3 Things Seahawks Should Learn From Super Bowl LIX

Seattle Seahawks guards Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes listen to instruction prior to a drill at training camp. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum

The Philadelphia Eagles absolutely dominated the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. At one time it was 40-6 Eagles, with the game ending at 40-22 after some garbage time scores from Kansas City against backups before the confetti started to fall.

It’s a copycat league, and when one team dominates another and wins a title, the rest of the league takes notice. What can the Seattle Seahawks learn from the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Eagles heading towards the 2025 offseason?

A Dominant Defensive Line Can Beat Even the Best of QBs 

This is something that can be gleaned from both of Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl losses. In Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs’ defensive line had a feeding frenzy against the Chiefs' line protecting Mahomes. 

Shaquil Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, and Jason Pierre-Paul flummoxed Mahomes, allowing Tom Brady to take control of the game and win his seventh ring. 

This time around, Vic Fangio’s Philadelphia defense did something very similar. In fact, it might have been more dominant. The Eagles notched six sacks Sunday night in New Orleans. The incredible part is, the Eagles did all that without blitzing. It was all thanks to the four big men up front. 

Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams made life miserable for Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday night. The Eagles defensive line made Mahomes look not just human, but seemed to fluster him to the point of near panic. 

Sweat notched 2.5 sacks by himself. Milton Williams collected 2.0 sacks of his own. 

Give Eagles general manager Howie Roseman an enormous amount of credit. The two linemen who amassed multiple sacks against Mahomes in the Super Bowl were not only Eagles draft picks, but came in the third and fourth rounds. The franchise clearly has an elite draft and develop program along the defensive line. Not to mention, they spent two first round picks over the last three drafts on defensive lineman who made an impact Sunday (Carter and Jordan Davis). 

Third round rookie Jalyx Hunt even earned five QB pressures Sunday night, further illustrating how Philadelphia continues to dominate finding quality defensive line talent.

It appears that having an elite, hungry, young, and well-coached defensive line can be an equalizer or even a major advantage against an elite quarterback. 

The Seahawks have building blocks in that aspect. Veteran Pro Bowler Leonard Williams leads the pack with first round talent Byron Murphy at his side. If the Seahawks can get a few more young and hungry defensive linemen and develop them well, they can imitate this model. 

This upcoming draft offers a few opportunities for the Seahawks to take a big step in the right direction with their defensive line.

It's OK to Pay Free Agents/Extend Players at Right Positions

While the Eagles built a championship roster mostly through the draft, they sprinkled in veterans from other organizations. The first big piece came during the 2022 draft when the Eagles swung the trade of the night, swapping with the Titans for star receiver A.J. Brown. Two Pro Bowl seasons in Philly later, the Eagles extended Brown. He is now a top three paid receiver. Normally, people will point to that as a misallocation of funds. Instead, he offers a legitimate threat in the passing game, in case a team stops the Eagles' running attack.

The Seahawks have a similar player in Browns' teammate at Ole Miss, in DK Metcalf. 

Speaking of that Eagles running attack, the biggest move of the entire offseason, perhaps one of the biggest moves in NFL history, was the Eagles signing free agent running back Saquon Barkley. It's a well-documented affair, thanks to HBO's Hard Knocks covering the New York Giants' point-of-view, as they let their prized back walk to their NFC East division rival. 

In an age where people are discrediting running backs and acting like paying big bucks for a veteran back is a waste of money, the Eagles zigged instead of zagged. Philadelphia made Barkley the third-highest paid running back in football. He rewarded their investment with one of the all-time great seasons by a running back. In the regular season, he totaled 2,005 rushing yards, earning himself AP Offensive Player of the Year. Combined with his rushing totals from the postseason, he is now the single-season rushing record holder when taking playoff stats into account as well.

Signing Barkley changed the entire dynamic of that Eagles team.

The Eagles also mixed in free agents like Zack Baun, who garnered Defensive Player of the Year votes, after being little more than a reserve with the Saints in his first four seasons. They paid C.J. Gardner-Johnson to roam the defensive secondary. They brought in journeyman failed top prospect Meckhi Becton to be one of the road-graders ahead of Barkley. 

They also traded for cornerback Darius Slay in 2020, extended him in 2023, and he's rewarded them with three Pro Bowl seasons in four years. 

The moral of the story is, it's fine to pay free agents and extend veterans. It doesn't have to all be via the draft. The Eagles are elite at identifying talent and finding the right fit into their built program. 

This is perhaps where the Seahawks struggle the most. At times, they have signed the wrong free agent or extended the wrong veteran. This is part of where Super Bowls are won and lost the most - where teams allocate money in free agency and veteran extensions to solidify the strong draft classes matters a great deal.

Running the Football Matters

The age of the running back is back! As mentioned, Barkley had a season for the ages in Philadelphia. Certainly, he is an immense talent, and it's not fair to expect the current crop of Seahawks running backs to perform to that level.

However, when the Eagles married their elite offensive line with perhaps the most talented running back in all of football, it was like a chorus of angels from heaven. 

The Eagles were second in team rushing yards, second in rushing touchdowns, fifth in yards per carry, and second in EPA in the running game. They were one of the most complete running teams in all the NFL. 

While yes, the Chiefs bottled up Barkley for the most part in Super Bowl LIX, it's hard to imagine the Eagles even being there without Barkley and that elite running game. They ran for over 225 yards as a team in the playoff wins over the Rams and Commanders. They added 169 as a team in their Wild Card win over the Packers. 

Combined with their stats from the Super Bowl, the Eagles ran for 818 yards in their four playoff games, or over 200 yards per game. 

Plus, the Chiefs sold out to stop the run, leaving things wide open for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' passing game. Without the run threat, they likely don't give up those big plays downfield. 

Indeed, the Seahawks are a long way from having an elite offensive line to pair with their solid, albeit not elite stable of running backs. 

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald wants to run the ball. The hiring of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak confirms that. The Seahawks need more bullies along the offensive line. The two biggest advantages the Eagles had were their two lines.

Left tackle Charles Cross seems like the only clear answer at this point. If Abe Lucas can stay healthy at right tackle, he can take that next step too. Along the interior is where Seattle needs more nastiness. Before worrying about finding or developing their own "Saquon Barkley," they first need to shore-up their lackluster offensive line. That's where the run game starts and finishes. 

Seahawks fans know this all too well. Part of what made the Seahawks elite in the mid-2010s, including two trips to the Super Bowl and one title, was the threat of their physical run game with Marshawn Lynch. That is a timeless way to build a championship team, as the Eagles once again proved on Sunday.