Best of The Herd

The Super Bowl is set, and, yes, Sam Darnold is headed there. He took the long road, shut out the noise, played through an oblique, and on the money downs he outshined Stafford while carrying a thin backfield and an uneven line.

Call him more burst than scalpel if you want, but three straight clean games later, at twenty-eight with the right GM and roster, he finally flipped a narrative people piled on for years.

For me, that 2018 quarterback class just got a new headline because the first to reach this stage is Darnold. Now to New England: in a whiteout they were the better outfit, perfect on the road all year because toughness, defense, and coaching travel.

Vrabel brought discipline, Drake May pushes it downfield, and these Patriots mirror Seattle’s DNA. Ownership mattered too, with Robert Kraft making hard calls to land Vrabel, and now two road warriors meet for the title.

I like the New England story and could see them as the play, but that offense looked historically rough. Seattle might just run them off the field if it turns into a shootout.

Let’s add context. They ran a gauntlet of elite defenses and a blizzard, so I’m not burying the offense, and I do think Seattle should be favored by around four or five.

Credit to Seattle’s line in the clutch, though I thought the Rams gifted them spots while Stafford was dealing. I didn’t love that late fourth down; take the easy points and keep the squeeze on.

Quick hits where I was right and wrong. I called Seattle and New England as surprise playoff teams and warned about the Rams’ special teams.

Pittsburgh went safe with Mike McCarthy, Buffalo and Belichick feels off, and I never bailed on Darnold’s talent.

Drew, given how rough it was for Sam in New York and how careers can reboot in the right spot, are you surprised he’s become a top-tier guy?

I’m not surprised. Everyone around Sam praises his work and makeup, growth at that position takes time, adversity hardens you, and I lived that after getting benched early in San Diego.

Watching Stafford, I felt like I’d never seen a quarterback play that well and lose; does that kind of game stick with you?

It lingers. The Rams were a whisker from the one seed, battled through tight wins, and that late red-zone stop will gnaw at you even after a brilliant run.

Both finalists were elite on the road, with New England perfect away; what does that say about who they are?

Vrabel’s group protects its identity, embraces roles, and has a calm, composed young quarterback. Seattle flew under the radar, nailed smart additions, and arrives with star power and a defense that will hit you.

How should a young team handle the two-week build to the big one without freezing up?

You’ll feel the nerves, but you create an us-against-them edge and stay aggressive, the way we did against Indy with a plan that included taking swings. Belief is the fuel.

We’ve got two defensive head coaches in the game; do they feel like modern CEOs who still connect with their quarterbacks?

That’s the job now. Hire great staffs, match personnel to system, set the standard, manage the mindset, and Vrabel and McDonald live that.

Quickly, did you agree with those late fourth-down gambles from Sean Payton and Sean McVay?

In Denver, I’d have taken the points to go up two scores with a young passer. With the Rams I still lean to banking points in that kind of game.

Great stuff from Drew. In defense-heavy games I lean toward taking the points; we’re out of time, see you tomorrow.