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Lumen Field (Seattle) — You saw that the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will play in Super Bowl LX. You saw the blizzard that rolled into Denver and rendered the Broncos and New England Patriots’ offenses useless. You saw the shootout where Sam Darnold kept pace with — and ultimately surpassed — Matthew Stafford.
So let’s try to spin it forward, dive deeper and think outside the box about what we witnessed in the conference championship games. This is “Sound Smart,” where we prepare you for Monday morning with observations from the penultimate round of the postseason. If I do my job, you’ll be fluent in the NFL’s playoff action.
1. IF THERE’S ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW FROM CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY, IT’S THAT ….
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called a better game — and outcoached Rams coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
In practice this week, there was one play where Jaxon Smith-Njigba found himself wide open. Unbelievably open. The star receiver lined up in the backfield in a two-back set and broke for the back right corner of the end zone, where he found what every receiver craves: no coverage.
“Am I going to be that open in the game?” Smith-Njigba remembered wondering.
Yup.
During Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks wideout did exactly what he’d practiced. And it worked out exactly as they’d practiced — with nobody near him when he hauled in the touchdown pass. It put the Seahawks ahead to end the first half, but more importantly, it marked a strategic advantage for the Seahawks.
It takes a special play to throw an invisibility cloak over arguably the best receiver in the NFL. But that’s what Seattle’s OC did.
“I got to give credit to coach Kubiak. He called a great plan,” Smith-Njigba told me. “We’ve been running that [at practice], and I have been open on that each one week lengthy.”
Receiver Rashid Shaheed, whose route broke the other way, knew that JSN was scoring earlier than the ball got here out of quarterback Sam Darnold’s fingers.
“It was the precise look we have been searching for. As quickly as I noticed the security off the nook following me, I knew that Jaxon was gonna be open for a landing,” Shaheed instructed me. “In order that was a particular play, a play that we would have liked in that second.”
This was a typical chorus within the Seahawks’ locker room, the place music blared, cigars engulfed the room in smoke and gamers sipped from pink solo cups and glass bottles. Within the moments that modified the sport, Seattle’s offense had performs that have been excellent towards the Rams protection. The Rams noticed it, too.
It was how Darnold performed the very best recreation of his profession within the largest recreation of his profession.
“[The Smith-Njigba touchdowns] was form of a beater for what we was in,” linebacker Omar Speights instructed me. “At sure factors, they caught us the place sure performs matched up completely towards ours. Hats off to them.”
There wasn’t a defender inside 10 ft of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as he caught the go-ahead landing earlier than halftime of the NFC title recreation. (Picture by Michael Owens/Getty Pictures)
One other instance?
That 51-yard reception from Shaheed to begin the sport. That opening drive set the tone for the Seahawks and for Darnold, who completed with 346 yards and three touchdowns — all regardless of stress on the scores. The 51-yarder was the third play of the sport. It was their scripted drive. And Seattle noticed a right away benefit, which it wasted no time exploiting.
“They gave us the proper look, man,” Shaheed instructed me. “Sam put it on the cash.”
Talking of Darnold …
2. STATS DON’T LIE — OR DO THEY?
Darnold accomplished three touchdowns below stress, probably the most of his profession and probably the most ever recorded since 2016, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
There have been instances when Darnold appeared unable to shake his status for flopping in massive video games. The newest instance, in fact, was when he threw 4 interceptions towards L.A. Most Rams gamers wouldn’t admit after the sport that this model of Darnold appeared totally different than the man they noticed earlier this yr — and even the man they bounced from the playoffs with the Minnesota Vikings roughly 13 months in the past. However Speights lastly conceded.
“He performed higher, for certain,” he instructed me. “He was capable of finding [his receivers] once we introduced sure pressures.”
That was within the Rams’ locker room.
Within the Seahawks’ locker room?
“He’s the very best on the planet,” receiver Jake Bobo mentioned.
Take it simple there, Bobo.
“He simply shut lots of people up tonight,” Macdonald mentioned throughout a postgame press convention.
OK, I can agree with that.
Sam Darnold has been vindicated after experiencing nice struggles early in his profession after which being handed over by the Vikings this previous offseason following a profession yr. (Picture by Michael Owens/Getty Pictures)
Macdonald isn’t mendacity. Nor are the stats. Darnold performed the very best recreation of his profession and that was regardless of the stress of the NFC Championship Sport, regardless of the cross rush’s stress and even though the Rams protection has been his kryptonite, at the same time as he has smoothed out different kinks in his recreation. He did all that in every week when he was “barely training” resulting from an indirect harm, per Macdonald. Darnold figured one thing out towards this L.A. crew.
“He will get quite a lot of antics thrown his method from the media or no matter, and for him to remain resilient and preserve going is actually exceptional. I’m tremendous happy with him,” Smith-Njigba instructed reporters.
“It is so exhausting for the phrases proper now. Sam’s simply unbelievable,” sort out Charles Cross instructed me.
And the touchdowns below stress?
“It does not say something that we did not already learn about him,” Bobo instructed reporters. “He is the person, and clearly you see the arm expertise out right here each Sunday. However his management is what makes him particular, and so everyone on this locker room desires to play for him. … Hopefully he does not see me saying this, as a result of I will get some s— for it.”
Once more, that’s Bobo being Darnold’s largest hype man. All of the Seahawks have been competing to be Darnold’s largest hype man. However for all of the effusive reward of Darnold, right here’s yet one more quote that stood out:
“We’re tremendous happy with the best way that he instructions the offense,” Shaheed instructed me. “We would not be right here with out him.”
For the longest time, that wasn’t true.
Towards the 49ers final week, the Seahawks in all probability may’ve received with Jarrett Stidham. Darnold might need engineered explosive performs on the third-highest charge amongst QBs behind Drake Maye and Jordan Love throughout the common season. However that additionally got here on the expense of turnovers (20; most within the NFL) with the second-highest turnover charge (3.7%) behind solely Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (4.6). You recognize … the man who acquired memed into oblivion this yr.
So, you get it. Darnold was actually good, at instances — and actually unhealthy, at instances. The Seahawks needed to compensate for his errors. Or they needed to carry him altogether.
This was the sport when Shaheed’s sentiment was most true: We would not be right here with out him.
Darnold was that good. The Seahawks wouldn’t have overwhelmed the Rams to advance to the Tremendous Bowl with out him.
3. EVERYONE IS AFRAID TO SAY
Half 1: Drake Maye was the youngest QB within the playoff discipline, however he’s enjoying with knowledge past his years.
Patriots receiver DeMario Douglas instructed me just a few weeks in the past that Maye was mature past his years. Douglas is 25 years previous himself, so what does he know, proper?
Nicely, since Douglas mentioned that, the Patriots have received three straight playoff video games — and with Maye serving to them win in three other ways. This isn’t to say he’s been excellent and even exceptionally constant, particularly when in comparison with an unimaginable common season. However when you look across the NFL, you’ll see that quarterbacks have struggled all through the playoffs.
Even for a man like Matthew Stafford, it has been about doing simply sufficient.
In order that’s what Maye did on Sunday towards the Broncos in a recreation that — within the second half — devolved right into a white-out blizzard. Maye had zero turnovers, rectifying a problem that plagued him all playoffs lengthy. He additionally had 65 speeding yards and a speeding landing.
Drake Maye beat the Broncos together with his legs as a lot as his proper arm, as he scrambled for a number of first downs. (Picture by Kara Durrette/Getty Pictures)
“These situations — they don’t seem to be nice throwing the soccer,” Maye mentioned with a chuckle in a postgame interview on CBS. “We did what we would have liked to do.”
These speeding stats proved all-important for the passer — as oxymoronic as that sounds — due to snow. It was exhausting to throw towards the Denver protection when the sport began. It was downright unattainable when the blizzard confirmed up. Maye was 10 of 21 for 86 yards and 5 sacks. However Maye found out easy methods to rating together with his legs. Maye additionally found out easy methods to ice — pun supposed — the sport together with his legs on third-and-6 with a rollout run that allowed New England to knee the sport to shut it out.
It’s a credit score to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has — the entire season — met his gamers and his quarterback the place they’re. McDaniels has a well-known and notorious system. Its problems have flunked loads of gamers. However those that get it, get it.
Even after learning movie of Tom Brady, Maye has made this offense his personal.
“Inform me who the gamers are. Inform me what their strengths are,” McDaniels instructed me just a few weeks in the past. “And let’s attempt to construct the system round them. And that is what we attempt to do with Drake. We ran the choice [against the Chargers.] We by no means did that with Tom [Brady]. Why? As a result of Drake can do it. … We scored on two speeding touchdowns towards the Payments. These have been designed runs. We’ve moved Drake out of the pocket, and we’ve carried out different issues that he can do nicely.
“We’re not simply going to try this as a result of I believe he can do virtually every thing, to a degree. … We will do extra issues — or various things — as a result of he has totally different talent units.”
Maye’s path to the Tremendous Bowl will draw skepticism.
And to the credit score of the skeptics, he has not needed to outduel an offense with appreciable firepower. However what these skeptics received’t level out is that Maye is the primary QB to win three playoff video games towards prime 5 whole defenses in a single postseason, per FOX Sports activities analysis. These models are all additionally three prime 9 defenses in factors allowed per recreation, and two of them (the Broncos and the Texans) completed within the prime three.
Due to that, Maye would be the second-youngest QB to begin the Tremendous Bowl — simply behind Dan Marino — the place, maybe fittingly, he’ll face the prime protection within the Seahawks.
Half 2: Particular groups matter!
Within the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks, we noticed one more reminder that there are three phases of this recreation. And it was particular groups that supplied the second when the Seahawks took management of the sport.
Rams receiver Xavier Smith fell over whereas making an attempt to discipline a punt early within the third quarter and muffed it. The Seahawks have been there to get well on the 17-yard line. And one play later, Darnold threw a landing to Jake Bobo to offer the Seahawks a 12-point lead they in the end would not squander.
“Yearly, they lose key video games and fail to maximise their potential resulting from a scarcity of funding in particular groups,” a former NFL head coach texted me on Sunday night time after the Rams’ muffed punt. “Take a look at the investments of who they rent. [It went from] from [former Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel] and [Joe] DeCamillis (two of the very best) to the bottom bidders who promise in interviews to principally not play the part. Every time they play groups who put money into particular groups, it prices them!”
A Rams fumble deep in their very own zone led to a Seahawks landing and proved to be the distinction within the NFC title recreation. (Picture by Jane Gershovich/Getty Pictures)
Now we have receipts, too. These are simply from the Rams’ losses this yr.
- In L.A.’s 33-26 loss to the Eagles in Week 3, Philly blocked two Rams field goals late in the fourth, including a 44-yard game-winning attempt with three seconds left.
- In L.A.’s 26-23 loss to the 49ers in Week 5, Josh Karty missed a 53-yard field goal and an extra point.
- In a 38-37 loss to the Seahawks in Week 16, the Rams allowed a Rashid Shaheed punt-return TD. Kicker Harrison Mevis also missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 30-all.
The Rams typically win regardless of their particular groups. However when a crew just like the Seahawks can use that part to their benefit, it could actually tip the scales in a recreation that’s in any other case even.
4. WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER
The NFL playoffs should not a marathon — they’re a steeplechase. Or possibly it’s skijoring.
Earlier than you are taking off to Google what these sports activities are, simply know that they’re bizarre. They don’t take a look at athletes in clear or aesthetic methods. If I instructed you these sports activities have been for the Cowboys, you’d consider me. And playoff soccer — it seems — is in that very same class.
That’s what we noticed with the loopy snowfall in Denver.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was made for the playoffs. His crew was made to win in any form of climate.
Behind Vrabel and defensive playcaller Zak Kuhr, New England’s protection allowed simply 26 factors in all the three-game playoff run, second-fewest in NFL historical past by a crew with three video games enjoying into the Tremendous Bowl. The Chargers offensive gamers admitted to Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane that that they had no concept what they have been seeing when it comes to disguised coverages. The identical was in all probability true when C.J. Stroud threw 4 interceptions within the divisional spherical.
It is protected to say climate was a consider Sunday’s AFC title recreation between the Patriots and the Broncos. (Picture by Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures)
With assist from the snow, Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham couldn’t see … something. There was a quick second when it appeared, possibly, Stidham may contend. He had a 52-yard play to Marvin Mims on Denver’s second drive earlier than throwing a landing. However that competence was short-lived. In any other case, Vrabel and the Patriots smothered the Broncos — as they need to towards a backup QB. New England made do with the situations they acquired.
With the win, Vrabel tied George Seifert for probably the most wins in NFL historical past by a head coach of their first season with a crew, together with the playoffs, per FOX Sports activities Analysis.
Of us are going to query the Broncos’ choice to go for it on fourth down within the second quarter — earlier than the storm hit. I didn’t thoughts it. Perhaps you might’ve seen the forecast. Perhaps you might’ve seen the best way this recreation would change — and the way rapidly. However rattling, that may’ve been really transcendent, omniscient consciousness. On the time, the fourth-down try appeared affordable.
No, the extra questionable choice from Sean Payton got here on the Broncos’ closing drive after they tried to throw the ball downfield twice (into the height of the storm). On the primary, Stidham had his man open (sufficient) to strive it. As a substitute, he checked down. On the second throw, Stidham didn’t have his man — however tried it anyway. There have been quite a lot of moments the place the sport didn’t go the Broncos’ method. That was the actual back-breaker, the place the choice didn’t match the state of affairs.
Whether or not it was luck or versatility, the Patriots beat the snow — and, in flip, the Broncos.
5. HE SAID WHAT?!
“No curfew tonight. However the bus is leaving at 8:00 within the morning — so when you ain’t on it, you ain’t enjoying within the Bowl.”
Wherever you might be proper now, keep in mind that the Patriots are someplace in Denver having extra enjoyable than you. (Until it’s Monday after 8 a.m. — then you definately’re in all probability feeling higher than them.)
In Sound Sensible we’re diving deeper and pondering exterior the field concerning the week that was in NFL motion.
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