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View from the Mountaintop
43 Plays8 days ago
Tristan and Miles talk about the Seahawks’ dominant victory to become champions of Super Bowl LX.
Watch Nick Emmanwori get drafted 10 months ago from Irmo, SC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH_v6Ppfq-o
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Transcript
Seahawks' Super Bowl Triumph Overview
00:00:00
Tristan Amundson
Miles, we started in August and here we are in February. We're going to make it short and sweet, my friend. I'm just going to say it. Champions, how does it sound?
00:00:12
M dub
Tristan, great to be with you. The Seattle Seahawks, champions of Super Bowl XLI. Back in those August days, it would have been so totally wild, such a blind homer take to say this Seattle Seahawks team is going to win 14 regular season games.
00:00:30
M dub
The three games they lose is just going to be by about a field goal. And then they're absolutely going to storm through the playoffs, outscoring everybody 101-49 in three dominant playoff games and take a Super Bowl win.
00:00:45
M dub
That had very little drama to it. They just went out and won the game from the start.
00:00:52
Tristan Amundson
You know, it's funny, man. the The thing that came to mind over and over again watching this game, and I can't remember, I think it must have been the ah the San Francisco 49ers game. Was that the one where where we started out and we just started saying all the words to describe the defense? And suffocating was the word that we kind of kept coming back to. i mean, we had a lot of dominant games this year, and so it's possible that we we did that on a different episode.
00:01:20
Tristan Amundson
But suffocation, suffocating, that's the word that I just kept coming back to over and over again watching this game. I don't think there's a better word to describe this defense.
Defensive Strategies and Execution
00:01:32
Tristan Amundson
um I don't think there's a better word to describe what Drake, May, and company were feeling from a Patriots perspective. There was no room to breathe and no room to operate. And it was so obvious. That's the word that kept coming to my mind. i get um i know I'm just throwing this on you.
00:01:51
Tristan Amundson
Was there a word that came to your mind or is there a word that comes to your mind as you think about this game?
00:01:58
M dub
I think suffocating is a good word. I just kind of think erased because the the Seahawks defense, they just, there's there's not really one star player.
00:02:08
M dub
There weren't that many highlight plays from the Seahawks defense until later in the game. when When they created three turnovers in the last 16 minutes of the game. But for the majority of this game, they're just kind of playing perfect defense. And it it kind of looks like nothing. ah there's There's not a lot of tackle for losses.
00:02:31
M dub
They did get a lot of sacks. But even still, the the reason this defense is they're not even that hard of hitters compared to other great defenses. It's it's just kind of this absence of forward progress.
00:02:43
M dub
A lot of two and three yard plays for the Patriots and and just nothing's happening. And there's a lot of punts and you look up and the Patriots have zero points like almost in the fourth quarter.
00:02:57
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, yeah. There was a moment early in the game. So I'm trying to think through this a bit chronologically. One one of the first plays in the game that i I shook my head out, I'm sure everybody did, was the little dump out pass that Drake May had to the sidelines where Julian Love missed the tackle.
00:03:15
Tristan Amundson
And we're so used to seeing that tackle be made. It was kind of like, oh, come on. And then, you know obviously it was a a three and out shortly after that. It was it was much ado about nothing. But they tried to go back to that um a few times throughout the game where they they brought these pressures on Drake May, I think specifically really in the first half. um and And those those dump out passes that, okay, you know if all else fails, my emergency valve is over here, I'm going to send it to the back or whoever's in the backfield with me.
00:03:47
Tristan Amundson
And to me, it's such a great example of the way this defense plays so consistently. Save that first missed tackle by Julian Love, and you could tell he was livid with himself for like not making that.
00:04:02
Tristan Amundson
Those those dump out passes, we knew who the safety valve was and it was we were ready to tackle that person immediately every single time.
00:04:12
Tristan Amundson
And and to me, that's kind of just it feels like the heartbeat. If I was to give someone like one picture of what this defense looks like, it's OK. The quarterback's doing the exact right thing.
00:04:25
Tristan Amundson
There's there's pressure coming at me. i dump it out to my safety valve. And that safety valve, instead of getting four or five yards, gets one yard or loses two yards. And it's just instant tackle, um instant contact.
00:04:40
Tristan Amundson
Like to me, like you're talking about, like when when you say erased, that's what I think about. Like, like okay, here's a safe play for me.
00:04:50
Tristan Amundson
And instantly the Seahawks can just erase it with with that suffocating defense. It's just, man... What an incredible game to watch. Was there a moment as you're watching this defense where you kind of took a deep breath and thought, ah okay, this is going to be such tough sledding. I can't imagine the Patriots like coming back. because And I asked that question knowing i'm I'm very nervous throughout the game. I think most people are. You're you're kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
00:05:23
Tristan Amundson
And I'm curious, and I'll share with you as well, kind of the moment when I realized the other shoe just wasn't going to drop. Can you think of the moment where you kind of took a deep breath and you're like, okay, this, no one's moving on this defense today.
00:05:38
M dub
I mean, you do look at that goose egg on the scoreboard until pretty late in the game. And I will say I did have some greedy thoughts in my mind about could this be. I'm pretty sure that would have been the first shutout in the Super Bowl. And and of course, that's that's really asking for a lot.
Comparative Analysis of Super Bowl Performances
00:05:54
M dub
ah All you need to do is to win the game.
00:05:54
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
00:05:57
M dub
i I mean, i knew things were going well. But the the Patriots' best moments took place in the fourth quarter. So the Julian Love interception was the biggest reaction for me. That that was the play of the game for me because...
00:06:14
M dub
At that moment, the Patriots had just scored on their previous drive, lightning quick drive. You don't have JSN back in the game. He's in the locker room and and off the field for the first time all year, and that doesn't feel good. And I was kind i was like, oh, no.
00:06:30
M dub
This thing can't all just evaporate now. that they They played too well. And then you get an absolute gift with with Julian Love. It feels like the first time all year.
00:06:42
M dub
that the that the Seahawks have had an interception that they're just sitting there waiting for. But it it probably took me until the Channon Wosu, Devin Witherspoon combo, pick six, touchdown to, and that's really late.
00:06:56
M dub
I think most people who are not Seahawks fans thought the game was already over, but it took me until then to exhale. But you know what? There's a lot of snaps in the game after that. It's still, I had to kind of lock back in, lock back in and say, hey, you know what? We got 60 minutes here.
00:07:11
M dub
And until those clocks say it tilt says zeros, you haven't won the Super Bowl yet.
00:07:16
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, no, agreed. And it is funny, because you're you're totally right. I certainly, after they got that one touchdown, i sat down, i was sitting right next to my dad, and I had a moment where i was like, I took a deep breath, and the tension came right back to my chest. So you're 100% right that the tension comes and goes throughout a game like this.
00:07:39
Tristan Amundson
I had a moment, I'm trying to think exactly what it was, because unfortunately, so many of the Patriots' drives were the exact same thing, right? three We saw three and out quite a bit. and I want to say it probably took me, maybe it was the eighth or ninth, ninth three and out. You know, let's call it beginning of the, of the third quarter when it was just another deafening. fact, I think it was two, three and outs in a row in the third quarter when I suddenly just realized you shall not pass it. There's just, there is no there's no option for this, um,
00:08:17
Tristan Amundson
for this, this team. And actually around that time, I sincerely, and I think this is when you really know that you're going to win a game. i so I sincerely miles. I started feeling bad for Drake may. I guess he seems like a really nice guy. He seems like a nice kid.
00:08:34
Tristan Amundson
um And you could just see like that this was not going to work for him. And the moment that I started feeling empathy for the other quarterback in the Super Bowl, I have felt that way in a regular season game.
00:08:47
Tristan Amundson
That's when I just knew, okay buddy, like, let's just get you out of this game as soon as possible. But like this, this isn't fair. um i mean, Will Campbell, i I don't know even what to say for him. I mean, that that left tackle for the Patriots, mean,
00:09:06
Tristan Amundson
i've never I've never seen a team dominate a guy like we dominate. Everything that we hoped we were going to get from a defensive line, offensive line matchup in this game, we got, did we not? I mean, it it was all delivered upon.
00:09:21
Tristan Amundson
and it just feels so good that we got exactly what we thought we were going to get. Their offensive line turned out to be the liability that we thought and hoped it would be, and our defensive line turned out to be, just like it has basically all year, been the asset that it's been. I i didn't do this, Miles, before. i was tempted.
00:09:44
Tristan Amundson
i should have done this. If I was good at at doing podcasting with you, I would have done this. a statistical analysis, understanding the difference between the Rams offensive line to the Patriots offensive line and just where they rank and all that kind of stuff. Because you watch that Rams game and you kind of think like, we're pretty good, right? Like we're, we got a good offensive defensive line, right? I'm, we've been seeing them all a year. They're really good, but suddenly they, they weren't able to do it against the Rams and to see them just look like themselves and some,
00:10:17
Tristan Amundson
was was just incredible. um But yeah, i to me, that was the ultimate story of the game. I know that's not any crazy analysis. that This defensive line's dominance, and and you have that moment. When you have a defensive line this dominant, you can have the moment where you start feeling bad for the other quarterback. Did you feel any empathy for for Drake May Miles?
00:10:42
M dub
No, you know what? to To be honest, I really did. i really actively felt it. Now, I felt that empathy, and I still felt the Patriots were alive at
Player Contributions and Impact
00:10:52
M dub
the same time, but I really honestly did have that feeling of empathy, and my thought was, you know, we we discussed last week how how many Super Bowls Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator of the Patriots,
00:11:06
M dub
has been to. He's been to more than just about anybody in the history of this game. And I was really shocked at the the you know that we've the Seahawks units play so well off of one another.
00:11:24
M dub
And it felt like with the Patriots, you were you were really seeing a football team that that didn't have units that communicated very well to one another. I think we'd agree that the Patriots defense played a pretty unbelievable game.
00:11:37
M dub
I think this was one of the most difficult defenses the Seahawks faced all year.
00:11:37
Tristan Amundson
Great game.
00:11:43
M dub
They had to fight. you had They had to fight for field goals. And that's usually a losing formula, to have to fight for field goals. Christian Gonzalez makes probably two or three of the very best plays of the game.
00:11:54
Tristan Amundson
Man.
00:11:57
Tristan Amundson
Incredible. Yeah.
00:11:58
M dub
So the Patriots defense, I don't really even know who a lot of those guys are over there, but they're a unit. They're led, and we talked about it. They're led by a 37-year-old interim coordinator who has never been a coordinator before.
00:12:12
M dub
on the Patriots offense, you got Josh McDaniels, who's done this a million times. And I really felt, hey, Drake May is 23 years old. We don't really have veteran leaders, it feels like, on on that Patriots offense.
00:12:27
M dub
I was kind of wondering how different it might be if they had Cooper Cup. Because we know Cooper Cup has made great contributions on the field for the Seahawks as a wide receiver, too. but you get the feeling from everybody he's kind of making bigger contributions off the field to the culture that's that's way bigger than a wide receiver, too.
00:12:45
M dub
It kind of seems like the Patriots didn't have anybody like that. And just overall... the kind of um The kind of feeling of the Patriots offense was, it the emotion of it was like watching a 6-10 team play things out in December.
00:13:00
M dub
like Like, it was going to be difficult going against the Seahawks defense, but it really felt like they folded in on themselves instead of knowing a plan B or a plan C to get to or just kind of Just kind of saying, we don't really have the X's and O's answers, but we are going to fight through this somehow. You never really felt that from them.
00:13:23
M dub
I think a big moment that shows this, and I did not notice this watching the game itself, but instead watching back on the highlights, we have the strip sack from Derek Hall that Byron Murphy recovers.
00:13:36
Tristan Amundson
Yes. yes
00:13:36
M dub
And when it happened, it felt like a pretty obvious recovery to me.
00:13:41
M dub
But there's a moment after Derek Hall has stripped the ball off of derek after off of Drake May, there's a moment where you can freeze it. And there are five Patriots offensive linemen around one Byron Murphy in the ball.
00:13:58
M dub
the they've The Patriots offensive line, they've kind of washed out. the two Seahawks edge rushers. They're kind of way too far down the field to be involved. And really the only Seahawks near the play are Derek Hall, who kind of has Drake May on the ground, and Byron Murphy, who's free. And there's there's five Patriots offensive linemen. Now, Byron Murphy has kind of the best momentum and leverage to get to that ball, but it's not really a guarantee. And I noticed that Morgan Moses, the veteran right tackle,
00:14:27
M dub
He's the one who gave up the pressure to haul. He was kind of frustrated with it, and he was kind of like doing a like darn like hand clap and kind of walking away from the play. I don't think he realized the ball was out and the ball was live.
00:14:42
M dub
And yeah, that that's kind of what it feels like a 6-10 team, doesn't it?
00:14:47
Tristan Amundson
Play to the whistle, right? I mean, we we saw this um even with that two-point conversion against the Rams, right? Play to the whistle. It's what this team has done.
00:14:58
Tristan Amundson
um You know, the the the mantra of this team, right? 12 is one. that This idea, i was talking about it with my father this morning. We were eating breakfast and we were talking through that exact play. And i think you're totally right. Shocking effort. And Playing with that 12 is one mentality, you know what that technically means from Mike McDonald's perspective. And I think this is exactly your point.
00:15:28
Tristan Amundson
Play with play your position. So one,
00:15:34
Tristan Amundson
0.01, right? So what's that mean? It means that if everyone plays with just a little extra, I'm sorry, 0.9, if everyone plays with just a little extra effort, 1.09, that 0.9 adds up to another player on the field, which is, you know, quote unquote, the 12th man. You can play basically with 12 guys on the field at all times if everyone is just giving a little extra effort.
00:15:59
Tristan Amundson
um It's a mantra of of Mike. It is what this team's built upon. And man, did we not see that over and over again in this game? I think there was a lot of shocking effort um examples.
00:16:12
Tristan Amundson
um and And I think you probably just pointed out the best of all of them.
00:16:17
M dub
you
00:16:17
Tristan Amundson
Byron Murphy. um Listen, I make no bones about it, Miles. He's my favorite player on the team. um I watch every game. primarily watching Byron Murphy to see what he's up to, to see the double teams he's absorbing, to see the way that he's dominating a game. And I don't, man, i I don't think there's a better example of an unbelievable Byron Murphy game than this game. And and God bless him that he chose this to be the game that...
00:16:46
Tristan Amundson
in In the context of a very good season and postseason, he had an even better Super Bowl, and that's just unbelievable. And I love that you bring this up because it's another example of Byron Murphy playing to the whistle, um playing with shocking effort.
00:17:01
Tristan Amundson
And and what what a beautiful play that was. And and Derek Hall as well on this play, um you know, coming through with the punch out. um Derek Hall was a man possessed. I mean, and we could say that about basically, was there any defensive lineman that you're like, ah, whatever, didn't have that great of the game. They all had.
00:17:23
Tristan Amundson
Such a great game. It's just, it's wild to think of of how this team plays so well together. It's just, it's, I think it kind of makes for a terrible podcast because like we've been saying the same thing all year. This team is so consistent, just like their coach. it's It's not like, I don't think there's a lot of next level analysis except to say that they're doing the same things. They're doing exactly what they told us they wanted to do over and over again.
00:17:53
M dub
I think you're right. And it's funny with this Superbowl. I think the neutral fan might have been underwhelmed by this game because it did actually play out the way everybody predicted. But I think you and I, even though we talked about the game so much last week, we wanted to avoid kind of getting into that because we were aware that the Seahawks were favored. I think we both felt a Patriots path to victory sure seemed unlikely. was kind of hard to envision. And yet,
00:18:21
M dub
Man, that that that pregame narrative usually does not mean very much in the Super Bowl. It really doesn't. I mean, you know, i think I was thinking a lot in this game because Patriots fans were were trying to make the comparison, and I saw it, to the 2001 Super Bowl, Tom Brady beating the greatest show on turf, and Patriots walk into that game as like...
00:18:45
M dub
It's either like 12 14 point underdogs, which is a whole other stratosphere of where we were at with this, I think, appropriate four and a half point line in this game.
00:18:49
Tristan Amundson
Yep.
00:18:56
M dub
i don't know. Even just last year, Patrick Mahomes going up against the Eagles. You're thinking about the Chiefs three peating. You just do not see the the Chiefs getting completely thrashed and the game being over by halftime.
00:19:09
M dub
You know, we knew it. I was, I couldn't, I agreed with with what the pregame narrative kind of was. And I couldn't really see it going another way.
00:19:21
M dub
yeah, and and it actually happened. It kind of bizarre that it it really happened exactly like we thought it would.
00:19:28
Tristan Amundson
yeah Yeah, I mean, it you're totally right. it's It's the game that we we projected going into it very uncomfortably. mean, it was very uncomfortable looking at this game every which way we could and thinking, yeah I think we're winning this one. I think I just I don't see many paths to victory here for these guys. i I thought that um Mike Salk nailed it this week when he said,
00:19:54
Tristan Amundson
Eight out of 10 times the Seahawks are going to win this game. Football's weird. So like, yeah, the Patriots, I'm not saying that the Seahawks are going to win because I'm telling you out of 10 times, I think the Patriots probably win two of them.
00:20:07
Tristan Amundson
um That was Mike's idea going into the game. And I think that was totally right.
00:20:11
Tristan Amundson
um And obviously this was one of the eight that that we beat them in handedly. I just think, you know, when when you talk about like adjustments, when you talk about,
00:20:11
M dub
you
00:20:22
Tristan Amundson
a
Role of Special Teams in Victory
00:20:23
Tristan Amundson
game like this, I think it's as simple as this. Like, and and this is a, so I think this was a very simple game. And in some ways, I think this has been the simple philosophy of this, of this team and maybe superpower of this team all year.
00:20:37
Tristan Amundson
When my four can beat your five, there's, there's no game plan. I don't care if you are like the smartest offensive coordinator on planet earth and you have the best skilled position players ever. And you have a great quarterback, which,
00:20:52
Tristan Amundson
By all accounts, this is one of the best offensive offensive coordinators in the league. This was the MVP runner-up. So obviously, offensive coordinator plus quarterback plus talking about the Patriots right now. i'm Skill position guys. Definitely not plus, but it's certainly adequate. Like good skill position guys.
00:21:13
Tristan Amundson
And yet if my four can beat your five, there's just, we've seen it all year. There's just nothing you can do. And that was the consistent message throughout this game that, um, that, yeah, I mean, it's just, it's too much for, for a team to, to, to fight when, when you can do that. So pretty incredible, pretty incredible to watch these guys go um do you Okay, where where do we want to go with this? i I would love to tell you my favorite play, but i but do we want to do that? do you have other things you want to get to first? Where where do we go in this game, Miles? What do we want to talk about?
00:21:51
M dub
Well, I do want to get to your favorite play. i think I think you're totally right about my four beating year five. I think we both read the article that Bill Barnwell turned around for ESPN this morning.
00:22:01
M dub
Some sort of crazy all-nighter happening for him.
00:22:04
Tristan Amundson
Incredible. Really.
00:22:05
Tristan Amundson
I mean, honestly. Yeah.
00:22:05
M dub
so
00:22:07
M dub
yeah he He noted that um when the Seahawks rushed four, they got pressures 48% of the time, which is what you're talking about.
00:22:15
Tristan Amundson
Well,
00:22:16
M dub
Four beating five. That is an absolutely insane number because the Eagles dominating the Super Bowl last year, just on total total pressures, they got 36% pressures.
00:22:19
Tristan Amundson
it's a bonkers number. Yeah.
00:22:28
M dub
Now, there there were a lot of garbage time snaps in that game, so maybe when the game was competitive, their their number was more like 50 or 60 as well, but... 48% pressure on a four-man rush is...
Sam Darnold's Leadership Journey
00:22:40
M dub
it's kind of too too high of a number to dream of, really, realistically.
00:22:44
M dub
But Barnwell also really got into... you know Mike McDonald, I think you felt him really use this two weeks. I think he was very bored and irritated by the extra week, which is one of the reasons why we appreciate him.
00:22:59
M dub
But one of the things he did was use Devin Witherspoon as a blitzer way more often. And Barnwell had some great numbers on this. On the season, Devin Witherspoon sent as a blitzer 33 times.
00:23:12
M dub
And I don't know if this was an intentional design or not, but in the last four games across the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs, McDonald turned that faucet off.
00:23:18
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
00:23:22
M dub
Zero blitzes by Witherspoon for the last month. So let's we're getting back to like before Christmas time, the last time that Devin Witherspoon blitzed at all.
00:23:33
M dub
Sends him seven times. in this game after 33 all year coming from all different spots in the formation. And you're not, yeah there's not just sending witherspoon as a blitzer. When, when he does that, there are crazy things happening all across the formation safeties coming up and taking receivers and,
00:23:55
M dub
defensive linemen dropping back into coverage or or spying for a Drake Mays scramble. it's It's an 11-man sequence to to get just to get Witherspoon up in in as a blitzer, and those were very impactful plays, and I think it really confused the heck out of them.
00:24:15
Tristan Amundson
It, dude, it it totally did. um i love Bill pointing out specifically the um almost the ballet that's happening there at the defensive tackles and defensive ends dropping into coverage, taking away easy throwing lanes in the, in that very beginning flat.
00:24:36
Tristan Amundson
And that creating just a little extra time for Devin to get home. um And yeah it's crazy to think it hopefully someone asked Mike this question.
00:24:47
Tristan Amundson
um How much of that, you know, now that the season's over, I feel like you kind of reveal a little bit. How much of that was by design did he say in December? right, I'm going to hold back these packages so that it's a fresh look when we want it again. Like, hey, I know I have a great weapon here in Devon. He's a great blitzer.
00:25:07
Tristan Amundson
We're going to use him when we really, like, when we really, really want it and when it's just going to um put the thing away. I also loved... Bill bringing up that um and and correct me if I'm wrong here, Miles, I'm i'm doing this off top of my head that
Team Culture and Coaching Influence
00:25:24
Tristan Amundson
um in this game, the Seahawks blitzed.
00:25:26
Tristan Amundson
I believe he said 33 percent of the time in the first half and then it dropped down to eight percent of the time in the second half. Am i are you remembering and am I remembering those numbers right?
00:25:40
Tristan Amundson
If not, it's it's pretty doggone close.
00:25:42
M dub
Yeah, the spirit of the numbers is correct.
00:25:44
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. And so the idea behind that even is so cool. And, and Collinsworth noted that right during the game, how both defense were being so aggressive and just throwing everything at these quarterbacks in the beginning of the game.
00:25:58
Tristan Amundson
And it it was obvious. I mean, the beginning of this game, it did look like, um, everything that you would want from Mike McDonald had looked like a mad scientist with all of these blitz packages and, and all the exotics that that we saw that we typically like we're not really used to as Seahawks fans.
00:26:16
Tristan Amundson
And then I do think the second half looked a little bit more like what we're used to, although even less. Right. I mean, we blitzed even less than our standard um in the second as as that four man rush was just so powerful.
00:26:30
Tristan Amundson
um Man, a couple of shout outs from my perspective. I mean, Demarcus Lawrence just having his way with will Campbell there on the left side of the line was, was incredible to see.
00:26:44
Tristan Amundson
I know I'm a broken record, man. i know this is not very entertaining because I've said it about 20 times all year, but again, i just got to say it one more time.
00:26:52
M dub
you
00:26:55
Tristan Amundson
This is the last time I'll say it until next year. Byron Murphy. He's my favorite player on this team. So incredible to watch him dominate from his position. um just Just incredible. An incredible effort, to your point before, effort played by Byron Murphy, effort gained by Byron Murphy.
00:27:14
Tristan Amundson
um and then Demarcus Lawrence and the rest of the team kind of picking on that left side of the line. It was just such a fun thing to see over and over again. It just...
00:27:26
Tristan Amundson
what What a cool game. I mean, just as a Seahawks fan, here's here's another broken record thing, Miles. I've said it many times this year. We have to enjoy these moments. yeah that this There is no guarantee, right? Next year could happen. with this We could be a six-win team next year, and everything could just go wrong, even though we have all the right people, right? You never know.
00:27:49
Tristan Amundson
Injuries happen. The football's a weird shape. There's a lot of variables between now and next February. in this moment yeah you you don't get a lot of these and roger gudell mentioned it right it was 12 years ago that we won last time and that was not that long ago we are lucky that we have won a super bowl within 12 years of the last super bowl and Dude, I'm just, yeah to to everyone listening, you just, you gotta just sit back and put a smile on your face and enjoy it.
00:28:24
Tristan Amundson
All of the the hand-wringing, the entire year of consternation, it leads to this moment on a Monday after a Super Bowl knowing your team actually won. It's just incredible.
00:28:38
M dub
It is incredible. um To me, I felt like there were two different stages to this game. One where the the first
Defining Plays and Historical Significance
00:28:46
M dub
stage was three quarters long, and it was when the Patriots were kind of scuffling along.
00:28:51
M dub
And in the first three quarters, the Seahawks allowed 78 total yards of offense, which is just totally crazy.
00:28:56
Tristan Amundson
Incredible. incredible
00:29:00
M dub
And then the in the second half of the game, the second stage of the game, the Patriots kind of knew they had to move it downfield to have a shot because they were down 19 to zero. And they got 253 of their total yards in the fourth quarter.
00:29:16
M dub
a lot of those in garbage time And funny enough, that's when they, it didn't really work for them because they scored points during that time. Seahawks still outscored them in the fourth quarter, 17 to 13.
00:29:30
M dub
And you kind of saw why they didn't open it up earlier because the Seahawks create three monster turnovers in the last 15 minutes and 15 seconds of this game. There were no turnovers in the game before then. It's the closing seconds of the third quarter. And so, yeah.
00:29:48
M dub
Uh, yeah, it neither way really worked for the Patriots.
00:29:52
Tristan Amundson
That's a really cool thing to bring up, man.
00:29:53
M dub
Now,
00:29:54
Tristan Amundson
Like just the idea. um and i want keep going on what you're saying, but i just want to comment really fast. The idea that you could, you can see the difference in the philosophy in which the Patriots were playing with that exact thought, the beginning of the game, the first three quarters, no turnovers, and also just not a lot going on.
00:30:13
Tristan Amundson
And then, okay, we're going to have to start taking some risks and, you see why they weren't doing it in the beginning. i think that's a really great thing to point out that they had to switch gears. And that was that was a real thing that happened in this game. The Patriots switched offensive philosophies somewhat.
00:30:30
Tristan Amundson
OK, this is going to be one of those games. We're going to have to try to shoot ourselves back in. And obviously, you know, it didn't work out.
00:30:38
M dub
Yeah, and it's way too late. And you're right to mention you know that that the Seahawks were blitzing. you know They were like lowest in the league at 15% blitz, so something like that for the regular season.
00:30:48
M dub
To go 8% in the second half is almost nothing, but we still have the Derek Hall strip sack that Byron Murphy recovers, and we also have the Devin Witherspoon blitz.
00:31:00
M dub
you know ah Technically, i don't know what what that gets marked down as in the stat sheet. His his wrist and his hand is is right on Drake May's throwing arm, and May flings it right into Chenin Nwosu's breadbasket for the pick-six interceptions.
00:31:14
Tristan Amundson
yep
00:31:16
M dub
That's coming on the 8% blitz portion portion of the game.
00:31:21
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, it's... I think technically in the stat sheet, that just counts as a QB hit because it was an interception, which is hilarious.
00:31:27
M dub
I think you're right. I think you're right.
00:31:29
Tristan Amundson
If that's just a QB hit, it's probably the most impactful QB hit ever. um I mean, it' it goes to show why the stats don't don't tell the story, right?
00:31:40
Tristan Amundson
Because, yeah yeah... Witherspoon was, you know, really the most important person on that play, or at least the most impactful from a statistical perspective or whatever, from an actual on the field playing perspective.
00:31:53
Tristan Amundson
And yeah, it'll just show up as ah as a QB hit. Like, oh, he only had one sack, huh? Well, not not exactly.
00:32:03
M dub
Tristan, sometimes in a movie, there's, especially these long series of movies we have these days, there's a moment in the end credits or something like that where you get You get ah a bit of a sneak preview to what the next movie is going to be like. ah a bit of a surprise new character may be introduced at a crucial moment. And you know they're going to be a main character in the future.
00:32:26
M dub
We had a moment like that in the middle of this game that I know was your favorite moment of the game. Tristan, can you take us through it? This sudden this sudden flash. that of ah it suddenly I felt like that's so Raven. I was suddenly seeing into the future, into 2026. You want take us through this play?
00:32:47
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. You know, but before we get all the way into the play, and And I know we've talked about this a little bit, so i'm I'm just going to take my time on Riley Mills here just a little bit. it I think I've said a few times on this podcast, if I could be in ah in a press conference, I would be really interested. If I was writing a story, if I if i worked for yeah ESPN or if I was a writer, I would want to do an in-depth story on the journey of Riley Mills from...
00:33:15
Tristan Amundson
um The moment he tore his ACL at Notre Dame to the recovery process, probably the doubts of where am I going to get drafted when, oh man, I'm going to fall in the draft.
00:33:29
Tristan Amundson
He falls to the Seahawks. We get him in the fourth round and he starts this incredible journey of being having to recover from an ACL, which I know a lot of players have to do, um but it is unique starting your NFL career injured reserve. you're You start there and you miss training camp because of it. You you miss um the mini camps. You miss all of the offseason program.
00:33:58
Tristan Amundson
You aren't playing on the team until what week 14 or 15, whatever it was that he was finally activated. I think about that story. I think it's incredible. I really do. I think it's one of the most interesting stories of the Seahawks this year.
00:34:15
Tristan Amundson
a guy that they drafted, they knew they were getting him at a discount, right? Hey, we're going to get him in the fourth. He's probably a second rounder that we're getting in the fourth round because of this injury. And if you think about the emotions that that guy's probably gone through over the last year, the fact that it culminates in...
00:34:35
Tristan Amundson
not only getting to the Super Bowl, but, oh, wait, I'm going to be on the active roster. Riley Mills is on the active roster, Miles. He gets five snaps.
00:34:46
Tristan Amundson
Five. He is on the field five times on defense for this entire game. And one of those times... is a sack that there's only one way miles to describe the sack that Riley Mills had.
00:35:04
Tristan Amundson
And i wish there was a less crass way I could say it, um but I have studied the lexicons. I have studied the dictionaries. i have I have called English professors and there is no more eloquent way to say what needs to be said about this my ah this Riley Mills sack We, I think, have a point of pride on this podcast.
00:35:28
Tristan Amundson
This is a family podcast. we We want mom and dad to be able to listen to us when they're driving their kids to school, right? We we want Timmy to be in the backseat listening, and we want mom and dad to know this is a safe place.
00:35:40
M dub
Bye.
00:35:43
Tristan Amundson
We're not going to cuss. We're not you know we're we're goingnna we're going to keep this show. But Miles, i have to there's there's no other word to describe what he did. So I'm going to have to break rank here. just Do I have your permission, Miles, to to use the correct terminology on what miley ah what miley what Riley Mills did on the sack? I need your sign-off before I use a word that I typically wouldn't use in in a broadcast setting.
00:36:14
M dub
we We have to be accurate here. you've You've studied, you've combed the English language, and you have one option at your disposal right now.
00:36:24
Tristan Amundson
i don't I wish I had another option. i I mean, Shakespeare himself does not have it. so So mom and dad, I'm going to put together the letters A-S-S.
00:36:36
Tristan Amundson
I'm going to do that. It's going to happen right now. So if if we need to pause ah the podcast, you know I'm going to give families just a moment before I say what I'm going to say right this second, which is...
00:36:50
Tristan Amundson
That was a grown ass man sack. And there's no there's no other way to say it. When you take another man against his will, that is the size of an offensive lineman and you drive that lineman into the quarterback.
00:36:58
M dub
you
00:37:07
Tristan Amundson
And then while you're holding that lineman, you grab onto the quarterback and you sack him. And that is your first sack in the NFL. And it also happens to be during the Super Bowl, Riley Mills,
00:37:24
Tristan Amundson
I mean, brother, enjoy it. Enjoy this today. i was so thrilled, Miles, to see that. It was pure power. It was pure power. It's just pure strength, strength on strength. I'm going to outpower you. I'm going to manhandle you um If you right now go on Webster's.com and you look up the definition of manhandled, you will see a picture of Riley Mills doing what he did to that poor offensive lineman.
00:37:53
Tristan Amundson
um it It was an incredible moment. I'm so happy for him. It's without a doubt, Miles, it's my favorite play of the game and it's not even close. And that's in the context of what you just said, right? Devin Witherspoon, unbelievable game.
00:38:08
Tristan Amundson
He had a sack. He had, i guess what we'd call a QP hit that resulted in an interception pick six by Chenna. We had Byron Murphy having just an unbelievable game with two sacks and jumping on a fumble.
00:38:24
Tristan Amundson
ah We had K-9 as the MVP. We had Sam Darnold playing under control. We had so many contributors. Derek Hall having the game of his life.
00:38:36
Tristan Amundson
And yet, I have to just be honest with you and the people, Riley Mills, that sack, it's absolutely my favorite play of the game.
00:38:47
M dub
I think you're right to to highlight what what a story it is and what an arc it is because it's it's the kind of thing you just can't really cover it that much, I think, even if you're the most attentive Seahawks reporter. and It's not a story we see very often, and and you do want you do think about. So he he did tear his ACL at Notre Dame last December. I'm sure there were some very dark nights you know ah in in the first months of that injury.
00:39:15
M dub
Combines coming up. Just the whole thing, it's not something you, you know, as he went through his career at Notre Dame, he knows he's an NFL caliber player and and he's getting there.
00:39:26
M dub
It's just not something you envision. And it's that you you envision dominating the combine and not having to sit out because of this injury. it would It would have been wild to tell him the first night or two after that injury, you're going to work at this every day.
00:39:45
M dub
For 14 months with nothing guaranteed to you, you're going to be doing untold amounts of physical therapy behind the scenes. Nobody's really going to see it. And yet in 14 months, you are going to get this sack in the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. I mean, that would have been really wild to tell that, wouldn't it? it
00:40:06
Tristan Amundson
It's incredible. No, it's, it's incredible. And and I think about, i think about Riley and I think about all of, I think another fun storyline in this game, man. And I, by the way, let, ah let me hear your favorite play of the game as well. But just that as you're talking about Riley winning the Superbowl, right now, let's take one more step back. And I just, I think this is worthy of, of a quick discussion before we get to your favorite play.
00:40:33
Tristan Amundson
The rookies. This happens every year. Every year you have rookies on your team. Every year a team wins the Super Bowl. Every year you have rookies where their first experience in the NFL is I'm a Super Bowl champion, which it just blows my mind. It blows my mind that that happens every year. There are there is a rookie that that gets a ring.
00:40:55
Tristan Amundson
And i think about this rookie class and I think about, I mean, the insane impact, right? This time last year, we did not know Gray Zabel and Nikki Minwari were going to be on this team. And obviously they turned into massively important pieces along with a lot of other guys that came in, Robbie Oots and um Elijah Arroyo. I mean, a lot of really important pieces that that we picked up in the draft.
00:41:21
Tristan Amundson
i so So that's thought number one is it's just kind of crazy that a rookie can can win the Super Bowl. And and this is a great story and and awesome for those guys. Flip that on its head to the other side of it.
00:41:34
Tristan Amundson
Think about Leo Williams. Think about D-Law. Demarcus Lawrence has been in this league for 11, 12 years, and this is his first Super Bowl, and he won it.
00:41:47
Tristan Amundson
And i I was thinking about that going into this game with with some of the you know potential distractions. And I think we even said last week, this you know the distractions of the team potentially being sold or the distractions um of losing an offensive offensive coordinator all these things it's not a distraction to a guy like demarcus lawrence because Like this this is what he wants more than ever anything, right?
00:42:13
Tristan Amundson
They even mentioned right on the broadcast, he would not be alerted if his wife went into labor. Like they had agreed.
00:42:19
M dub
you
00:42:20
Tristan Amundson
no this this trumps you going into labor. I need to finish this game. Nothing was going to distract. And I just, lets let's just take a moment. I just would love to hear your your thoughts on the dichotomy of those of that idea. These two extremes, a rookie wins,
00:42:38
Tristan Amundson
a Super Bowl ring and ah an 11, 12 year veteran gets to the Super Bowl for the first time. He's taken the long way and he gets this culmination.
00:42:49
Tristan Amundson
i just i think it's another storyline that puts a massive smile on my face.
00:42:56
M dub
think you're I love this. I was actually thinking about this quite a bit in the days leading up to this game. There's a video on YouTube. Sorry, I totally forget the title.
00:43:07
M dub
And it feels very independently produced, I think. This wasn't an ESPN production or anything like that. And last April, it went to Irmo, South Carolina, which is the hometown of Mr. Nick Emanwari, and spent the the kind of days of the draft with him.
00:43:21
Tristan Amundson
Okay.
00:43:26
M dub
And it's a funny time because, you know, he just put in this incredible college football season. And you know that the months between the end of the college football season and the draft are just so packed for these prospects. But then there's this kind of breath ah of a lot of kind of anxious free time.
00:43:45
M dub
and he's just kind of scooting around his hometown ah a little bit aimlessly. He kind of shows the field where, where he would work with his brother a lot. where We're introduced to his dad in the video, who's a pretty low key character, just like his mom. They're, they're not completely sold into the football thing. You know, they're, they're happy Nick's doing it, but they're, you know, they're, they're kind of learning about it as he goes.
00:44:11
M dub
And for, for, so So that video was made 10 months ago, which which basically just happened. You know, that that was last April.
00:44:17
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. Yeah.
00:44:18
M dub
And even still, and I know this isn't the biggest mountain in the world, but there's still an emotional reality to it that would have felt like it took forever. You know, Nick was taken early in the second round, but that meant it was possible for him to go in the first round.
00:44:36
M dub
And so those are two separate days of the draft right now. So day one, hes he's got a lot of folks over at the house. Friends and family are there. And, you know, it could have happened.
00:44:47
M dub
And he wants to be ready for it. And it's it's a tough moment because, you know, not not that he had an ego about it or anything, but it it could have happened. It was it was realistic. And the the draft is ah really long as an observer. I'm sure it's even longer when you're waiting to hear your name called and and longer still when it doesn't get called. And then you got to wait a whole, that's a long 24-hour time, you know?
00:45:13
M dub
So anyway, I think about Riley Mills and and saying, hey, What if this is going to be your reality 14 months from now? And same thing with Nicky Manwari sitting on that couch and having a really awkward 24 hours with with nothing to do, nothing he could do, and saying, ah hey, Nick, this is this is a tough day.
00:45:33
M dub
But, you know, 10 months from now, you're going to be winning the Super Bowl as a starting member of one of the greatest defenses. It's going to be like your 13th or 14th total game in the NFL. You're going to feel and play like a veteran by that point already. So I was really thinking about ah Nick Emanwari and the Emanwari family a lot with this game after that video.
00:45:56
M dub
Look it up, folks.
00:45:57
Tristan Amundson
Oh, I'm going to. I want to check that out. It's a fun thing, too. yeah I like what you just said at the very end there. You know, you think about now you're really a veteran and...
00:46:09
Tristan Amundson
These playoff games, I wonder if a coach would tell us this ah if there's any rhyme or reason to the idea that these games must kind of count, like just from a from a player maturation perspective, kind of is like one and a half or two games. like Like you you go through a regular season and you're a rookie, you get to the postseason, and you're just getting more opportunities to add reps and and to know the game better and become more of a veteran.
00:46:39
Tristan Amundson
And man, it makes me just kind of wonder going into next year, just how valuable these playoff reps are. I mean, think about that. This entire team now yeah are Super Bowl champions. They have an insane like that adds an insane level of experience. If you're a video game player, right? And you're like trying to like level up your character and each each thing you do, you're adding the experience and your player gets a little better and better.
00:47:06
Tristan Amundson
you know, you went to Superbowl. This must be an insane experience level upper. You just went, you know, a couple levels up, um, with this game. And it makes you just kind of think through from Riley Mills to a Nikki Monroe to Elijah Royo.
00:47:22
Tristan Amundson
Um, you know how ahead of the game they're going to be week one now going into next year which and let's not even talk about next year i don't want to get ahead of ourselves um but yeah that just the idea that that these guys are able to stack these reps is is pretty cool too so um that's but um'm i'm gonna check out that uh that youtube video send me maybe maybe we can add the link in the uh the description
00:47:46
M dub
That's a good idea. It'll be in the description.
00:47:46
Tristan Amundson
of this. Yeah, that would be first time we've ever done that. That's a very podcasty thing we just said, Miles. We'll have a link in the description. I've i've never, um and that came from a really pure place, which I'm i'm really happy that both of us ah did. Do you have, ah can you give us your favorite um play of of the game, Miles?
00:48:06
M dub
Biggest emotional reaction out of me by far was the Julian Love interception. i couldn't believe he was just sitting on it. And that was the That came in the one moment of the entire four-hour evening.
00:48:19
M dub
That was the one 10-minute wobble ah and and the fact that that got completely erased.
00:48:22
Tristan Amundson
Yep.
00:48:24
M dub
So definitely the play of the game, that felt like a Super Bowl winning play to me. i gave a big yell at at the television out of that. the The other play, though, that that had also got me thinking about about what what Coach Mack has created and what's going on here with this team.
00:48:45
M dub
you know i think we've learned that. So so Coach Mack has these talking points that that kind of sound... they At first glance, they sound like empty coach speak.
00:48:57
M dub
But the difference with Coach Mack is... is he's incredibly consistent with them and he means them and he's kind of figured out the right philosophy that actually helps you win football games. And one of them, the one that's gotten me over and over this year is the ready squad, not saying practice squad, but saying ready squad and saying, we don't win this game with 53 players.
00:49:21
M dub
We win this game with 70 players. We really need 70 players. It's been a different guy pretty much every game goes out of nowhere. And on the biggest stage, twice, we have Valus Jones running back.
00:49:38
M dub
Tristan, this guy came in on the Saints special teams and got blown out by the Seahawks in October this year. He was on the Saints with Rasheed Shahid at that time. Gets signed by the Seahawks much later. Doesn't appear until early December.
00:49:53
M dub
And this guy has has about 100 snaps total for the Seahawks. Most of them on special teams. But in this game... helps cough and corner two different Michael Dixon punts, one at the two in the first half, one at the four in the second half. And if you look at the box score of the game, the kind of drive-by-drive, the Seahawks get the ball and they score after that. Like the Patriots don't score. The next team to score is the Seahawks after those cough and corner punts.
00:50:24
M dub
I just couldn't believe it. We're talking about a guy who's been in Seattle, He's been in a hotel room or something probably. Right. I mean, he's been in Seattle since like December 2nd or something.
00:50:30
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
00:50:33
M dub
So, I mean, for for even a guy like that to come in, you know, doesn't do training camp. but You know, he's in New Orleans. He was in New Orleans for all that. So I just thought those were really great plays.
00:50:45
M dub
I do, you know that that you know, there aren't just rookies who are playing in the Super Bowl. there are there are all I mean, Bayless Jones isn't a rookie, but he's kind of bounced around the league. But, you know, there are guys without a lot of experience, either in the NFL or or came from really small college programs,
00:51:03
M dub
who get into these big games, I always feel nervous for them. You know, we saw the guy with the Niners, the punt returner. and No, sorry, the guy at the Rams, the punt returner, had these problems in the last game.
00:51:15
Tristan Amundson
Yep.
00:51:15
M dub
You know, they're high moments or low moments.
00:51:18
M dub
And and to get to get, I mean, those are winning plays. I know I'm talking about special teams that end downing a punt, but really had to get down there for both of them.
00:51:29
M dub
I think it's a big error for the Patriots that they didn't try to catch those punts. I've heard Ernie Adams, the the the kind of Patriots, you know, genius behind the genius behind the genius.
00:51:41
M dub
He's talked about how important it is to catch catch the punt to prevent that from happening. I was i was just really surprised with with a Mike Vrabel coach team that they didn't do that.
00:51:52
M dub
We talked last week. this This is Marcus Jones returning the punts, the NFL's all-time leader. in yards per punted per punt return.
00:51:57
Tristan Amundson
well
00:52:00
M dub
And he he lets those go by and pays the price for it. And those, I mean, the the these these are two more bricks in the mansion that was the Super Bowl victory.
00:52:13
Tristan Amundson
yeah and yeah Yeah, I think it's a it would have been a shame if we got through this podcast without saying Michael Dixon's name. um So i thank you, Miles. I think it's really it is important.
00:52:24
Tristan Amundson
I have he has always been described as a weapon. um ah Really kind of think of him as like a defensive weapon, right? Because He's pinning the other team back and he does it so well. I do think that his kicks are unique and I do think that they're difficult to catch. And and I think that other teams have seen enough um terrible moments where you kind of just say, you know, poison on that and and you get away from it. Yeah.
00:52:51
Tristan Amundson
But the position that he continually put this team in every time he went out and punted. yeah Michael Dixon played a lot in this game. I mean, he really, he we needed him. And it goes back to this team playing with just such consistency, right? I mean, if you were use one or phrase to describe...
00:53:13
Tristan Amundson
or a phrase to describe Offense, special teams, and defense. I would say offense under control. um I would say ah defense suffocating for sure.
00:53:27
Tristan Amundson
um Special teams, clutch? Is that the right word? ah what's What's the word to describe this special teams unit? Clutch. they brought such an important aspect. Jay Harbaugh has done such an incredible job this year with that unit.
00:53:43
Tristan Amundson
um And, and Michael Dixon was a massive part of it. So I, I think it's a really great thing to bring them up. I know you're talking ready squad as well. I think George Helani also, man, I mean, you know, we, we needed George Helani to, to spell canine canine had the game of his life.
00:53:52
M dub
Thank you.
00:54:00
Tristan Amundson
And yet, um even that, like he can't be out there 100% of the snaps. we He has to have moments where he can rest. And George Helani, he answered the call. I mean, he he kept the lights on and kept things moving in the right direction. The ready squad thing is is totally real. So um ah love love both points, man. Michael Dixon, huge shout out to him. Jason Myers as well.
00:54:26
Tristan Amundson
um And the special teams unit in general, just really bringing it.
00:54:31
M dub
With the special teams unit, I think of of mastery of detail. because i got it a little bit wrong.
00:54:36
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. Good. good
00:54:37
M dub
So the first down punt, that was that was a punt that the Patriots, that Marcus Jones chose not to catch. The second punt was the one where the Patriots really sold out to try to block it, and they just didn't have a returner back there. And that was the one where Dixon really needed to to move fast and kind of line-drived it across the field.
00:54:58
M dub
In Dixon's press conference after the game, he talked about that Jay Harbaugh did come up to him, you know, as as we're kind of heading towards the punt to say, by the way, this is like this is what the Patriots are going to do. You are going to have to speed up the operation. And, you know, it really, you know, i mean to get that punt blocked would have been a total disaster.
00:55:23
M dub
you know So so to just to think, to anticipate that, and to turn a potential disaster play into a coffin corner punt is is really incredible attention to detail.
00:55:35
Tristan Amundson
It really is. Dude, I'm glad you heard that. I did not hear that part of the press conference. That's, and I mean, it goes back. Attention to detail. That's an incredible thing.
00:55:45
Tristan Amundson
and And then you have the right guy to perform the task, right? I mean, i think one one great thing about Michael Dixon is he he is a good improviser he can do improv um out there and and just kind of figure it out probably better than any other punter i know there's other really good punters in the league i'm not saying he's the best he's definitely one of the best but i think Being able to absorb the, hey, you're going have to just kind of do one of your your quick directional kicks. You're going to have to do a different kick this time. um
00:56:21
Tristan Amundson
I actually kind of as fate would have it, YouTube very nicely served up to me his double punt that happened a couple of years ago against the Rams. where it got blocked.
00:56:34
Tristan Amundson
He's the first one to see it. He runs to it, picks it back up again and punts it again, which is just, it's one of the craziest things you'll ever see. and it's the perfect example of how he just has that ability to kind of improvise and on the fly.
00:56:52
Tristan Amundson
And, and yeah, it sounds like some good examples of that in this game too, where Harbaugh gives him the warning and he just knows, all right, well, this one's hot.
00:56:52
M dub
you
00:57:01
Tristan Amundson
We'll get this one out. And um man, he, he was a massive factor in this game. It's one of those games you needed everyone to play the right way. And ah you know, I'm i'm glad Michael Dixon's on our side. He's a great weapon.
00:57:16
M dub
Also got his third career tackle in the middle of the game. and Myers and Dixon each got a tackle, which is crazy.
00:57:19
Tristan Amundson
And hey, I was going to say Myers, I mean, maybe a game, maybe a touchdown saving tackle. That tackle that Myers had, i mean, it kind of felt like he might have been the last guy to beat. And he put his shoulder pad into that guy. Didn't try to do any silly tripping like we saw a couple of weeks ago. He just put his shoulder pad into the guy and kept him, you know, got him to the sidelines. That was great.
00:57:45
M dub
We have only mentioned him briefly to this point, but I think we should get into Kenneth Walker.
00:57:51
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
00:57:51
M dub
He was my choice for MVP. I know there was a million great choices on defense, but I really think K-9, there's a big spotlight in on him in this game. It was the running attack we thought we would see in the preseason. It didn't really see until late December with with the team really, truly going run first.
00:58:12
M dub
And K-9's game, we can talk about. There's a lot to talk about. it was aesthetically so pleasing. But Tristan, this this game from K-9 makes a pretty big dent in the Super Bowl record books.
00:58:25
M dub
So the final numbers... He goes 27 rushes for 135 yards, an excellent five per yards per carry, just just nice and even.
00:58:35
Tristan Amundson
Nice and clean.
00:58:35
M dub
That is tied.
00:58:37
M dub
What's that?
00:58:37
Tristan Amundson
Oh, sorry. Just nice and clean there. Five furs.
00:58:40
M dub
Yeah.
00:58:40
Tristan Amundson
Great.
00:58:41
M dub
Yeah, five per. ah That is tied for the eighth most rushing yards by anybody in any Super Bowl game. He also adds 26 yards receiving. That's really nice.
00:58:52
M dub
And that moves him up to tied for 10th all time in just total yards from scrimmage for anybody in any Super Bowl. one of the Just to show how big that is, one of the people he's tied with at 10th overall was also in the building as one of the honorary coin flippers, Mr. Lynn Swan, from the legendary Steelers teams in the 70s. That was his best effort in a Super Bowl, 161 yards from scrimmage. I mean, we are talking about a a really...
00:59:22
M dub
big game. And but most of those, but the tied for eighth all-time in rushing yards, most of those performances are the the little Super Bowl numeral is pretty low. We're talking, but that's a lot of Super Bowl 12 and Super Bowl 15. I mean, this Super Bowl 60, nobody had really gotten that high up the charts since Terrell Davis. that That's half of the history of the Super Bowl ago in the late ninety s I mean, this this we haven't seen a game like this in a long time in the Super Bowl.
00:59:51
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, no, it was it was so impressive. he felt like a steadying force. um if If I was to to try to describe his game as pithy as possible, he just felt very in control, steadying throughout this game. And really when we needed him, right, some of those big runs where just felt like our offense wasn't getting going.
01:00:17
Tristan Amundson
Kenneth was really the the piece that, that put all this together. i do. And I, I already gave, George Helani props. I, and he certainly deserves them.
01:00:27
Tristan Amundson
I do think that if Charbonnet was in this game between the two of them, I think this, it really could have gotten out of hand because i think that that just would have been our offense unrelenting on the Patriots. And I think it would have been over a little faster.
01:00:43
Tristan Amundson
um But man, it was a probably the signature game for Kenneth. I mean, he's had some other great games, obviously, even against the Rams. He had a great game, too. So it's it's hard to say that this is the game, um but it's the Super Bowl. It's the biggest game. And his impact was so obvious.
01:01:03
Tristan Amundson
um That steady in force. Yeah, just really. Really incredible. Couldn't be happier for him. And hey, he's a free agent. So that's a big deal for his finances. um He gets to now negotiate for a new contract as the Super Bowl MVP and happy to pay him the money. He deserves every penny.
01:01:22
M dub
It felt like just such a, he leveled up his, his kind of running back artistry. I felt like we, we did see a lot of those plays where he kind of, he really almost comes to us.
01:01:27
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. Yeah.
01:01:33
M dub
I mean, just the, the patience and waiting for those blocks to develop. i think everybody saw that that's what he did on the inside. I mean, his first run was was on the outside for like 10 yards.
01:01:45
M dub
Like I think that was the Seahawks very first snap from scrimmage. Um, That's a lot of running. don I don't think we we would want to give K9 the ball or any team would want to give him the ball 27 times a game the entire year.
01:01:59
M dub
But i think we I think we kind of had the right idea when Charbonnet went out with the injury. that That's definitely not anything anybody wanted. But at that point, there's the Rams game coming up. And then if they won that, the two-week break into the Super Bowl.
01:02:13
M dub
And I think we both felt comfortable that, hey, K9's going to get a lot more touches than average. But But that'll be just fine. We're we're emptying the tank here, and and he he handled it brilliantly.
01:02:24
Tristan Amundson
yeah Yeah, now was the time. And he absolutely gave us an unbelievable performance. I think another cool story, man, that that I'd love to chat with you about a little bit is Cooper Cup.
01:02:36
Tristan Amundson
And just if you think of, again, the long story arc of of his career and, you know, just his dominance as a Ram winning the Super Bowl, winning being the MVP of their Super Bowl,
01:02:50
Tristan Amundson
Getting now, you know, kind of having an, how do we describe his parting with the Rams? Kind of unceremoniously, um you know, maybe some bad blood, maybe not done in a very classy way by the Rams, I think i think is the truth. and um And certainly what you kind of hear from from Cooper. and And it sounds like he's a pretty mature guy and he had to kind of work through that a little bit and, and really pursued some hard conversations with the Rams afterwards. So he could have some closure on the way that that relationship ended.
01:03:25
Tristan Amundson
And then to see him be a big part of our win in the NFC championship game, To see him really, like the course of this year, not be the biggest factor on offense, but they constantly were talking about him, to your point earlier, right? Constantly talking about this steadying force, this veteran leadership, um what he meant to JSN this year, all of those things.
01:03:52
Tristan Amundson
To see it paid off with him as our leading receiver in this game and the obvious impact he made in this game, I just, it's hard to write the story any better for him. I'm i'm so thrilled that this is how he won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks.
01:04:07
Tristan Amundson
um Was he the MVP of the game? No. Did he have a massive impact?
01:04:10
M dub
Thank you.
01:04:11
Tristan Amundson
Yes. Was he our leading receiver in this game? Absolutely. um And we couldn't have done it without him. I just I think it's another great long arc story that that just turned out to have a really, really happy ending.
01:04:28
M dub
Absolutely. Cooper Cup, leading receiver. Ernest Jones, leading tackler. i mean that's i mean, when the when the Rams are sitting at home, I think you really got to think about that. You you let i mean they came out it you let them out of your building.
01:04:44
M dub
You did. And I know Ernest Jones went to Nashville in between, but my goodness. that mean that's that I know it was a close margin. That's that's really got to sting, though. I mean, come on.
01:04:56
Tristan Amundson
It really does. I mean, and it couldn't be worse for them that, you know, these guys have success together with the Seahawks. I mean, that is worst case scenario. If you're, if you're the Rams and Rams leadership um and yeah, just thrilled for both of those guys that they were able to have that success. And then, Hey, you know what?
01:05:17
Tristan Amundson
I think another thing that's worth saying, i think we all, Oh, a little bit of gratitude to the University of Southern California. um USC has been very good miles to the Seahawks. And in this game, they gave us two really important graduates. Shout out to USC giving us um or producing Sam Darnold and Leo Williams. I mean, pretty incredible that both of those guys came from USC. And that Sam Darvold becomes the first quarterback in USC history to ever win a Superbowl.
01:05:53
Tristan Amundson
Um, pretty, pretty incredible how all this stuff comes together.
01:05:57
M dub
Yeah, shout out to Chenna as well, also a USC Trojan.
01:06:00
Tristan Amundson
Oh, that's right. Oh, I, you know what? I knew that. Dang it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jenna.
01:06:04
M dub
ah you're all you're all I mean, it it is kind of wild after Pete.
01:06:05
Tristan Amundson
Absolutely. It's, it's wild. Yeah, no, it's a, they've been, they've been very good to us and, uh, um, And yeah, I mean, you know, we haven't even really talked too much about Sam. I, I just think he's proven it so much that I'm kind of past the Sam Darnold stories a little bit. I just, I think he's a great quarterback. I'm, I'm really happy that he's our quarterback.
01:06:29
Tristan Amundson
Um, And ah I mostly am just um thrilled that at the end of the day, he gets to look at his alma mater and say, I'm the first SC quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.
01:06:40
Tristan Amundson
And I know he won't say this out loud or to anybody, but ah if you're Sam Darnold, you have to kind of just chuckle this morning when you wake up and think about Lamar Jackson.
01:06:54
Tristan Amundson
Think about Josh Allen. And you got a Super Bowl before both of those guys. that That ring is on your finger. And those guys are both searching for theirs. It's... Yeah. yeah you You couldn't write the movie, Miles. yeah I would tell you it's an unbelievable movie. it's Try again. This is a dumb movie. let's Let's start from the drawing board. And yet this is all real life. It's it's great.
01:07:22
M dub
I saw this speaking to Sam Darnold and how he i mean the evolution over the last few weeks I I've seen this stat around enough after the game that i I guess I have to believe it, but in in a greater way, i I just don't believe it.
01:07:42
M dub
i don't know if you saw this one, that the Seahawks are the first team to win the Super Bowl without committing a turnover in the playoffs. Now, I know it's true that the Seahawks haven't committed a turnover in the playoffs, but, I mean, 60 Super Bowl champions, the only one to not do it.
01:07:52
Tristan Amundson
wow
01:08:00
M dub
Have you seen this stat?
01:08:02
Tristan Amundson
the First time I'm hearing it right now, my I'm trying to get my head around it. That's pretty unbelievable. Again, going back to the longer story arc of the year with with um our struggles as a team with turnovers. Talk about tightening it up at the exact right time. That's incredible, man.
01:08:19
M dub
Yeah, I mean, it was it was on Yahoo.com article, and I'm sure many other places that said that. So that's a reputable source. But yeah, I looked back at it. The Minnesota Vikings had the most turnovers in the league this year in the regular season with 30, and Seattle was in second place with 28.
01:08:38
M dub
The average team in the league had 19. So that's way, way below average. that's That's turning the ball over a lot. And I think you heard from Sam a little bit after the game that his responsibility, I think he kind of settled into it with realizing how good the defense and the special teams was.
01:08:57
M dub
and also realizing how many short fields the defense was going to give him, that his responsibility was was to take care of the ball. And that's that's absolutely what he did. Looking at his stat line in this game, I mean, it's so funny that Drake May has almost 100 more passing yards than him, but everybody who watched the game knows who the more impactful quarterback was.
01:09:20
M dub
that That was a fourth quarter yard.
01:09:20
Tristan Amundson
Yep.
01:09:22
M dub
Sam Darnold, 19 for 38. Tristan, are you with me? i I kind of view that as a really positive thing. I view that as a lot of plays. This is a really well-played game by the Patriots defense.
01:09:35
M dub
A lot of those, that's 50% accuracy, but a lot of those incompletions were just getting the ball out of harm's way. you know the The ball was in danger maybe once or twice. Some of those really great Christian Gonzalez plays.
01:09:51
M dub
But that's kind of just getting the ball out of the harm's way and moving on to the next play or or just moving on to the field goal and taking those three points and getting on to the next possession, getting on to the next Michael Dixon punt.
01:10:04
M dub
I mean, it's it's kind of – it kind of goes counter to how you would maybe feel – ah there's an interesting type of competitiveness he has to have to play quarterback that well, but also just be willing, willing to let a play go. And he, did he just did a great job with it.
01:10:23
Tristan Amundson
Absolutely. Absolutely. I so another breakfast thought that we were having this morning kind of talking about this game. And I was thinking about the again, the the the long the long arc of this season.
01:10:37
Tristan Amundson
And I think the last two games perfectly describe Sam Darnold. And I think it points to an ego list athlete and someone who is here to win. And and I'll do what i literally i will just do what we need to do to win.
01:10:53
Tristan Amundson
Sam, this is going to be a close game. It's going to be high scoring. We need you to throw 300 yards and score three touchdowns. Okay, I can do that. i I am capable of doing that. I'm a good quarterback. I can do that.
01:11:07
Tristan Amundson
Sam, and this is another great, pet not Pete Carroll, another great Mike McDonaldism, that the game declared itself. This game early declared itself as as more of a defensive battle.
01:11:19
Tristan Amundson
Sam, for us to win this game, we need you to protect the football, make good decisions, and and control the game. And Sam, because i think he plays and in a much more egoless way than a lot of quarterbacks can say to you, okay, yeah, I can do that. No problem. i'll We'll just, we'll control the game. And to be able to pick and choose the game you play,
01:11:44
Tristan Amundson
I think is probably a superpower we underestimate and underrate when it comes to quarterbacks. And let me give you an example of a guy who I don't think has that capability.
01:11:55
Tristan Amundson
I don't think Brett Favre, as good of a quarterback as he was, I don't think he had the the capability from an ego perspective to say to Brett, hey, Brett,
01:11:58
M dub
Okay.
01:12:07
Tristan Amundson
this is just a game management game, man. Like we're like we just need you to be smart, protect the football. Our defense has it. I don't know if a guy with that mentality, and I'm sure maybe there's better examples. He's the first one that comes to mind, had had the mentality, has the mentality that Sam has to be able to regulate his emotions and say, cool, you don't need me to do it. I'll do it this way then. We will win the game different ways.
01:12:34
Tristan Amundson
And i guess what I'm trying to to to point to is the value of winning different kinds of games and being able to identify what kind of game you happen to be in and adapt your game for that. So, yeah, I totally agree with you, man. I think the story of this game has to be looked in the context of the NFC Championship Game 2.
01:12:55
Tristan Amundson
Two completely different kinds of games that require two different versions of Sam. And what I'm telling you, what I'm telling everybody is I believe that Sam is both things. I think he is what you he is the quarterback you need to win a game, period.
01:13:11
Tristan Amundson
Not one kind of quarterback, not a gunslinger, not, hey, I'm going to throw 400 yards a game. I have the capability to do it. I'm ah um a top five pick. I can absolutely do that if you want me to.
01:13:24
Tristan Amundson
But I think maybe his long road over the last couple of years has taught him, I don't need to do that. That's not who I am. My identity isn't a gunslinger. My identity is I want to win football games. does that is like From an ego perspective, does that pass muster, you think?
01:13:44
M dub
I think you're right. I think you're absolutely right. I think Brett Favre's a great example as well as kind of the opposite side. Speaking to sam's darold's Sam Darnold's ego, I was completely astonished in the moments after this game.
01:13:59
M dub
they're they They are interviewing Sam Darnold on national television. All of America is watching. and And confetti is falling down on him.
01:14:10
M dub
That beautiful blue and lime green confetti. And Tristan, he says, i I started cackling at my friend's house. i I think this is the most shocking thing an athlete has ever said in an interview.
01:14:27
M dub
He said, offense could have been a little bit better today. And i wanted to say, Sam, it it was as good as it needed to be. ah you got this confetti falling down on you right now, and you're going to get fitted for a ring because you're a Super Bowl champion.
01:14:46
M dub
i i really couldn't believe it. It just totally shocked me. And we Sam Darnold had to go through this experience in in the media lead up to this.
01:14:58
M dub
where he was asked about his life journey and his life is his life in football, he got probably about 3,000 questions from 1,000 different people that all had...
01:15:11
M dub
the same perspective. And he just, in the most gentle, it's so gentle you don't realize how firm it is. He he just rejected that idea. And and just, he it would be so easy to buy into this image of his career that so many people have that he's asked about all the time. And he just didn't buy into it.
01:15:35
M dub
He really kind of treated the Super Bowl like another game. He you really felt that. And it it led to a very subdued celebration compared to the past 59 Super Bowl celebrations before it. It was just, i don't know if at that moment stood out to you, but I just, it just got, I don't know, it just got the gears turning for me.
01:15:57
Tristan Amundson
Yeah, and you you mentioned it in a great way before we started recording that you could really see that across the team. I mean, the team kind of in general, it felt very subdued. This wasn't, you know, just this absolute crazy release, all this tension, um us against the world.
01:16:13
M dub
you
01:16:14
Tristan Amundson
it It really did have a sense of, okay, cool. Like we did exactly what we thought we were going to do, what we came here to do. Yeah. As you're mentioning that about Sam, it's occurring to me just how unique and difficult it is to marry someone.
01:16:31
Tristan Amundson
a quarterback and a head coach that have a similar disposition and seem to have a similar approach to the way that they're thinking about the world. And, you know, kind of that ego list kind of thought.
01:16:44
Tristan Amundson
And man, doesn't it just stand out how similar it seems that Mike and Sam are in the way that they are are thinking about their careers and thinking about the world um and just how beneficial that must be when you have quarterback and coach on the same page. And it does appear many other players to like that. This is a cultural thing. Also um having that alignment is so unique and probably more so in pro sports than anything, because egos do run rampant and emotions do run high for good reason, because it's a very emotional thing they're doing.
01:17:22
Tristan Amundson
But the fact that those two guys seem to be on the same page, really, i don't know, as you're saying that it really jumps out to me.
01:17:31
M dub
I think you're totally right about about them being on the same page. One moment that I did appreciate, and we're talking... a few seconds after the clock hit zero there's a pretty long shot of Mike McDonald out there on the field and and really really taken it I mean it it was probably about seven or eight seconds but on on TV that can feel like a really long time where he's just kind of neck neck turned up and just looking at at the confetti and the fireworks going and I think that he told himself that if he wins this he's really got to just pause and you know If he wins it, he's got to take a moment to pause and really take it in
01:18:09
M dub
I've really felt, and this is just me imagining, but I've really felt with Mike McDonald. He's 38 years old, right? and we know We know from his story that about 14 years ago, he had this fork in the road in life. Football was one path, and and the great business world of non-football was the other
Coach's Career and Achievements
01:18:28
M dub
path. and And he had taken one step down that path before before the door to the football path opened.
01:18:36
M dub
I've always got the impression from him that he's he's just he's he's kind of just interested in the journey of seeing how far this can take him. I don't know if if I've explained that very well, but just kind of if you know enough about football,
01:18:52
M dub
you you can get this job that that pays this much. And if you know more about football and that job and what really wins, you you can get promoted and get paid even more. And then if if you really know a lot about football, you can become the head coach of a football team and get this multi-year contract and and become a multi-millionaire just from knowing the proper way to win a football game.
01:19:15
M dub
And I really felt proud for him that yeah we talked about last week. this This is the first coach in Super Bowl history to not have any college experience playing.
01:19:26
M dub
and he's one of the youngest coaches to ever be in the Super Bowl ever. It's really, it's more unprecedented than it even, it's just super unprecedented. And to, i don't know, I think he just, it it was, and he's on the mountaintop. he He got there on the mountaintop, and and I just, it it really, it was a very stirring moment for me. I just, it it it felt,
01:19:52
M dub
There was a lot of history and emotion, and I just i felt so happy for him there.
01:19:58
Tristan Amundson
He's such an easy guy to root for. And there there's something about his demeanor that really lends itself to wanting to be in his corner. And I think that's that's why his his players are too. The the transparency, um the just the openness that you you feel and and get from Mike.
01:20:18
Tristan Amundson
um That was a special moment. It stood out to me as well um because he does seem like the sort of guy that probably sometimes has a hard time remembering and I need to smell the roses. And so to, to be able to see a guy like that and to be able to look at him in that moment on TV and say, yep he, he is literally right now. He has smelled the roses. He is, he is in the moment.
01:20:41
Tristan Amundson
I think that's why the Gatorade bath is kind of a cool thing. You know, it it's in some ways it's a splash of cold water to the face, a splash of Gatorade to the back. And it it really does signify like,
01:20:52
Tristan Amundson
Nope. Like you can enjoy it now. Like this is your time to really enjoy it. By the way, shout out to the um the jacket coach was wearing because it seemed like it whipped away um that Gatorade really, really well, very efficiently. um I'm sure I'm sure Mike ah was was kind of looking at the fabric later and and was just impressed by it.
01:21:13
Tristan Amundson
um But no, I think it's a great call out, man. and ah And yeah, just very happy for him and incredible to think that this is our head coach. We we get to keep him for a long time. um and And he gets to add this to his experience, right? he He is now a better head coach than ever because of this experience.
01:21:37
Tristan Amundson
and And pretty humbling, I think, probably for him. that one of his mentors, a guy who knows pretty well in Mike Holmgren, you know, ah got to this point with the Seahawks and wasn't able to get the Super Bowl.
01:21:50
Tristan Amundson
um and And now he has as many Super Bowl wins as a guy who's a mentor of his. Right. um And you would say the same thing probably about John Harbaugh. Right. I mean, this guy has ascended to the level of of these other top coaches in in the NFL, in NFL history and also in in modern day NFL landscape.
01:22:13
Tristan Amundson
He, he has the resume, right? He has the resume to back up being one of the great coaches in the world. It's incredible to see.
01:22:21
M dub
I think that's what I was thinking when when he was staring at the confetti. I think it kind of hit him. I think he has tremendous respect and knowledge and and reverence for the history of the game. And especially as he got into coaching, appreciating what what all of history's great coaches have done. And I think it i think it did kind of hit him in that moment that...
01:22:41
M dub
You know, this is Everest right here. i mean, i can come back to this mountain, and hopefully I do, but but there's not another mountain higher than this. i have done what all all of the greats have done. And it I think it, i got the I got the feeling that he keeps on shocking himself with with how how it how it's going. I don't know if that is how he actually feels, but um I don't know. That's just kind of what I took from it.
01:23:09
Tristan Amundson
No, totally. 100%.
01:23:10
M dub
i do want this I do want to shout out everybody. I think it was Brady Russell I caught, and some special teams guys who were delivering that Gatorade bath. And I do want to give them – I know this sounds stupid, but I really think it's important your timing there. You've got to time that well, and they waited until the clock hit zero. You know, I don't know. Sometimes it – I mean, two – I don't know. Just two-possession game, think things were – They could have done it earlier. They could have done it earlier, but it wouldn't have been right. It wouldn't have been right, and they waited for exactly the right time. And that's everybody contributing and playing to the whistle.
Cultural Significance and Season Reflection
01:23:50
Tristan Amundson
And, and Hey, if he wants to get a step further, I've never seen the camera go to the Gatorade and like, clearly they're mixing more to, to have an absolutely full Gatorade bath for him. There was some thought that went into this and not only, hey just add some more water to it. They were literally mixing it.
01:24:10
Tristan Amundson
which is kind of hilarious it's like hey let's make sure that we have the ratios correct you know um for for coach to get this bath and uh yeah man that was just absolutely incredible um to see that that lime green water hitting him or yellow water whatever it was lemon lime um gatorade flavor um absolutely great absolutely great moment happy for him and his family um
01:24:26
M dub
Thank you.
01:24:39
Tristan Amundson
And ah it does make me wonder what what today looks like. Like, I wonder how much teams dissect the Super Bowl afterwards. You know, like you have film Monday. I wonder if like are they are they in like, do we need to put a pin in this one or do we just kind of say, hey, you know, we'll we'll look at this film some other time. i'd I'd be curious to know when that happens or if they they finally put a pin in this one or not. But what a game, man. What a game.
01:25:06
M dub
I just can't, you know, and so the Super Bowl is an important part of America. And part of me can't believe that it's only happened for 60 years. That feels relatively short to me for how important the Super Bowl is.
01:25:15
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
01:25:18
M dub
And I think about there's a lot of football moments in the Super Bowl that are really important in the history of the NFL. And there's a lot of Super Bowl moments that I think are are pretty important in the history of America. Important might be portton might not be the right word, but they they leave an imprint on the history of America. I think of of Travis Kelsey and Taylor Swift. I think of people like Troy Aikman and Steve Young. And, you know, that there's kind of big American figures here.
01:25:50
M dub
And I don't know if you would if you resonate with this at all, but i I was thinking throughout the buildup to this game and this game happening and and the way it went down. This one was really for for football people. You really had to be inside football. And here we are at the white hot center of it following the Seahawks week but week by week.
01:26:13
M dub
And I was still thinking, this is going to be an obscure one in the history books. Like you really are going to have to know ball 15 years from now.
01:26:18
Tristan Amundson
Yeah. Yeah.
01:26:23
M dub
If you live in any city outside of Seattle to kind of remember this one, I mean, this is going to be, i don't know. So I don't, it was, is, I don't know.
01:26:34
M dub
it It felt like we kind of had our own little corner here. That's, that's going to be important to us and, that that maybe other people will just forget about. it I don't know if that's anything, but that's what I was thinking about.
01:26:48
Tristan Amundson
No, i I totally agree. i think that if you if you look at this game, this was one of those games that, um let me think through how to say this.
01:27:03
Tristan Amundson
Well, I mean, I guess I'll just use the, if you were in Miami watching this game, right? You're at you're at a Super Bowl party in Miami. this was a boring Super Bowl for you. This was not a fun Super Bowl, similar to the last one, frankly, the the Seahawks one, where it's just, yeah, this is not ah a very entertaining game. um And it flies in the face of the NFC Championship game that was incredibly entertaining.
01:27:26
Tristan Amundson
And so, yeah, I just think it's it's one of those funny, um one of those funny things where this was an awesome game for one fan base and everyone else, it was probably a snore fest. for the casual fan out there.
01:27:41
Tristan Amundson
um But yeah, if you're, if you're a defensive junkie, if you, if you love um good defense and team football, there's a lot for you in this game, but I think you're right. I think this was more of a insider game.
01:27:57
M dub
But hey, I'll take it. It's the second ever Seahawks Super Bowl victory. 12 years. It's a long time and it's a short time between between victories. And yeah, I still kind of can't believe it. this is All those factors that kind of flew under the radar there.
01:28:15
Tristan Amundson
I love it. I love it, man. um Well, hey, how do we land this ship, Miles? I mean... It's been a great year. so let me say this. Let's with all sincerity. Thank you for a great year. Another great year. We we started this a couple of years ago and we we started it this year and we never could have expected. You never could expect to get to a Super Bowl and win it. it There's a lot of great teams in the NFL. This is a tough league.
01:28:46
Tristan Amundson
We were in the hardest division. in football in the NFC West. And we made it this far. Partner, I just want to say thank you. This has been an absolute pleasure. a highlight every single week to sit here and talk with you.
01:29:03
Tristan Amundson
And, um you know, I guess ah as we sign off, I just want to say that. um Thanks. Thanks for a great year, man. This has been an absolute thrill.
01:29:15
M dub
Same for me. It's definitely a highlight of each week. It's just so fun to do. and And it was your idea. And I'm i'm grateful for it eat each time, eat eat each week, each game, each episode. I'm really grateful for it.
01:29:27
M dub
And thanks to whoever's listening out there. I think you're good.
01:29:29
Tristan Amundson
Yeah.
01:29:31
M dub
Yeah, we we really appreciate it. And we're proud of the show we make. but And it's it's two pals going for it.
01:29:37
Tristan Amundson
Absolutely. Yeah, no, that's that's a good call out too. Thanks. Thanks for the the folks listening. um This is really just um something that that that Miles and Tristan love to do. This is just you guys listen to our conversation. And um frankly, you know I think we'll continue to do this if we have two listeners or 2 million. It really is ah is mostly kind of the fun of yakking with you. So incredible year.
01:30:04
Tristan Amundson
There's only one way to sign off, Miles. We got to stay consistent brick by brick, just like Coach taught us. So let's stay consistent and just say, Hawks.
01:30:14
M dub
Go Hawks.