Brilliant Super Bowl 60 performance from Kenneth Walker and Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiak did a terrific job in his last game as Seattle's offensive coordinator
There have been myriad articles and videos about Seattle’s defensive play calling brilliance in Super Bowl 60. That’s understandable given that Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde did a superb job of tailoring the attack on that side of the ball, but let’s not forget that Kenneth Walker III was the MVP of this game.
One of the main reasons Walker did so well is that offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and run game coordinator Rick Dennison put together a very effective rushing game plan. Let’s dive into the tape for some details.
(If you want to follow along with this video analysis, go to YouTube and search for the video titled “Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots | Super Bowl LX Game Highlights” on the NFL’s YouTube channel (it’s the one that lasts 23 minutes and 11 seconds). I would embed these links directly into this article but the NFL has blocked this video from being posted on Substack.)
Let’s start with the first play of game (which is at 0:18 of that aforementioned video). Seattle ran an outside zone play. This is an off tackle run but every offense would like to bounce this type of run play to the perimeter whenever possible.
Since the bane of rush defense is having a ball carrier get to the perimeter, it means means defenses are usually structured to not let that happen on an outside zone play.
The Patriots did not have that type of structure on this play. New England linebacker Anfernee Jennings was the end man on the line of scrimmage to that side. He was lined up in what some coaches will call an 8-technique, where he is head up over the outside tight end in a wing formation. That technique makes it much easier for a blocker to seal the edge of the defense inside, which is exactly what happened.
This issue was compounded by the fact that the Patriots ended up playing Cover 3 on this play. That type of coverage means the cornerbacks are stay in coverage players and only offer run support once it becomes 100 percent clear that the play isn’t a pass.
Walker bounced to the outside of this structural weakness and gained 10 yards, but that’s only part of the story. As noted earlier, outside zone plays don’t typically go to the perimeter. Walker not only hit the perimeter, but he was looking for it as soon as he received the handoff. He turned almost 90 degrees right after the snap and thus had his shoulders aimed towards the sideline. That’s an atypical way to receive a handoff and is usually only done when the offense thinks the running back will be able to bounce.
It was only the beginning of Walker looking for bounces and finding them with great success.
The next instance of this occurred in the second quarter (see 4:26 of that video). Seattle ran an outside zone variation where the outside blocker blocks down and a puller leads the play to the corner. This type of adjustment happens when the offense calls an outside zone play but the defense is lined up in an unfavorable look that type of run.
The defensive key for the outside defender on this play is the same as it was on the very first play of the game - set an edge and don’t let the running back bounce to the outside. Patriots linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson took the correct angle to make this happen and even pushed Seattle guard Grey Zabel into the backfield, but Zabel was able to adjust and get Chaisson’s outside shoulder turned partially inside.
Walker once again had a 90-degree stance at the handoff and thus was angled to be able to look for a bounce. He had no choice but to try it going outside since New England defensive tackle Christian Barmore blasted into the backfield from the other side. It was a combination that let Walker hit the perimeter untouched and it led to a 30-yard gain.
By that point the Patriots were extremely concerned about Walker bouncing plays to the outside. That’s when the Seahawks started to mix things up.
Two plays after the 30-yard gain, Seattle ran an inside zone play (it’s at 4:44 of that video). Walker turned his shoulders 90 degrees to make it look like he was going to take the play outside. New England linebacker Jack Gibbens saw the shoulder fake and made sure he got outside leverage on his blocker. That reaction worked against him, as it opened up an inside lane that Walker was able to hit for 29 yards.
The Patriots defense tightened up after that, which is partly due to Mike Vrabel’s adjustments. He said to the sideline reporter at halftime that the Patriots defense wasn’t playing the rush properly and that they needed to protect the edges more. That renewed emphasis worked through the third quarter, but midway through the fourth quarter the Seattle coaching staff found an opportunity to attack the perimeter again.
This play is at 18:28 of that video. New England again had an 8-technique who reacted a step late and got blocked inside. The Patriots were also running a 6-2 front with Cover 3 behind it, so there was no one in position to keep the play from going outside. Walker hit the perimeter and tallied another double-digit gain, this one for 14 yards.
On the next play (18:40 in that video), the Patriots moved one of those box players to an overhang position just outside of the tackle box. The Seahawks reacted with a duo run call. That’s a power without pull call that gives the ball carrier an inside and an outside attack option. It’s a great call in this situation and Walker waited patiently for the blocking to develop. When it did, he hit an open gap and racked up 10 yards.
These last two plays were key in Seattle kicking a field goal to go up 22-7 with 5:38 left in the fourth quarter and effectively put the game away. They were a combination of superb run play calling, terrific blocking and great running back reads.
That combination may be boring to some, but to tape junkies like myself and many of you, those plays made the Seattle run game portion of this contest a thing of beauty.
Get on the Ashton Jeanty fantasy bandwagon
Kubiak just took the head coaching job in Las Vegas and brought Dennison with him as the run game coordinator. This means fantasy managers should plan on getting on the Ashton Jeanty bandwagon. Jeanty failed to live up to his mid-tier RB1 ADP last season by ranking 16th in RB PPR PPG, but he did show some signs of the brilliance he displayed in college. Kubiak and Dennison’s play calling prowess ought to get Jeanty to that collegiate form on a more consistent basis. It should lead to a RB1-caliber season in Jeanty’s sophomore campaign.
Photo of the day
We have a lot of great parks in Central Florida. The owl in this photo calls Meade Gardens home. It took some effort for Mrs. Scientist to get this picture (she had to quietly chase the owl down after it flew by) but it was worth it for a shot like this one.
