensive efficiency.. I’m so happy for Sam Darnold and want him to finish off this remarkable story!!
Just wanted to say I've been reading you since your FG days and it's actually funny because I started reading this blog before I even realized who it was. I appreciate you still doing this all these years later. Thanks for highlighting me brother, look forward to what you have for us after we watch em raise the lombardi again!!
Narratives are kinda silly, but they exist because we relate more to stories than stats. If you're hoping for a long day for Sam, that comes down to an inability to run and Sam under pressure. Obviously, the same can be said for Maye. But if you look at Maye's postseason he's been erratic and his ball security has been piss poor. That's the only reason some of their opponents were even in those games. His deep ball throws are great, but that offense isn't that sophisticated in part because Maye is 23, so they've actually dumbed the formula down a bit, and that's not surprising. RWIII ran a very simple system when he arrived at Seattle... and he was a little older. Yes, that won that man a SB, and almost two... and he had one of the greatest defenses help him to get to that stage.
NE's defense is good, but they're not THAT.
The narrative I like is a young, talented athlete still learning the NFL and excelling at times, vs. a young, talented athlete named Sam Darnold who has taken his lumps and is intellectually farther along than his rival, having seen and experienced so many more defensive puzzles to solve.
Also, TLDR: Drake isn't Stafford. If you look at the throws Maye can hit, they're not the in-cutting darts right on a receiver's hands with pressure in his face. In fact, Sam hit some of those in the division title game. Maye needs more time, and more space around his targets (unless he has the sideline to provide that). Maye also runs to daylight to make passes, and he's capable of that—and also of running into pressure, which he does when the pocket breaks down. Containing the guy and forcing him to throw is definitely a recipe for success.
Again, NONE of that means Seattle cannot lose this game. They can. But the numbers, not any single narrative, do suggest the Seahawks have faced a tougher road, and have weathered two real nail-biters against easily the nearest peer to the Seahawks in the Rams. NE hasn't seen anything like that level of competition, and that obviously argues Seattle's way.
Funny, my sister is in Florida right now and sent me a picture asking what kind of bird she was seeing. It was an osprey. I almost got chills. Talk about an omen.
I’m real interested in seeing who is active for the game. Ouzts is the only player with a game designation, and he is only questionable. Some hard choices for who is inactive for the game.
Necks scare me as a guy with a pile of trash neck myself. I hope Outz heals even if that means sitting out the biggest game of his life. We could certainly use him at 100%, but if he's anything below 75%, let that young spine heal.
I'm more sentimental than I want to let on, but basically I'm a laundry kind of guy. I would love it if Jake Bobo got a TD and Sam Darnold was the game MVP, but mostly, I don't care. I want the very best 53 guys to be active, and for those 53 guys to all be the best they can be. Go 'Hawks!!
Ephrata WA loves the Seahawks! I was born the year the Seahawks were born, but didn’t become a fan until my family moved to Wenatchee from Vista CA when i was 5. This east side of the mountains is incredible! Watching Largent, Warner, and John L. With my dad and uncles. Some of my earliest football memories, also totally connected to learning that i really liked salsa (herdez out of a can).
Side note: i also thought that the players were actually robots shaped like people.
The individual awards exist in tension with the dynamic synergy that is football. I agree there are some uniquely capable individuals, but they cannot truly shine in the absence of capable teammates and coaching staffs.
Maybe AI hallucinated, but it advises me that no MVP, Offensive, or Defensive Player of the Year title has been awarded to a player on a losing team.
So, they are awards that are about the individual in the context of team success. I don't put much stock in those awards. It's sheer folly to identify the most valuable individual player among the hundreds of top-tier athletes on teams of varied collective talent.
I suspect the truly successful players appreciate individual accolades, but value team accomplishments the most
Despite our very different rankings on QB's, the point remains. The Seahawks ended up with, in retrospect, a pretty challenging schedule. I feel like I've heard this before...one super bowl team is less tested but less beat up while the other team is battle tested but dinged up? I'm so pumped for this game I can't hardly sleep!
A great, fact filled assessment from Kenneth. I hope the data provides an outline to a Seahawks victory in SB LX.
I would like share why it is imperative that the Seahawks win.
Based off of this past season and looking towards next season, the Seahawks as well as the rest of NFC West and NFC North face a Guantlet schedule in 2026. Matt Stafford will return to the Rams and the 59ers' will be healthy. Both should be considered Super Bowl contenders that we play 2 times each. In the NFC North, the Bears will most certainly improve their defense, both the Packers and the Lions will be healthy and I believe that the Vikings will bring in Aaron Rogers. All 4 should also be considered Super Bowl contenders.
We play them. Let's not forget the AFC West. We play them as well. That being the Chargers, Broncos and the Chiefs. There's 11 games, and not including other divisional champs we will play as a Super Bowl team. I figure 12-5 or 11-6 will win the division.
It is unbelievable how close Maye was to MVP. A single first place vote. It should be noted that Sam “dumb sh*t” Seahawk hater Monsoon voted for Justin Herbert for MVP. I can’t understand why the NFL would allow a turd for brains moron to vote on such a matter, but for now, that’s besides the point. An idiot like Sam could easily have voted for Maye based on whatever delusional method he uses, and we’d be facing the MVP of the NFL.
Subjective awards kind of suck and I agree some probably should not have a vote.
I am happy Stafford was awarded the MVP. I like what I have seen of him as a person and I think he had the superior season. He and Colby Parkinson are the only Rams I like, but not on game day.
Related to your comment, I was ticked Belichick did not get in the HOF this year but in retrospect am happy Roger Craig will be inducted this year. I felt the same way as you at the time about the HOF vote.
I think they need to review the process for selecting HOF members. A great player who slips through the cracks beyond a number of years might never get in. Have the current group of voters vote for the new group of current 5 years removed people that become eligible every year, then have a permanent committee come up with an older group of candidates after a longer analysis of their careers and contributions. Their consideration should be are any of these older players the equal or better of people in the HOF. If they believe they are, there should be a yay or nay vote by a permanent independent group that has fully gone through the case made by the evaluation group. If they get approved by these two groups they deserve to be in.
Just win. I don't care how, and I don't care what the score is. I just want them to play their game, and hopefully that's enough. Pretty confident, but also anxious about it. Football is a funny game. The guys in the striped shirts need to do their job, but let the players play the game.
I think the game will come down to pressure. Can we get more on Maye, or does NE find a way to get more on Darnold? If NE is willing to blitz to get pressure, Kubiak needs to have answers when they do, and Sam needs to punish them. If we can't get into Maye's head, he will have success. Any good QB will be successful with time in the pocket.
If history repeats itself, Special Teams will have their say before the game is over, and that's probably a big edge for Seattle.
I have a lot of faith in Mike Macdonald. We might have the best coach in the NFL. That's not a bad edge to have.
We win if we play our game.
I see all the pundits predicting a low scoring game. I think it will only be low scoring on the Eastern side of things.
More numbers to consider.
There is a guy named Jeff Sagarin that does computer ratings of the NFL.
http://sagarin.com/sports/nflsend.htm
He rates the NFC west as the number one division in the NFL. The Seahawks won the number one division, woohoo! However, he ranks the AFC east as the number 5 division. So the Pats are the winners of the number 5 division. He rated the AFC south and the top AFC division. What do you know, this year the NFC west played the AFC south. How did that go? Pretty well, the NFC west won 10 of 16 games against the AFC south. The Seahawks won all their games.
Just something to give us maybe a little more confidence going into the big game.
I want the Seahawks to do the impossible. Not only win the game but have the first shut-out in Super Bowl history.
Seahawks 38, Patriots 0
I've watched WAY more video in the last 10 days than I've ever watched before, and here's what I think.
Most ot the content providers have good, solid reasons to favor the Seahawks. The New England supporters seem to believe in potential or good mojo. "Hey, Drake Maye is awesome, he just needs a chance to prove it...". I'm a Science kind of guy and tend to go with recent proof. A dozen things would have to go just right for NE to win, that's possible, but unlikely. I'm going with the Seahawks 31-9
Joe… This is Mike from East Wenatchee.. I love the research you put into this newsletter!! It is truly amazing and provides the necessary depth of information for this old HS FB Coach… The Hawks will win, by at least 7.. Maybe more because of their defensive intensity and offensive efficiency.. I’m so happy for Sam Darnold and want him to finish off this remarkable story!!
Just wanted to say I've been reading you since your FG days and it's actually funny because I started reading this blog before I even realized who it was. I appreciate you still doing this all these years later. Thanks for highlighting me brother, look forward to what you have for us after we watch em raise the lombardi again!!
Narratives are kinda silly, but they exist because we relate more to stories than stats. If you're hoping for a long day for Sam, that comes down to an inability to run and Sam under pressure. Obviously, the same can be said for Maye. But if you look at Maye's postseason he's been erratic and his ball security has been piss poor. That's the only reason some of their opponents were even in those games. His deep ball throws are great, but that offense isn't that sophisticated in part because Maye is 23, so they've actually dumbed the formula down a bit, and that's not surprising. RWIII ran a very simple system when he arrived at Seattle... and he was a little older. Yes, that won that man a SB, and almost two... and he had one of the greatest defenses help him to get to that stage.
NE's defense is good, but they're not THAT.
The narrative I like is a young, talented athlete still learning the NFL and excelling at times, vs. a young, talented athlete named Sam Darnold who has taken his lumps and is intellectually farther along than his rival, having seen and experienced so many more defensive puzzles to solve.
Also, TLDR: Drake isn't Stafford. If you look at the throws Maye can hit, they're not the in-cutting darts right on a receiver's hands with pressure in his face. In fact, Sam hit some of those in the division title game. Maye needs more time, and more space around his targets (unless he has the sideline to provide that). Maye also runs to daylight to make passes, and he's capable of that—and also of running into pressure, which he does when the pocket breaks down. Containing the guy and forcing him to throw is definitely a recipe for success.
Again, NONE of that means Seattle cannot lose this game. They can. But the numbers, not any single narrative, do suggest the Seahawks have faced a tougher road, and have weathered two real nail-biters against easily the nearest peer to the Seahawks in the Rams. NE hasn't seen anything like that level of competition, and that obviously argues Seattle's way.
Watching at my younger Brother's house nearby in the deep countryside of Ark-in-saw.
Saw a Red-Tailed Hawk fly in front of our car 'n two more today on my school bus route.
Hawks Be Excited 'n ready to feast.
Funny, my sister is in Florida right now and sent me a picture asking what kind of bird she was seeing. It was an osprey. I almost got chills. Talk about an omen.
I’m real interested in seeing who is active for the game. Ouzts is the only player with a game designation, and he is only questionable. Some hard choices for who is inactive for the game.
Necks scare me as a guy with a pile of trash neck myself. I hope Outz heals even if that means sitting out the biggest game of his life. We could certainly use him at 100%, but if he's anything below 75%, let that young spine heal.
Yeah, I am pretty sure a neck injury ended Chris Carson’s career. But I really think Ouzts has a big impact on the run game’s success.
What a great problem to have huh?
Indeed!
I'm more sentimental than I want to let on, but basically I'm a laundry kind of guy. I would love it if Jake Bobo got a TD and Sam Darnold was the game MVP, but mostly, I don't care. I want the very best 53 guys to be active, and for those 53 guys to all be the best they can be. Go 'Hawks!!
I think we only have two RBs on the 53 (K9 and Holani) So I think we need to elevate Cam Akers and/or V Jones as RBs from the practice squad.
Well yeah, either that or SD passes for 300 yards and K9 goes off for about 150.
Ephrata WA loves the Seahawks! I was born the year the Seahawks were born, but didn’t become a fan until my family moved to Wenatchee from Vista CA when i was 5. This east side of the mountains is incredible! Watching Largent, Warner, and John L. With my dad and uncles. Some of my earliest football memories, also totally connected to learning that i really liked salsa (herdez out of a can).
Side note: i also thought that the players were actually robots shaped like people.
Seahawks 31, Pats 17
The individual awards exist in tension with the dynamic synergy that is football. I agree there are some uniquely capable individuals, but they cannot truly shine in the absence of capable teammates and coaching staffs.
Maybe AI hallucinated, but it advises me that no MVP, Offensive, or Defensive Player of the Year title has been awarded to a player on a losing team.
So, they are awards that are about the individual in the context of team success. I don't put much stock in those awards. It's sheer folly to identify the most valuable individual player among the hundreds of top-tier athletes on teams of varied collective talent.
I suspect the truly successful players appreciate individual accolades, but value team accomplishments the most
Despite our very different rankings on QB's, the point remains. The Seahawks ended up with, in retrospect, a pretty challenging schedule. I feel like I've heard this before...one super bowl team is less tested but less beat up while the other team is battle tested but dinged up? I'm so pumped for this game I can't hardly sleep!
A great, fact filled assessment from Kenneth. I hope the data provides an outline to a Seahawks victory in SB LX.
I would like share why it is imperative that the Seahawks win.
Based off of this past season and looking towards next season, the Seahawks as well as the rest of NFC West and NFC North face a Guantlet schedule in 2026. Matt Stafford will return to the Rams and the 59ers' will be healthy. Both should be considered Super Bowl contenders that we play 2 times each. In the NFC North, the Bears will most certainly improve their defense, both the Packers and the Lions will be healthy and I believe that the Vikings will bring in Aaron Rogers. All 4 should also be considered Super Bowl contenders.
We play them. Let's not forget the AFC West. We play them as well. That being the Chargers, Broncos and the Chiefs. There's 11 games, and not including other divisional champs we will play as a Super Bowl team. I figure 12-5 or 11-6 will win the division.
It is unbelievable how close Maye was to MVP. A single first place vote. It should be noted that Sam “dumb sh*t” Seahawk hater Monsoon voted for Justin Herbert for MVP. I can’t understand why the NFL would allow a turd for brains moron to vote on such a matter, but for now, that’s besides the point. An idiot like Sam could easily have voted for Maye based on whatever delusional method he uses, and we’d be facing the MVP of the NFL.
Don’t hold back!
Never! One more day!
Subjective awards kind of suck and I agree some probably should not have a vote.
I am happy Stafford was awarded the MVP. I like what I have seen of him as a person and I think he had the superior season. He and Colby Parkinson are the only Rams I like, but not on game day.
Related to your comment, I was ticked Belichick did not get in the HOF this year but in retrospect am happy Roger Craig will be inducted this year. I felt the same way as you at the time about the HOF vote.
I think they need to review the process for selecting HOF members. A great player who slips through the cracks beyond a number of years might never get in. Have the current group of voters vote for the new group of current 5 years removed people that become eligible every year, then have a permanent committee come up with an older group of candidates after a longer analysis of their careers and contributions. Their consideration should be are any of these older players the equal or better of people in the HOF. If they believe they are, there should be a yay or nay vote by a permanent independent group that has fully gone through the case made by the evaluation group. If they get approved by these two groups they deserve to be in.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/know-voted-justin-herbert-nfl-044001758.html
Here is the link