Super Bowl Preparatory Analysis: Focus on the Seattle Seahawks
NFC Championship Game: A Crucial Data Point
Preparatory analysis for the Super Bowl has commenced, with a specific focus on the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, coached by Super Bowl winner Sean McVay, served as a significant data source, marking the third encounter between these two teams.
The Rams secured one victory against the Seahawks by 2 points in Los Angeles. The Seahawks subsequently won the next two matchups, by 3 and 4 points, respectively, indicating closely contested games.
Defensive Performance & Offensive Challenges
The Seahawks' defense has demonstrated consistent performance throughout the regular and postseason, maintaining an average of 16.4 points allowed per game.
Conversely, the Rams' offense has posed a significant challenge for Seattle, averaging 28.3 points against them across their three head-to-head games. Notably, all three of these matchups against Los Angeles rank among Seattle's top five highest-scoring allowed games. Other high-scoring contests for the Seahawks included games against the Buccaneers (38 points) and the Cardinals (22 points).
Anticipated Offensive Strategy & Quarterback Performance
For the upcoming Super Bowl, Josh McDaniels is anticipated to deploy a diverse range of offensive plays, including both schemed and trick plays.
Analysis of the NFC Championship Game film suggests that quarterback Drake Maye will be required to perform at his highest level for the entire game. This assessment stems from Matthew Stafford's early performance in that game; despite its quality, it was ultimately insufficient given the Seattle offense's effectiveness against a familiar opponent.
Quarterback Comparison and MVP Considerations
Observations from the NFC Championship Game highlight a key difference between the two quarterbacks:
"Matthew Stafford's throwing ability to all areas of the field is currently considered superior to Drake Maye's, a factor that could influence Most Valuable Player (MVP) considerations."
Maye is a young player in his second season, whereas Stafford possesses extensive experience and demonstrates strong pocket passing capabilities. Stafford's performance was particularly notable for his ability to complete significant throws, especially when the Seahawks' defense strategically shifted between Middle of Field Open (MOFO) and Middle of Field Closed (MOFC) coverages.
Analyst Doug Farrar further underscored Stafford's high-level play during this game in a social media post on January 26, 2026.