Only four quarterbacks have come back to win a Super Bowl after losing their first SB start — and only one in the modern era (Hurts). The greatest lie a team tells itself is that there is always next year. Plenty broke right for the Pats this year. It will be tough to return

Josh Allen always knew.

Shoutout to Aden Durde, the first British coach to win a championship. And shutout to Leslie Frazier, who was thrown under the mother of all buses in Buffalo. Now, he's a two-time champion coach.

A defensive play-caller guiding a team to a championship post-Belichick. I am levitating. I need several cigarettes. Thank you Macdonald, Aranda, Fangio, Flores and Rex.

The Seahawks riding the refined vision of Rex Ryan's defense all the way to a championship -- and betting on his preferred blitz paths to get them over the line. My heart is filled. www.readoptional.com/p/the-league...

Give Devon Witherspoon the MVP, you cowards. Dominant defensive display. Give it to the most impactful defender

The same pressure path has beaten the Patriots all night. The line is poor, but the protection plan has been awful -- and so few adjustments.

Patriots finally find some rhythm on offense and Maye makes a brutal decision. Tried to chase back a shitty game with one throw

Maye is completely frazzled. Staring down the rush even when he has time.

Needs to be a lot more Henderson for the Patriots. Stevenson is more reliable, but Henderson can turn a flash of daylight into a score. They're not going to drive the field on this group. Now would also be a good time for McDaniels to pull out his favored trick play

Darnold has been pressured on 42% of his snaps. The Patriots have NINE quick pressures -- and Darnold has been able to avoid any sacks. Standing in under pressure, making enough throws, creating with his legs. That (plus Walker) is the difference

Must be very tough for the people who pretended to watch Kid Rock to hold their fingers right now

High and tight. Solid fundamentals.

Would never have guessed that the incel right would not have been down with a half-time production where the chief selling point is "this guy fucks". Epic show

Pats finished with a 54% blitz rate in the first half. Released the hounds early and then tried to bluff out of pressure looks as Seattle adjusted. Using the threat of pressure to wash out eligibles and play deeper coverage behind. Smart from Kuhr

Seahawks pass-rushers had an average get-off of 0.89 seconds and a time to pressure of 2.4 seconds in the first half. They are RIPPING off the ball

Christian Gonzalez was out of his mind in the first half. Matched up with Smith-Njigba everywhere. Two touchdown-saving breakups

Getting to 9-0 at the half is somehow a win for the Patriots

A tale as old as time for an offensive line

Patriots blitz rate still up at 71%. They've pressured Darnold on 47% of his dropbacks but haven't been able to drop him despite crafting free runners. Maye has been dropped three times on a 36% pressure rate

Running on third and five because you’re terrified of your protection… not good

So far, it's been a brilliantly smart fuck it game plan from Zak Kuhr and the Pats defense. He knows his offense doesn't have the goods to sustain drives. Hunting turnovers by forcing Darnold into bad decisions, crafting a free runner for a FF and jumping every route on the back end

Really smart drop-eight call from Zak Kuhr with Seattle expecting heat

Seattle pressured the B-Gap three straight times on NE's 3-and-out. Showing lots of edge pressure with it. Trying to force the Patriots to squeeze everything, get the ball out hot and then jump it. Will also force NE to leave the edges weak as the game goes on, and SEA's pass-rush can eat one-on-one

Macdonald and the Seahawks are not heavy blitzers. But when they send heat, it almost always hits. Pats aren't picking anything up -- and fear of their own left side is a major problem

Would have been a walk-in touchdown if Darnold had found JSN after making the free runner miss

Just the casual 83% blitz rate from Zak Kuhr and the Patriots on Seattle's opening two drives -- and then a bluff pressure that crafts a free runner off the edge on third-down

Two true dropbacks; twice Will Campbell has been planted onto the feet of Drake Maye

I wish Fred Warner would go into coaching after his career, but he’s too good on TV to pass up a monster pay check for easier work

A great nugget from Next Gen Stats. How Will Campbell holds up could be the story for the Patriots. Seattle's cavalcade of pass-rushers all match up well -- and Mike Macdonald will craft pressure to put him and Wilson in a communication bind

Jim Schwartz will not be back with the Browns. If Jim Leonhard opts to go with the Chargers over the Bills, Buffalo should write a blank check to Schwartz

Updated list of Hall of Fame voters who have publicly confirmed they voted for Bill Belichick. The unconfirmed list includes those who haven't spoken or have only discussed the HOF process

Here is the list of Hall of Fame voters who have confirmed publicly that they voted for Bill Belichick. The no camp includes those who haven't spoken or only discussed the process. In the "no" camp is a known liar who cannot remember who he voted for two weeks ago

The NFL Daily recap of the Championship games is preposterously good. Shoutout to @greggrosenthal.bsky.social, @patrickclaybon.bsky.social and @thenickshook.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDIr... .

Josh Allen on Sam Darnold's throwing motion, from Jason Garrett's (!) excellent documentary. Darnold was throwing the piss out of the ball yesterday. Seeing him put it all together on the biggest stage is awesome.

Absolute baller move from McVay. And one of his staples: target the guy who just gave up the flag with a shot

Sure sounds from the broadcast like Klint Kubiak is Brady’s guy for the Raiders

Absolutely insane from Kenneth Walker

Mike Vrabel's mastery of situational football is such an advantage. It's wild how much it leaps out in a league of the best to do it.

Romo: “he’ll have a little more time here” Insta-sack.

The left side of the Patriots line has given up 5 pressures on 12 dropbacks. Every yard feels like HARD work

For Bucs fans: on Zac Robinson from last season. I’m fascinated/excited by Robinson in a new spot. Is he willing to adapt, or wedded to an ill-fitting philosophy? Not sure I’d want to find out on a one-year timeline www.readoptional.com/p/do-the-fal...

Sean McDermott was far from perfect. And he should have probably been out a couple of years ago. But this press conference from Pegula and Brandon Beane is insulting to a guy who helped turn around a franchise that was a laughing stock

talked about the thorny change in Buffalo and what’s next for McDermott, Josh Allen and Brandon Beane with @ollieconnolly.bsky.social 🎧: landing.podtrac.com/nfldaily 📺: youtu.be/A4SBNq0WTwc?...

Every chance that the Bills just promote Joe Brady or reunite Allen with Brian Daboll. That would be... something

John Harbaugh looking at his Giants contract

How much does Sean Steichen wish he were just fired?

There are openings to work with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson... and in a watered-down coaching market. Any sitting HC want to make a move?