The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are off to the Super Bowl. In a league where teams are chasing the next great thing, whether it’s a scheme, coach, or player, the league will attempt to emulate Seattle and New England’s success to some capacity this offseason.
Here are three takeaways from championship weekend.
You have to spend (wisely) to win
Per Spotrac, both Super Bowl teams ranked first and fourth in free agent spending last offseason. The Seahawks found their quarterback, veteran possession receiver, and a pair of 33-year-old defensive linemen.
The Niners spent big on Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd. The difference here is fit. Demarcus Lawrence and Jarran Reed are also former top 50 picks, but play with a specific intent and aggression that were not a part of Hargrave or Floyd’s game.
It’s one thing to spend, it’s another to spend wisely and bring in pieces that fit a winning culture. The Patriots brought in Stefon Diggs to give their second-year quarterback a security blanket. He worked out about as well as they hoped. Pass rusher Harold Landry had 8.5 sacks, while Milton Williams was a disruptive presence that made everyone around him better. In the secondary, New England found a competitive cornerback in Carlton Davis, who finished with ten pass breakups.
The fit made sense. This offseason, it’s less about bringing in a big-name free agent and more about getting the right player who can thrive in your culture.
Take advantage of the deadline
The 49ers attempted to offset their pass rush issues at the trade deadline by trading with the Patriots for Keion White. It did not look like New England missed White. The Patriots traded another player away and are still in the Super Bowl.
We saw the impact Rashid Shaheed had in Seattle on the opening kickoff in the Divisional round. On the Seahawks’ first possession against the Rams, Shaheed caught a 51-yard pass, which led to a touchdown. Shaheed ended up with three return touchdowns, making him well worth the trade.
The 49ers have long taken advantage of the trade deadline. While White was serviceable, moving forward, finding a difference-maker should be the goal. Shaheed isn’t recognized as one, but when you leave your mark on two playoff games, you can see why he should be considered a game-changer—at least to some extent.
I don’t think the Eagles regret using a third-round pick on a pass rusher after the success they had on that side of the ball. The Cowboys getting Quinnen Williams sets them up for great success moving forward. There will always be teams that are kicking themselves for making or not making a move. The Sauce Gardner trade was a head-scratcher at the time, and looks even more confusing after a quarterback injury. The Chiefs not trading for a running back was another puzzling one.
In hindsight, I wonder if the 49ers feel like they could have made another move on either side of the ball.
Your offense has to find a way to stay on the field on third down
You can’t say “defense wins championships” after the Rams just had 479 total yards of offense, averaged 8.3 yards per play, and lost. What you can say is that late down efficiency is the name of the game. Of course, being better on early downs will keep you in more favorable situations.
Still, the Rams went 2-for-10 on third and fourth downs, while the Broncos went 4-for-15. You don’t stand a chance if you’re failing to convert north of 30 percent in the playoffs.
The situations couldn’t have been different. The Rams likely have the MVP and this high-flying offense with arguably the best offensive mind in the game. The Broncos had a backup quarterback playing the final quarter in a blizzard.
Whether it was the timing, accuracy, or chemistry that was off, neither the Rams nor the Broncos seemed to have an answer or a good feel for what to do on late downs. That’s where you can give the Patriots and Seahawks credit for forcing their opponent to make a play.
It also helps to have good coverage players, like Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon. Not to mention a pass rush that can pressure the quarterback. Overall, the big takeaway on this side of the ball this past weekend was how dominant the defenses were on late downs.
About the Author: Insidethe49
