Sound Good: 3 Observations From Tremendous Bowl LX

[ad_1] You noticed the Seattle Seahawks wholly dominate the New England Patriots in Tremendous Bowl LX to the tune of 29-13. You noticed Drake Maye wrestle — and seem like the second-youngest quarterback to play within the Tremendous Bowl. You noticed the Unhealthy Bunny live performance — and maybe you seen the musical artist carrying the ball into the top zone for a landing earlier than any of the Seahawks or Patriots gamers. The defenses have been that good.

However let's attempt to spin it ahead, dive deeper and assume exterior the field about what we witnessed. That is "Sound Good," the place we put together you for Monday morning with observations from the Tremendous Bowl. If I do my job, you’ll be fluent within the NFL’s grand finale.

1. IF THERE’S ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald simply delivered his magnum opus with that defensive recreation plan.

There have been factors the place Sam Darnold appeared frantic. Completely uncontrolled.

And there have been factors the place it almost performed proper into the palms of the Patriots' defenders, fairly actually. With hindsight, it was all so pointless. Darnold didn’t should do … something. If he’d wished, the Seahawks may’ve handed off the ball to Kenneth Walker III from begin to end. The Seahawks relied totally on Jason Meyers’ leg for the primary three quarters and its protection for … your complete season.

Man, that Seahawks protection.

"We have been mad that they scored factors in any respect," Leonard Williams stated postgame on NFL Community.

It was so good that it should’ve ruined most Tremendous Bowl events. How many individuals thought of turning off the sport within the fourth quarter? What number of did? And I hope that comes throughout as a praise to Seattle, as a result of even essentially the most fair-weather of NFL followers may’ve seen that the Seahawks had this recreation below management. They’d rendered it boring at a degree that they need to take delight in.

"I want to put the deal with the protection," Walker stated on NFL Community, regardless of successful Tremendous Bowl MVP honors himself. "We would not be capable to get this far with out these guys. They name themselves ‘the darkside,’ and the darkside got here out to play."

The Seahawks held the Patriots to 13 factors. Seattle didn’t enable New England into the pink zone — not to mention the top zone — till the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks' protection had as many touchdowns because the Patriots' offense by means of 57 minutes of Tremendous Bowl LX. (Picture by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle by way of Getty Photos)

It was Maye — not Darnold — who seemed to be seeing ghosts. It was most likely the worst efficiency of Maye’s NFL profession, which features a deeply forgettable rookie season when he and the Patriots went 3-9 in his begins. Maye merely couldn’t anticipate any of Seattle’s savvy blitzes, notably these from cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who completed with 4 pressures and one sack on his six blitzes. Sure, Witherspoon is a defensive again, which speaks to the weird and tough recreation plan that Mike Macdonald had for Maye.

The younger QB was helpless, not getting correct passes to his open gamers — and, in some circumstances, not even seeing them after they received open. Maye threw two interceptions, took six sacks (and 11 QB hits), and noticed six cross deflections. The Seahawks scored 17 factors off three Maye turnovers (2 INTs, 1 fumble). Macdonald completely caught it to the Patriots, utilizing their younger MVP finalist towards them.

"DeMarcus Lawrence was joking with the group about needing a Harvard training to play on this protection, as a result of there’s so many blitzes and pressures," Williams informed NFL Community. "We’re always making changes primarily based on what the offense is doing. We need to make the final name and make the final transfer."

For all of the hype that Mike Vrabel was the second coming of Invoice Belichick from an X’s and O’s standpoint, it was really Macdonald who delivered the Tremendous Bowl masterclass in teaching, paying homage to what Belichick as soon as did.

2. PEELING BACK THE CURTAIN So, what went so flawed for Maye?

This wasn’t the Maye that we’d seen within the common season — the man who almost gained MVP.

This wasn’t even the Maye that we’d seen within the postseason — the man who relied upon his protection and did simply sufficient to get by.

His poor play on the most important stage will inevitably lend itself to outlandish takes. However Maye wasn’t a fraud. There shall be folks — who didn’t watch him in his different 20 video games this yr — who declare that he was by no means pretty much as good as his statistics made him out to be. Don’t purchase it. He beat out a large number of good defenses. However this one broke him.

"We couldn’t acquire any rhythm [or] subject place. We’ve received to get into higher drives offensively," Vrabel informed reporters afterward. "We have been simply taking part in catch-up. … However in the end, turnovers value us."

Vrabel refused to name out his quarterback.

"We will sit right here and put all of it on one man, however you will be dissatisfied as a result of that will not occur," Vrabel added. "It is begins with the teaching workers."

Drake Maye struggled when below duress. However even when he wasn't, he made uncharacteristic errors. (Picture by Kindell Buchanan/PA Photos by way of Getty Photos)

The Seahawks solely blitzed on 13.2% share of Maye’s dropbacks, and towards these blitzes, he was 3 of 6 for 18 yards, an interception and a sack, per Subsequent Gen Stats. He additionally noticed six pressures at an 85.7% stress charge. When Seattle despatched an additional rusher, it received to Maye. And more often than not, he didn’t realize it was coming, unable to learn the protection pre-snap.

However these blitzes have been the exception. Seattle didn’t blitz on 86.8% of Maye’s dropbacks. They didn’t must. Between all of Maye’s dropbacks, he confronted stress 52.8% of the time. And he threw each of his interceptions towards stress. His safety let him down. After which, even when the road improved, he was speeding and lacking straightforward throws.

"What [plays] would I prefer to have again? Return to the start. Redo it," Maye informed reporters after the sport. "Too many performs within the first half, there have been performs the place I may’ve made a greater throw or a greater choice."

It’s uncharacteristic of Maye’s recreation that he couldn’t beat the Seahawks’ stress. Within the Pats' 20games main as much as the Tremendous Bowl, he 'd accomplished 115 of 193 passes for 1,677 yards, 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions towards stress.

What the Seahawks did was totally different. What the Seahawks did was a complete lot higher than something he’d seen.

"For those who don’t make performs, you’re sitting at a podium crying," stated Maye, who was teary-eyed for a lot of his postgame interviews.

Within the Tremendous Bowl, Maye’s remaining stats (27-43, 295 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) do not replicate all of the occasions that he missed simple throws. They do not present the disappointing moments when he did not do what had been so easy for him within the 5 months that received him to the Tremendous Bowl within the first place.

I’ll listing a couple of: There have been easy slant and seam routes the place Maye threw behind Hunter Henry and Stefon Diggs; there have been back-shoulder throws the place Maye didn’t put the ball on body for Demario Douglas and Henry; there was a second the place Diggs discovered himself huge open on third down and Maye couldn’t hold his eyes downfield; there was the overthrow when Austin Hooper sprung open within the fourth quarter.

Most inexplicable: There was the ultimate interception to security Julian Love. The throw appeared in contrast to something we’d seen from Maye all yr. And it was on a deep cross, the place Maye had established himself as one of many league’s most exceptional abilities.

3. THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY For the Seahawks (who deserve the adlibs under) …

The Actual MVP: CB Devon Witherspoon — In protection, he allowed simply two catches on two targets for 16 yards. He was a shutdown nook. And that would’ve been sufficient. However Macdonald had larger plans. The coach despatched Witherspoon after Maye on six totally different blitzes. Witherspoon had one sack and 4 pressures. Maye by no means appeared to see Witherspoon coming.

Actually good: Kenneth Walker — His efficiency didn’t simply gasoline the Seahawks offense. It additionally put cash within the financial institution for Walker, who's a pending free agent. He was the one explosive participant on the Seahawks offense. And because it turned out, he was all they wanted: 27 carries and 135 speeding yards.

Good: Particular groups — Yeah, it was that sort of Tremendous Bowl, the place we’re praising the third and often-forgotten section. Kicker Jason Meyers was 5 of 5 on subject objectives and a pair of of two on further factors — which made him the runaway main level scorer (17). Punter Michael Dickson managed to increase his punts for 47.9 yards per punt, which included three punts contained in the 20-yard line. And the group contained an elite punt returner in Marcus Jones to only two returns for 4 yards.

Unhealthy: Sam Darnold — The group carried him and gently pushed him apart because the Seahawks took increasingly management of the sport by means of their protection. They merely wanted him to not give away the sport, which (to his credit score) he shortly realized — and complied. He accomplished simply 50% of his passes for 202 yards and a landing and took one sack. His completion share over anticipated was -9.4%, and he struggled considerably towards stress. The largest credit score to Darnold was that none of his errors value the group — however there have been lots that would and possibly ought to have.

Ugly: Jaxon Smith-Njigba — It’s nearly ungenerous to categorise him because the ugly duckling, partly as a result of he missed a portion of the sport whereas docs evaluated him for a concussion. However he didn’t have that typical novocaine presence. (Like Denzel Washington stated in Bear in mind the Titans: "Like novocaine — simply give it time. All the time works.") No, Smith-Njigba completed with 4 catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. He was purported to be the most effective participant on the sector, and he principally no-showed regardless of taking part in 70.4% of the Seahawks’ offensive snaps.

For the Patriots …

Good: CB Christian Gonzalez — the Patriots CB was excellent, spending most of his time in protection towards the most effective receiver within the NFL, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Gonzalez almost intercepted a cross to Smith-Njigba on the finish of the primary half to carry the Seahawks to a subject objective. And Gonzalez additionally laid out for a nicely-thrown ball to Rashid Shaheed over the center of the sector initially of the second quarter. He was New England’s most dominant participant.

Unhealthy: OC Josh McDaniels — We dove into Maye’s important shortcomings, so let’s use this chance to speak about McDaniels’ struggles. He couldn’t work out easy methods to get his quarterback to settle in towards this protection — nor may he work out easy methods to get his QB prepared for the pre-snap issues. We didn’t see something particular from McDaniels. No trick performs. And we didn’t see any of McDaniels’ signature display passes, which could have helped to neutralize the pass-rush. His quarterback wasn’t good initially. However he went from unhealthy to worse as Macdonald gained a much bigger and larger benefit over McDaniels.

Ugly: LT Will Campbell — It was only a devastatingly robust recreation for the rookie, who completed with one sack allowed and a game-high 14 pressures, per Subsequent Gen Stats. He allowed stress on 26.4% of the Patriots’ dropbacks. He additionally had a false begin the place he received completely pummeled after the whistle.