How do the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX?

The Super Bowl is not just another game. Or is it?

A game plan is a roadmap to victory in the NFL. On the league’s biggest night, executing a strategy true to your identity while exposing your opponent’s weaknesses culminates in the Lombardi Trophy. 

The Seattle Seahawks won the NFC with balanced offense and superb defense.

DAZN News’ Gavin Babbitt breaks down how they win the Super Bowl. 

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Protect the football 

The New England Patriots have curbed their offensive struggles in the playoffs by forcing eight turnovers in three games. If the Seahawks protect the ball, they will score points and limit the Patriots' possessions. 

The Patriots are a bottom-half blitzing team, but will send pressure in the Super Bowl. Sam Darnold has thrown eight interceptions against the blitz and lost six fumbles this season. 

New England linebacker Christian Eliss will blitz alongside the pass rush. Darnold must assign protections to him and defensive linemen K’Lavon Chaisson, Milton Williams and Harold Landry to ensure ball security. Seattle tight end A.J. Barner has been dependable in pass protection and must continue to mitigate the extra pressure. 

Short routes against zone coverage create a cleaner game for the Seahawks. Darnold will get the ball out quickly on these plays. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp have a combined two fumbles in Seattle’s last 18 games. 

The Patriots like man coverage, and will give Darnold chances downfield. New England cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis have been excellent in the playoffs, but Smith-Njigba has caught more than 80% of his targets and scored five touchdowns against man this year. 

Darnold's deep shots must be on time and cannot be underthrown. Smith-Njigba is one of the NFL’s best receivers, and calculated risks must be taken with explosive plays at a premium in the Super Bowl. 

Establish the run 

If the run game succeeds, the Seahawks will have the Patriots in unfamiliar territory. New England does not normally stack the box, but they will be forced to if Kenneth Walker produces.

Running off the left edge, Walker is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and has scored twice this postseason. K’Lavon Chaisson defends that spot and leads the Patriots in missed tackles against the run. Walker has shown his elusiveness over the last two weeks. Targeting Chaisson gets him to the outside and moves the chains. 

On the interior, Walker’s goal is to beat Patriots defensive tackles Cory Durden and Christian Barmore. Behind quality blocking from guards Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford, Walker’s acceleration will get him to the New England linebackers quickly. 

Robert Spillane is the Patriots' top linebacker and questionable after injuring his ankle in the AFC Championship. New England has only one other top-40 linebacker in tackles against the run this season– Jack Gibbens. Walker is a home-run hitter, and once he breaks the line of scrimmage he can reach the Patriots’ secondary. 

The Seahawks must run the ball in the red zone. Walker is averaging nearly five yards per attempt with four touchdowns inside the 20-yard line in the playoffs. New England will play man coverage in these spots, a favorable look for Seattle on early downs. 

Play Seahawks defense

The Seahawks’ defense is Super Bowl-ready. This unit stops the run, brings pressure without the blitz and does not give up big plays. Four more quarters of defensive execution bring a world championship to Seattle. 

More than 70% of running plays against the Seahawks in the playoffs have gone to the outside. The Seahawks must lock down the edges to keep the Patriots’ offense off the field.

Penetration from defensive tackles Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy and Jarran Reed is key. It fills the running lanes on the interior and forces Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to run parallel to the line of scrimmage. DeMarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall can pursue hard from the outside and keep the Patriots’ backs from turning the corner. 

Using safety Nick Emmanwori as a linebacker with Ernest Jones and Drake Thomas will improve Seattle’s sideline-to-sideline range. Emmanwori has missed only two tackles against the run this year– he is the X-factor in stopping New England’s running game.  

Drake Maye’s efficiency has carried the Patriots' offense this year, but a good pass rush is efficiency’s nightmare. Maye has faced significant pressure in the playoffs and his completion percentage has dropped by more than 16%.

The Seahawks have an advantage rushing DeMarcus Lawrence against Patriots left tackle Will Campbell. Lawrence’s length will help him dictate contact and the angle of his rushes against Campbell's short arms.

In the playoffs, Lawrence leads the Seahawks in total pressures created and Campbell leads the Patriots in total pressures allowed. 

Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy have been excellent creating pressure up the middle. They must force Drake Maye outside the pocket and give the Seattle secondary chances to break on the ball – Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori lead the NFL playoffs in pass breakups. 

The Seahawks’ coverage scheme combats the Patriots’ receiving corps well. The Patriots are not threatening after the catch and depend on yards through the air. 

Playing zone, Seattle will take away deep balls from Maye to Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. The Seahawks are more talented at the second level with Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori and Ernest Jones. Letting them attack Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry is the recipe for stopping the Patriots’ passing game.