SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Seattle Seahawks, are either a great team nobody truly understands and respects just yet or they are here as fodder for the New England Patriots destiny.
I choose the latter.
The Patriots, I believe, will be beat the Seahawks, and it will most definitely be close, probably accomplished in the final seconds.
I realize the Seahawks are slightly – and deservedly so – favored to raise the Lombardi Trophy. Their defense is tough. They are committed to running the football. They have a Hall of Fame-ish wide receiver. And they have quarterback who is more than a game-manager.
But the Patriots, maybe lacking a little bit in high-end talent, with several middlers, have to two biggest advantages in the biggest football game of the year.
A master at head coach in Mike Vrabel. And a quarterback, Drake Maye, who has unexpectedly, at 23, carried a franchise on his back for a full season.
Vrabel’s strengths center on communication. And, more importantly, he knows what he wants, despite talking very little about X’s and O’s in his media sessions.
The Patriots have taken on his personality: tough, quietly brash and a belief they can win anywhere, any place and any time … even on Super Bowl Sunday.
Vrabel, the player, rose to the occasion on Super Bowl Sunday. The Patriots’ first Super Bowl title turned into the Patriots way when he blitzed Rams quarterback Kurt Warner. The second title had his name on it, too, with a forced fumble, two sacks and a touchdown as a tight end. And the third? Yup! He had another sack and another touchdown as a tight end.
How ‘bout them apples?
Guess what? Vrabel the coach has been more impressive. The Patriots not only rebounded from their blown, five-turnover loss to the Steelers, but their level of consistency the next four months at 16 wins, one loss, was as impressive as Belichick’s Patriots.
The new players, from free agents to rookies, and the refurbished coaching staff somehow were able to slap a half-dozen seasons of dysfunction in the mouth.
Unlike the two Bill Belichick successful decades, which were incredibly reliant on quiet, unassuming, smart and tough football, Vrabel has brought a little a kinder touch to the head coaching position.
He holds players’ hands when they’re laying on the field.
Empathy, not really something we’ve used to with the winning, is maybe his best quality.
But this isn’t all hugs and smiles, apparently.
“I realize that’s what people think, because Mike is great at the human aspect of this job, but he can be really tough when he has to,” said Patriots special teams coach Jeremy Springer. “If someone isn’t performing to expectations, and I’m not just talking on the field, you won’t be here long. Mike demands that from everyone. It all starts with accountability.”
That isn’t enough, though. In fact, Vrabel admitted the defining issue in him interviewing for the job was Maye.
Asked when he knew had special characteristics of a possible franchise quarterback, he pointed directly at last year.
“I think a lot of people saw it then,” said Vrabel.
Maye is a freak, a bit of a swash-buckler. He was not only the most accurate quarterback this past fall (72.0%), but he was also the most accurate passer of the long ball (52% over 20 yards). A rarity.
Oh yeah, his rushed for 38 first downs in the regular season, and basically has doubled that rate with 11 rushing first downs in the playoffs.
Both defenses are very good with slight edge to Seahawks. Both running games are probably close to equal.
While there are several other key contributors and stars on both teams, like Seattle’s elite wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba and New England’s stopgap in the middle of the defense, the two most important people on the field on Sunday, I believe, are Vrabel and Maye.
The Patriots win a tough one – aren’t they all this time of year? – 23-20.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.