The Super Bowl is where every tendency is magnified, every rule is tested, and every weakness is hunted. That’s why this week’s episode of The Hawks Eye Podcast felt like a must — not just another preview,
but a true film-room conversation built for the biggest stage in football.
I’m joined by Coach Derek of All-22 Film to break down how the Seattle Seahawks can attack the New England Patriots defense in the Super Bowl, focusing on the Patriots’ base looks, sub packages, and the structural rules that define how they play. This isn’t about predictions or narratives. It’s about understanding the chess match that decides championships.
New England’s defense is built on adaptability. They can line up in base and play heavy, shift seamlessly into sub, disguise coverage post-snap, and generate pressure without selling out. That versatility is exactly what makes them dangerous — and exactly why preparation matters more in this game than any other.
“From a roster standpoint on the defensive side, they have certain guys they want to use on run downs, certain guys they want to use on pass downs, but they do a really nice job of it,” Coach Derek said. “That’s just a reality of it at the NFL level because of the limitations of roster building and such. Even though they’ve got a quarterback with a low salary structure, there’s going to be players on your roster that you know are are far down the numerical ranking system, but you’re going to need them to play. And I think the Patriots do a really great job of preparing for certain looks by your offense and then trying to take something away.
“They’re very multiple in my opinion, but again, they do it from different sub packages.”
With Coach Derek, we dive into how the Patriots structure their fronts, how their coverage shells evolve after the snap, and how offenses can stress their rules by forcing early declarations. In a Super Bowl, you don’t wait for answers — you force them. Formation, motion, splits, and personnel usage all become weapons when used with intent.
From a quarterback’s perspective, this episode lives in the pre-snap world. We talk through how Seattle can identify indicators, manipulate alignments, and control the tempo of the defense before the ball is ever snapped. Against a unit like New England, late answers lead to negative plays. Early clarity leads to efficiency.
“Darnold’s going to get information, not just play call. He’ll be prepped on the various looks,” Coach Derek noted.
“Regardless of formation, Kubak is going to tell Darnold, what they’re in. Probably at the end of the play call, but it could be in the beginning. Who knows? Basically, this isn’t going to be left for Darnold to figure out on the field. He’ll be provided with that. And so he’ll have an idea of those tendencies while they’re leaving the huddle and lining up.”
What I love about this conversation is how grounded it is in reality. We connect All-22 concepts directly to what fans will see on the broadcast copy: Why a motion triggers rotation, why a certain front changes gap integrity, why one snap looks calm and the next looks chaotic — even though the defense hasn’t technically changed. Coach Derek provides several real plays from the Patriots and Seahawks to break it all down.
This is Super Bowl football at its purest. Preparation. Structure. Execution.
If you want more than hot takes — if you want to understand how Seattle can dictate terms against one of the most disciplined defenses in the league — this episode is for you.
That’s always been the mission of The Hawks Eye.
Stay Loud. Be Proud. Go Hawks.
