Colin Cowherd’s OFFICIAL Seahawks-Patriots SUPER BOWL PREDICTION | THE HERD NFL

What this episode is about

Colin Cowherd discusses the upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the Seahawks and Patriots, highlighting Seattle's impressive defensive performance against elite rushing attacks throughout the season. He emphasizes the challenges facing New England quarterback Drake May, particularly his struggle in games where he has to throw 35 or more times, suggesting that a careful game plan will be crucial for the Patriots' success.

Key takeaways

• Seattle's defense stymied elite run games, yet May must throw under duress—hitting 35 attempts? It's a trap!
• New England thrives on chaos; they've faced teams in turmoil three times more than stable squads this season.
• Drake May's record of 1-7 with 35+ attempts reveals the pressure—Super Bowl isn't the time for rookie mistakes!
• Seattle, the league's youngest team, sits atop fewest yards allowed per rush, but their youth invites mishaps.
• Pats rely on Josh McDaniels to engineer a perfect game plan; can he outsmart an explosive, youthful Seahawks?

Who speaks in this episode?

• Colin Cowherd (Host) · 23 min speaking
• Ryan Fitzpatrick (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Greg Kosell (Guest) · 2 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Drake May, Josh McDaniels, Colin Cowherd, New England Patriots
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Hard Rock Bet, Drake May, Colin Cowherd
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Drake May, Mike Vrabel, NFL
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Zbiotics, Drake May
5. 20:00 – 25:00: Drake May, Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels
6. 30:00 – 32:59: Drake May

Notable quotes from "Colin Cowherd’s OFFICIAL Seahawks-Patriots SUPER BOWL PREDICTION | THE HERD NFL"

• I was very fortunate. Hit about 60% of my NFL picks, 59 60% of the NFL picks.

  about Colin Cowherd · at 0:11

• I think Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for New England, and it's certainly something he could do, is going to have to call a perfect game. I believe there will be a lot of.

  about Josh McDaniels · at 2:09

• Ryan Fitzpatrick likes New England and I get his reasoning, too. Here he is.

  about Ryan Fitzpatrick · at 2:56

• More. And they don't want him to. I think he's going to have to. He's one and seven. and he is the most sacked quarterback in the league, including the playoffs.

  about Drake May · at 3:59

• Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet, Florida Sportsbook. It's big game week on Hard Rock Bet. Seattle a four and a half point favorite over New England.

  about Hard Rock Bet · at 7:57

• Your first deposit before kickoff. So Mike Vrabel appropriately was named NFL coach of the year at the NFL honors that big event up in San Francisco. So he's the only coach…

  about NFL · at 10:02

• Harbaugh with the ners. Go look at what they were 6 months later. Urban Meyer at Florida. It's not just that he flipped the culture, the roster, the offense in New England. The…

  about Mike Vrabel · at 12:03

• Accomplishment. Otherwise, let's just have robots vote. Let's give it to AI at this point. Chat GPT who should go in the Hall of Fame at this point because guess what chat would say? Bill Bellich, right? You I think you broke this.

  about Bill Belichick · at 24:58

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Colin Cowherd — Person · Host / main speaker · 2 mentions · first at 0:00
  Leads the segment with betting/football analysis, makes the Seahawks-vs-Patriots Super Bowl pick, and frames the discussion around Drake May, coaching, and matchup edges.
• Drake May — Person · Referenced player (Patriots QB) / central discussion subject · 18 mentions · first at 1:46
  Presented as the key variable for New England: young QB, high sack/giveaway risk, and performance splits when forced to throw 35+ times—driving the argument for Seattle’s defensive edge.
• Mike Vrabel — Person · Referenced head coach (Patriots) / coaching narrative focus · 2 mentions · first at 10:05
  Highlighted for culture-building and rapid turnaround, winning Coach of the Year, and providing Super Bowl experience/leadership that could compensate for roster disadvantages.
• Josh McDaniels — Person · Referenced coach (Patriots OC) / strategic lever · 3 mentions · first at 2:09
  Discussed as the Patriots’ “X factor” who must call a near-perfect game plan (screens, protection help) to mitigate Seattle’s defense and Drake May’s pressure exposure.
• Bill Belichick — Person · Referenced coach / Hall-of-Fame voting controversy subject · 2 mentions · first at 22:37
  Used as a comparison point for Patriots legacy and discussed in the context of voting methodology, ‘Spygate’ reputational effects, and perceived voter vendettas.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick — Person · Referenced analyst / former player giving an opposing pick · 1 mention · first at 2:56
  Introduced to present a counterpoint: he likes New England due to McDaniels’ experience and Drake May’s calmness, which Cowherd then evaluates against matchup concerns.
• Christian McCaffrey — Person · Referenced player (benchmark for elite run game) · 1 mention · first at 1:11
  Cited as the ‘best running back’ example to support the claim that Seattle has been battle-tested versus top-tier rushing attacks, strengthening the argument for Seattle’s run defense.
  Think about this. In a division, Seattle was in a division where they had to face Christian McCaffrey, the best running back in the league, just pure talent.
• Kyle Shanahan — Person · Referenced coach (benchmark for run-game design) · 1 mention · first at 1:15
  Mentioned as an elite run-game coach to contextualize Seattle’s defensive stats (fewest yards per attempt) against strong schematic rushing opponents.
  So Seattle had six games against McVey and Shanahan in those run games. Yet Seattle led the NFL, the entire league, in fewest yards per attempt.

Companies & orgs

• Seattle Seahawks — Company · Business focus · 4 mentions
  One of the teams discussed in the Super Bowl matchup, with analysis on their strengths and strategies.
• New England Patriots — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 3:16
  The opposing team in the Super Bowl discussion, with focus on their coaching and quarterback performance.
  New England's played 11 games this season against teams that eventually fired their coach. So, it's not that they played average teams. New England built up a lot of their credibility.

Concepts & topics

• NFL — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at 0:04
  The league in which the discussed teams play, with references to its structure and statistics.

Sponsors

• Hard Rock Bet — Product · Sponsor · 4 mentions · first at 7:59
  A sponsor of the podcast, promoting betting options for the Super Bowl.
• Zbiotics — Product · Sponsor · 3 mentions · first at 15:20
  A sponsor promoting a probiotic drink designed to mitigate the effects of alcohol consumption.
  Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet, Florida Sportsbook. It's big game week on Hard Rock Bet. Seattle a four and a half point favorite over New England.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Welcome to the Herds official YouTube channel. Make sure to like and subscribe. Don't forget to check out the Colin Coward podcast. All of our NFL instant reactions and more football content. The uh we had a very good year. I was very fortunate. Hit about 60% of my NFL picks, 59 60% of the NFL picks. Uh and then I picked him the first weekend of the playoffs and after that, you know, I just kind of I shut the the blazing five down. But uh in this game, and this happens all the time during a season, I have an initial reaction and then over the course of a week, there can be injuries, there can be storylines, and then you start deep diving on Thursday, Friday, and Thursday night is the night that I spend some time kind of deep diving on stuff. And all week long, I've said low scoring.

0:47 I'm taking the points. Um, I think it's I think it's very 2421ish, but there is a stat and and a theme that I can't get past and it benefits Seattle. I want you to think about this. In a division, Seattle was in a division where they had to face Christian McCaffrey, the best running back in the league, just pure talent. and Kyle Shanahan probably the best rung game coach. They had to face him three times. They also had to face McVey, Kairen Williams in the substantial Rams run game three times. So Seattle had six games against McVey and Shanahan in those run games. Yet Seattle led the NFL, the entire league, in fewest yards per attempt.

1:46 I can't get past that. Meaning Drake May is going to have to throw the ball 35 times or more. 23 years old for a Super Bowl. Do you know what his career record is when he attempts 35 passes or more? It's 1-7. Big Ben's first Super Bowl, Brady's first Super Bowl, Mahomes first Super Bowl. I think Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for New England, and it's certainly something he could do, is going to have to call a perfect game. I believe there will be a lot of screening, a lot eight, 10 screens. There has to be. You cannot ask Drake May against this defense with that O line of New England to drop back 37 times, five sevenstep drops. They'll get crushed. They'll get rolled. I can't get past that.

2:37 Seattle facing elite run games regularly, fewest yards per rush in the league. I think New England needs a touchdown on defense and a perfect game plan called by Josh McDaniel. Ryan Fitzpatrick likes New England and I get his reasoning, too. Here he is.

3:02 The longer this thing is a game, they're going to shorten the game on offense. Ram Stevenson's going to have a ton of carries. Josh McDaniels is the X factor in this game. He's been in a bunch of these. Drake May has a calmness about him. When Josh is calling the place, he's going to put him in good situations. I think the New England Patriots are going to win this game.

3:20 I think that reasoning is sound, but my question is, you go back to the Denver game pre- Blizzard, Patriots could not move the ball. Punt, punt, punt, punt. So, here is my Super Bowl pick.

3:39 Seahawks versus Patriots. New England's played 11 games this season against teams that eventually fired their coach. So, it's not that they played average teams. New England built up a lot of their credibility against teams that were in chaos. Drake May in games that he throws 35 or more. And they don't want him to. I think he's going to have to. He's one and seven. and he is the most sacked quarterback in the league, including the playoffs. He's the first quarterback with five plus giveaways and 15 plus sacks, ever taken in a single postseason. And I'd argue Seattle's defense is better. The Seahawks have led for 113 of the 120 minutes, so they'll probably take a lead. Okay, the three games they lose in the regular season, they lost them by a total of nine points, one to the Rams.

4:34 They're 10-0, best in the league when committing one or fewer turnovers. That's the secret here. Can New England force two? Their defense allows 3.8 yards per rush. I can't get past that. Drake May is going to have to play a nearly flawless game with one or no turnovers and most of it will have to be from deep in the pocket. I don't think you can bubble screen Seattle to death. I'm going to take the Seahawks to win close. I think it's low scoring. I think Seattle's capable of making mistakes. A very young team. 2420 Seattle still like the Patriots plus the points and the under. And I do think Seattle, the second youngest team in the league, makes mistakes. Greg Kosell was on the show yesterday and I I just again, Greg comes on Thursdays and I thought a lot about this. I there's a reason I put Coell on the day before my blazing five picks. He talked about Seattle's D against New England's offensive line.

5:51 They have tremendous versatility with their back-end players, which allows them to do multiple things from a coverage and a pressure standpoint. Do they feel they need to help Campbell? How about Wilson, the rookie left guard? What do they feel about him going up against perhaps Williams or at times they even move Lawrence inside? So, uh, I think that it'll be interesting to see how the Patriots handle that. I I just now Jay Mack will make his pick in two hours, a little less than two hours, but I I went down last night and I went and looked at Brady Mahomes and Big Ben's first Super Bowl starts.

6:30 Number one, the second thing I looked at is Seattle's run defense is remarkably strong. Leads the NFL in a key category, yards per rush, and that's facing the Rams multiple times and the NerS multiple times. Those are very good run teams. New England's not in that class. So again, I think I think New England's got some clear edges. Drake May um is I don't think one of them. I I don't think that's one of their edges. I think Vrabel Super Bowl experience, Josh McDaniel Super Bowl experience uh is a key here. So you're just your impressions on some of the game I can see, but I just can't get past the speed and the explosiveness of the Seahawks.

7:12 J-Mack, any response? Yeah, I'm with you, Colin. We are in lock step almost universally on this game. I was just texting one of our staff members was like, "Hey, here's some ammo to go back at Colin and I'm like, I I can't because I agree with him." I mean, look at the three playoff games, right? The Patriots run run offense. It was kind of working 70 yards or whatever. They were leading in the second half of all those games. So, they just relied on the run game. They don't want to trust Drake May because they they had the lead. I think Seattle gets the lead here and kind of chokes him out. I I I don't see this game being closed, Colin.

7:41 Wow. You you you're I will say this. I I you don't call that a lot. That's interesting.

7:47 You try not to. You got to save it for the uh the big spots like the Eagles over the Chiefs last year in the Super Bowl.

7:51 That that was a big spot. Just forget my wild card picks. They did not happen at all. Ignore them. Um yeah.

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9:35 private jet, five-star hotel, big game tickets, and more. Other VIPs can attend invite only watch parties with special guests, great food, tons of exclusive merch. If you want to get in on the action, check out the status match page at hardrock.bat/loyalty. Let them know where you play for a shot at an instant upgrade to the best signature VIP program in the industry. Download the Hard Rock Pet app, make your first deposit before kickoff. So Mike Vrabel appropriately uh was named NFL coach of the year at the NFL honors that big event up in San Francisco. So he's the only coach ever in his first year with a team to take him to a Super Bowl uh when they had a losing record the previous season 4 and 13 to 14 and three. Um, and I think to some degree, I'm glad the voters don't discount this, but you know, because it's Robert Craft and the Patriots, we sort of look at them as a winning culture, but he didn't

10:35 just rebuild the roster and rebuild the culture in 6 months. He re he rebuilt the offense. This is a defensive coach. He rebuilt the offense. They were 30th, 31st, or last in every major offensive category a year ago. Last. They're second now in points, third in total yards. They're top six in everything. But it's not just what he did, and I've said this for years. What happens when you leave a place? A truly great coach leaves a wake. Jim Harbaugh left Michigan. They cratered within 6 months. Urban Meyer left Florida. They've never been the same program.

11:19 Like Mike Vrabel left the Titans. Do you understand how good the Titans were for years? He left the Titans. They are now worse than the Jets over the last two years. They're the worst franchise in the league the last two years. And he did the hardest thing to do in the NFL. The hardest thing for a coach to do is go to the playoffs and beat superstar first ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks when you don't have a good one or a great one. He beat Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson in the playoffs with Ryan Tanahill. It's not just what he's done now. The great ones leave a wake, a total wake when they leave. Harbaugh at Michigan.

12:03 Harbaugh with the ners. Go look at what they were 6 months later. Urban Meyer at Florida. It's not just that he flipped the culture, the roster, the offense in New England. The Titans now are the only team in the league over two years that's a bigger laughingstock than the Jets and that is hard to do. The things that keep me up at night. So I a lot has been made about Drake May being um very young. He's the second youngest quarterback to get to a Super Bowl. But there are two things over the last I would say 12 hours I've thought a lot about.

12:45 One of them is Drake May and his age. So people go, "Big Ben made a Super Bowl at 23. Momes made a Super Bowl at 24. So did Brady." Well, let's go back and look at those. Big Ben Super Bowl at 23. He was awful. Nine of 21, two picks, threw for a 123 yards. The Steelers protected Ben from himself. He was a liability when he got to a Super Bowl at that age. How about Mahomes Super Bowl 24? He was bad. He got outplayed by Jimmy Garopolo for three quarters. He had two picks and a 78 passer rating. Well, Tom Brady winning his first Super Bowl. Yep. 24 years old, 59% completion percentage, 86 passer rating, and 145 yards. It was defense, run game, and coaching. And so Mahomes, Big Ben, and Tom Brady, that first that early Super Bowl when they're in their early 20s, they they were saved by coaching and defense. Now, the coaching and defense for the Patriots is excellent. So that doesn't mean he can't win. But in three playoff

13:59 games, his passer rating has fallen 30 points and his completion percentage has fallen almost 20%. So yeah, the weather's cold. It's outside. But I will say this, if you go to that Denver game, before the blizzard hit, before the blizzard hit, first four possessions, Drake May, punt, punt, punt punt. Okay, so [gasps] this is just one thing I'm thinking about in the last 12 hours is you start looking at Brady's first Super Bowl or Big Ben or Momes and these are alltime top 10 12 legends. They their team overcame them to some degree. I mean they they they they struggled completing passes. Passer rating not ideal. So, if this game comes down to Drake May having to throw 38 times, New England's in to in my opinion is in trouble. With a big game coming up, we're all about enjoying the moment without paying for it the next day.

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16:46 And so I had a young guy come up to me at this event. He's a young kid, probably 23, 24 years old, could have been younger, young kid at this party. And he said, "Uh, who do you think the next Sam Darnold is?" And there's a lot of talk about that. And I paused for a second and I said, "There isn't one. this won't happen again. And I said, because and I didn't give him an answer, but I walked away and and and had to take a a truck to the airport, car to the airport. And I'm thinking about that kid, and I'm thinking, the Jets uniquely damaged careers.

17:24 I mean, you can say, well, what about the Titans? Yeah, but Mike Frabel became a number one seed with the Titans, and Derrick Henry was unbelievable. So's Jeffrey Simmons. They didn't ruin careers. Well, what about Cleveland? Miles Garrett's been great every day. He's been at Cleveland Brown and Kevin Stfansky won coach of the year twice. The Jets are different. I mean, do you know who's starting at right tackle for the Patriots and having a good year? Former Jet. You know who's starting for the quarterback for the Seahawks? The former Jet. Not to mention Devonte Adams for the Rams led the NFL in touchdowns.

17:56 Irrelevant for the Jets. And Aaron Rogers got to the playoffs and was kind of irrelevant for the Jets. So, I think Darnold bust to Super Bowl. I don't think it's going to happen again. I I'm I I mean I think it's a Jets thing. Everybody's looking at the players or the coaches. There are plenty of people that succeeded during Vrabel's run in Tennessee. Plenty of people have succeeded in Cleveland. Nick Chub was excellent the whole time. Miles Garrett's excellent the whole time. They've had good offensive. They've made the playoffs.

18:29 So Sam, it's not just about talent. The Jets are so topic and poorly run. Think how talented Darnold is. Think how good he was in Minnesota. How outstanding he's been with the Seahawks. He was awful. He was a bust with the Jets. And I'm the biggest Darnold fan doing this for a living. So, I don't think you're going to I don't think you're going to see another bust to Super Bowl unless somebody's drafted by the Jets. It has to go through New York. Uh you analyze and overanalyze. Uh Seattle has more elite units. I do think New England's coaching experience in the Super Bowl matters. Um you know, something to remember about Seattle. If they commit one or fewer turnovers, uh they're 10 and0 this year. So, there are specific ways. We've seen Seattle and Darnold have four turnovers and give the Rams, an elite team, everything they can handle. Um, and and fair fairly, we also saw New England and Drake May cough it

19:40 up against Houston multiple times and still win. These teams are good enough to overcome mistakes. The difference is when Seattle doesn't make them, they don't lose. And they they they are 10-0 with one or fewer mistakes. And there is kind of a volume and a speed and an athleticism to both sides of the ball in Seattle that feels different than New England. And that's why they're four and a half point favorites and a lot of money has come in overwhelmingly on Seattle. I think it's low scoring. I'm going to take the points. I'll give you my prediction in 25 minutes. But uh the athletic senior NFL insider Diana Rousini covered the NFL now for over a decade is joining us live. You're a voter by the way and MVP. I you know they're both great. I'm not bothered by either. Uh Drake May is mobile and adds an extension to an offense that Stafford doesn't. I said one of the things that I like about Stafford, and it's not Drake

20:33 May's fault, Diana, you can't be president in this country until you're 35. You got to be at least viewed as kind of an adult. Stafford literally has more fourth quarter comebacks than Drake may has starts. And I I don't maybe it's all the kids and the family and the maturity, but he walks to the line. He knows the why. And Drake May still trying to figure out the what. And to me, that's the I watched I watched Stafford walk to the line. I mean, he's literally changing stuff constantly. So to me, they're both great. That that would be the determining factor for me. How did you weigh it?

21:14 I would push back on that and say because Drake doesn't understand the what or why just yet. That is what made it so remarkable his performance this regular season because he doesn't have all the experience in big moments that we've seen Matthew Stafford have. He's won a Super Bowl before. So, the fact that Drake May in just his second season was able to figure out an offense that was run by Josh McDaniels, understand it, comprehend it, and produce at such a high level with less talent around him to me was slightly more impressive.

21:50 It I'm with you on the We could go back and forth on this. And look, the voters, look how close it came. It It was one or the other. I voted for Drake May. um just due to the fact that the surrounding people around him, it it it caused him to have to elevate his game a little bit more than what Matthew Stafford did. But in the same token, every single time Matthew Stafford steps up to the line, I'm not even really looking at what Matthew's doing anymore because you just know he's going to do what he needs to do. I'm looking to see where he's going too. Whereas these younger quarterbacks, I like watching the mechanics. I like watching to see the communication on the line to see if they're understanding play on the NFL level and it seems that Drake May is progressing really well.

22:33 Now there there's not I mean because I think that they both have there's not push back like there was for Bellich I said this week Robert Craft's not in the Hall of Fame. Jerry Jones is. I'm like that to me is shocking. I do think because of the spygates, the draft picks taken away, um the fines levied, I think basically the voters, about 11 of them slapped his wrist. It it they they it wasn't that punitive. They didn't whack him upside the head. They slapped him on the wrist for a year. And by the way, they did change the methodology of voting. You can get right in now. That's not been the case before. So, like I it it didn't people say it's going to tarnish the Hall of Fame and I'm like if you look at Hall of Fames, basketball lets in officials like I don't think it's the end of the world. Were you surprised by the outrage defending Bellich?

23:25 I was not surprised by the outrage due to the fact of what he's accomplished. I was surprised that people were supporting Bill Bich because it's really been from a PR perspective in the last year it felt that a lot of people that I thought would normally be coming out in support of Bellich collectively as a head coach [clears throat] as a head coach who possibly wants to coach in the NFL again. I wasn't hearing from those people. Everyone has kind of moved on and in fact kind of separated themselves from Bellich in some instances. So to see sympathy for a guy that has been difficult to have sympathy for um over the last two decades and more specifically the last year or so. Um I I thought that just spoke to it almost helped the cause of why he needs to be in because it was very hard to find people who didn't believe outside of those voters and maybe a few other people on Twitter. Um I actually called

24:22 Bill Parcels the other day just to get his reaction. And uh you know this is a guy who's obviously had some a long history and has had some problems with him in the past as well as Robert Craft and and Parcels was like this is ridiculous. This is ridiculous because this is proof that people have personal vendettas and you cannot vote in that nature. Even just as a reporter and I know it's just AP voting. It's not that big of a deal as the hall.

24:47 I've had relationship we'll call it issues or problems with some of the guys I need to vote for. You can't think of it that way that you can't bring that into your vote. You have to look at the accomplishment. Otherwise, let's just have robots vote. Let's give it to AI at this point. Chat GPT who should go in the Hall of Fame at this point because guess what chat would say? Bill Bellich,

25:10 right? You um I think you you broke this story. Um he's on our show today. He's one of my favorite players in the league. And I've talked through the years when I've talked to people inside the league about Max Crosby. They're like, I I I've asked GMs before, "Take quarterbacks out. Give me five guys you'd want in your roster." All of them say Max Crosby. His his relentlessness, his story. Um people love Max Crosby. Um he you broke the story that Vrabel is a very attractive coach for him to play for. Were you uh kind of surprised at that or or was it a revelation to you or how you tell me.

25:50 Look, look how you just described Max. Doesn't that sound like Mike Rabel? Yeah.

25:55 Isn't that the same person? Leader, disciplined, intense. The thing about Max Crosby is when people think of good habits for professional athletes, they think of Tom Brady immediately, right? Because he was known to be the Max Crosby is the non-quarterback that takes care of his body, his mental health. He does all the things that we saw Brady do in terms of sacrifice. He just doesn't really talk about it as much. And that's what people in league circles have always said about about Max specifically. Now, in terms of of him wanting to play for Mike Freeball for he's had six different head coaches, including an interim in Las Vegas. It has been the example of unsteady.

26:42 Of course, he would want a leader like Mike Verbble to play for at some point in his career if he were to have that opportunity. But I think really the reason why it caught headlines is just because I think everyone wants to know what is the future. And I'm sure you're going to ask him later today of what where do things stand, right? This is a man that has said he wants to be a Raider for life. But this is also a man who's got goals, who wants a legacy.

27:02 Yeah. Who wants a Super Bowl ring, who wants to be here playing this weekend. He doesn't want to be going through turnover again and again. and now a young quarterback perhaps. And Fernando Mendoza, who I know you're going to have on the show today as well, who who's been fantastic down here, by the way. You would you would think he's been in the league for 5 years. Um, so so I I'm I'm interested to see what the next move is. Do I think Vegas is going to go, "Hey, Max, we want to trade you right now." No way. Everybody wants Max Crosby on their team. I'm just interested to see if they're going to allow Max Crosby to dictate what he wants to do next. And and we'll see what Max wants. So, uh, putting your reporter cap on, when you spend a week in San Francisco, five or six days, you hear reports from practice, there's the media day. I saw Mike McDonald said his team is loose, uh, really focused and loose. They're a

27:54 young team. Young teams bring a certain energy. I mean, there the experience the Patriots coaches have, I think is an advantage. The youth and energy and speed uh, of Seattle, I think, is an advantage. What do you hear right now about the two teams? Super Bowls can be tight. Have you heard any of those stories? Anything out of the ordinary this week?

28:14 Yeah. Um, from from what I can gather, Seattle has a a looseness about them. I ran into Leonard Williams actually the other day and I knew Leonard when he was in New York. Remember he was with the Giants and the Jets and he wasn't even close to winning anything. Uh, and so we were just reflecting on how much your life can change if you're just with the right organization. And I said, "Describe what it's like to play for the Seahawks just based on all your years." He said, "This is the closest to college. This is the closest feel I've ever had from top to bottom. And the friendships I have on this team and how you go out there for each other, it doesn't feel like work. Whereas in other places I've been, it just felt like a job." And I think that speaks volumes to the culture that Seattle has built there. These guys are just going out there and they're playing with joy.

29:06 Whereas I think on the other side, New England is here playing knowing that they may not be as talented as a ro of a roster. They're going to need some breaks. They're going to need some turnovers. They're going to need to out coach this Seattle team. Yes. And and they're aware. So, so when you talk about um tone and vibe, I would describe the Patriots a little bit more tense than the Seahawks. And tense is being a little dramatic. It's just they know that they've got to be perfect, almost perfect, if not maybe a little bit more in order for them to come out as winners. But obviously, we we just talked about their leader uh in Mike Vel. And if there's anyone who wants to be doubted right now, um, and I and maybe a Patriot fan will clip all of this and send it to him, uh, to since I sound like I'm doubting, uh, it's this man because he he he knows to find the ways to win. He can find those small

29:57 ways. Yeah. Diana Rousini, the athletic senior NFL insider. Game is Sunday, obviously. Diana, as always, it's great seeing you.

30:05 Thank you so much. I miss you down here. I have to tell you, I want to sit next to you. I don't want to be sitting in this random set just looking at you. Get out of Chicago. Get down here. Let's do some work together.

30:16 Maybe it's in the future. Who knows? All right. Maybe. Thanks for having me, Colin.

30:20 All right. There is uh so the two things I said uh it's not that I had an epiphany because I think the game's going to be low scoring. I'm taking the points. But there are two things about this game. uh one I addressed with you which is when you go look at Brady's first Super Bowl and Big Ben's verse Super Bowl and Mahomes vers Super Bowl, they won because of coaching and defense, right? Like it's it's uh they was choppy. I mean, Jimmy Garopppolo outplayed Mahomes. Mahomes missed a deep ball. If he hits that, San Francisco wins. And Mahomes was outplayed by Jimmy Garopppolo. And and Garoppolo in his prime was fine. But don't don't forget that Big Ben was bad and uh Tom Brady, it was coaching and defense. Tom was fine, but it was coaching and defense.

31:08 So that that's the first thing to think about. Drake May facing with a with the weakest unit in this game for either team is New England's O line. That's the weakest unit. Now, I don't think Seattle's O line is great, but to me, it's a very good run blocking O line in Seattle. pass pro. I mean, how many great pass pro O lines are there in the NFL? Not a ton. And some of that is escapability by quarterback. Both these quarterbacks are escapable. So, it hasn't been punitive to Drake May. He he's he leads the NFL in scrambles. Some of that is survival. He's had to move.

31:42 So, the the weakest unit. I've always said in pro football, the coaching so good. Jac, you don't have to be great anywhere. You can't be bad anywhere. You don't have to be great everywhere. You can't be bad anywhere. Will Seattle's defensive front make the Patriots O line look bad? Will that be the unit where you're like, "Okay, they can't block him." That's to me a big part of this game.

32:06 Yeah. So, the Texans, Chargers, and Broncos sacked May five times each. May was sacked 47 times this season. You could argue Seattle's got a better defense or as good as all those teams, especially with McDonald.

32:19 I think the Seattle defense dominates this game. I'm with you. Lowsing. You know, I I told you yesterday I don't think it hurts to put a couple bucks on Patriots get shut out. Uh Patriots don't score a touchdown. None of that stuff would surprise me. I think this defense is really nasty. Come.

32:35 Yeah. In the last eight weeks, last eight games, one team has done well against them. The Rams. That's it. The Rams did it twice.

32:41 And the Rams have. Nobody else. The Rams have Matt Stafford a veteran quarterback who's seen everything, and McVey, a genius coach. Like I sorry, Josh McDaniel's history in the Super Bowl. How many first quarters they go scoreless? Was it seven in a row or something like that with Brady?

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Colin Cowherd’s OFFICIAL Seahawks-Patriots SUPER BOWL PREDICTION | THE HERD NFL"?

Colin Cowherd (Host), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Guest), Greg Kosell (Guest).

What is "Colin Cowherd’s OFFICIAL Seahawks-Patriots SUPER BOWL PREDICTION | THE HERD NFL" about?

Colin Cowherd discusses the upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the Seahawks and Patriots, highlighting Seattle's impressive defensive performance against elite rushing attacks throughout the season. He emphasizes the challenges facing New England quarterback Drake May, particularly his struggle in games where he has to throw 35 or more times, suggesting that a careful game plan will be crucial…

What is mentioned in this The Herd with Colin Cowherd episode?

13 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Colin Cowherd, Drake May, Seattle Seahawks, Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots, Josh McDaniels. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Colin Cowherd’s OFFICIAL Seahawks-Patriots SUPER BOWL PREDICTION | THE HERD NFL"?

The episode runs 33 min; the transcript is about 5,766 words in 54 timestamped sections.

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