Football is about much more than having the best team. This is the ultimate chess match, and there's never too much tape to watch. Every minor edge, every detail, and every tell can be the difference between a close game and a massacre. Of course, that was the case in Super Bowl LX.
Notably, that's a lesson the New England Patriots just learned the hard way. They never stood a chance against the Seattle Seahawks' defense, and it was their fault. Once the word gets out there, offensive line coach Doug Marrone may even have to update his LinkedIn.
According to star cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the Patriots' tape showed that the offensive line had a tell. Everybody on Aden Durde's defense knew what was coming, and they were prepared for anything they could throw at him.
The Seattle Seahawks identified all of the Patriots' OL tells
“I knew what was going on,” Witherspoon said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We had a good tell on what they like to do and how they like to play and how they were going to attack us. Coach put us in the best position to win. That’s our coach right there, that’s why we always stand beside him and always have his back.”
That may sound simple, but this beautiful sport doesn't have to be all that complicated all the time. The Patriots were tipping their pitches, and Witherspoon and the 'Dark Side' defense were ready to swing for the fences on every trip to the mound.
It often felt like the Seahawks already knew what Josh McDaniels was going to call. Well, that's because they did. That's a rookie mistake that's rare coming from a savvy head coach like Mike Vrabel and his coaching staff.
Even so, the Seahawks were clearly the best team anyway. They had the best defense in the league and the third-highest scoring offense. They didn't turn the ball over once in the playoffs, and their ability to put pressure at the line of scrimmage was second to none.
Even when the Seahawks struggled to finish drives on offense, they were always in control of the game. They never wavered or looked desperate, killing their opposition with a thousand cuts and slowly but surely imposing their will and superiority on the gridiron.
The devil is in the details, and every minor edge any team can get can lead to huge advantages come game day. That speaks volumes about the level of preparation head coach Mike Macdonald has put into this team in his two years in charge.
Coach Macdonald had his players ready to perform, both in terms of tactics and -- more importantly -- motivation. This win was never in doubt, and Devon Witherspoon should bill the Patriots for the free consulting he just did for them after the win.