Super Bowl 60 Is a Win for Defense - But Only Because the Offense Showed Up, Too
For the first time in seven years, a defensive-minded head coach will hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Whether it’s Mike Vrabel’s Patriots or Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks, Super Bowl 60 guarantees something we haven’t seen since Bill Belichick guided New England to a win in Super Bowl 53 - a defense-first philosophy standing atop the NFL mountain.
It’s a notable shift. Over the past six Super Bowls, we’ve seen nothing but offensive masterminds take center stage: Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Bruce Arians, Sean McVay, Zac Taylor, and Nick Sirianni.
Even when they didn’t win, they were the ones leading their teams into the big game. And now?
The pendulum has swung - at least for one year.
Is This a Turning Point for Defensive Coaches?
It’s tempting to call this a changing of the guard. But let’s pump the brakes just a bit.
Of the 10 head-coaching hires this offseason, only three were defensive-minded: Jesse Minter, Robert Saleh, and Jeff Hafley. The Giants went with John Harbaugh, a special teams guy by trade.
That means six teams still leaned into offense when choosing their new head coach. So while Vrabel vs.
Macdonald might feel like a statement, the league as a whole hasn’t exactly flipped the script.
Still, it’s worth asking: should more teams have zigged toward defense while the rest of the league zagged toward offense?
The Historical Scoreboard: Defense vs. Offense
Let’s zoom out for a second. All-time, offensive-minded head coaches now hold a 31-26 edge in Super Bowl wins.
That gap has widened thanks to the recent run by Andy Reid and the Chiefs, who’ve taken home three titles in the last six seasons. Notably, coaches like John Harbaugh and Mike Ditka - who came up through special teams - aren’t included in that count.
Super Bowl history has always moved in waves. Offense ruled early, with the first five championships going to offensive coaches.
Then came a nine-year stretch dominated by defense, including Don Shula’s perfect 1972 Dolphins and Chuck Noll’s Steelers dynasty. The 1980s saw another offensive surge with legends like Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs.
And over the past two decades, defensive icons like Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick have racked up a combined eight rings.
So, yes - these things go in cycles. The question now is whether Vrabel and Macdonald are outliers in a pass-happy era, or the start of something new.
What Actually Wins Super Bowls: Offense, Defense, or Both?
Let’s go back to the 2000 season, when the Ravens rode their top-ranked defense to a Super Bowl 35 win over the Giants. Since then, 18 Super Bowl champs have ranked in the top 10 in total defense.
Seventeen have ranked in the top 10 in total offense. Ten teams cracked the top 10 in both - including five of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s Patriots squads.
What does that tell us? Balance wins.
The most dominant teams of the past 25 years haven’t just been great on one side of the ball - they’ve been complete. Even Reid’s Chiefs, known for their offensive fireworks, have leaned on strong defensive units in their recent playoff runs.
Are the 2025 Patriots Really a “Defensive Team”?
That depends on how you define it.
Yes, Vrabel is a defensive-minded coach, and yes, the Patriots have been excellent on that side of the ball. They ranked eighth in total defense and fourth in scoring defense this season, giving up just 18.8 points per game. That’s the kind of stingy play that brings to mind the glory days of the Brady-Belichick era.
But don’t overlook what they’ve done offensively. The Patriots were third in total offense, averaging nearly 380 yards per game, and second in scoring with 28.8 points per game. That’s not just competent - that’s elite.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye has blossomed in Josh McDaniels’ offense, a system that still carries the DNA of the previous Patriots dynasty. Vrabel’s defense has been impressive, but New England wouldn’t be in the Super Bowl without Maye’s breakout campaign.
What About the Seahawks?
Macdonald’s Seahawks tell a similar story. They were third in scoring offense, just behind the Patriots, and ranked eighth in total offense. That’s a unit that can move the ball and put up points - and did so consistently all year.
Defensively, though, is where they really shine. Seattle finished sixth in total defense, allowing just 285.6 yards per game, and led the league in scoring defense at 17.2 points allowed per game. That’s the first time they’ve topped the NFL in that category since the Legion of Boom era (2011-2015), when they reached two Super Bowls and brought one title home.
Like New England, Seattle was a 14-3 team that earned its way to the big game with balance. Macdonald’s defense may be the headline, but the offense has done more than hold its own.
Does Defense Still Win Championships?
The old saying - “defense wins championships” - still holds weight. But it’s not the whole story.
Look at the teams that ranked ahead of Seattle in total defense: the Texans, Broncos, Vikings, Browns, and Chargers. Only the Texans, Broncos, and Chargers made the playoffs.
Minnesota and Cleveland? They were 28th and 30th in total offense, respectively, and didn’t make the cut.
On the flip side, the Rams and Cowboys had the top two offenses ahead of the Patriots. But the Rams were just 17th in total defense, and Dallas?
They were 30th. Neither made it to the Super Bowl.
The Bills and Broncos had balanced profiles. But Buffalo was bounced by Denver, and the Broncos couldn’t get past New England. The Seahawks, meanwhile, were clearly the most complete team in the NFC.
So yes, defense still matters - a lot. But you can’t win it all without a capable, complementary offense. That’s the through line for every Super Bowl champion in the modern era: balance.
Final Word
Super Bowl 60 is a win for defensive-minded coaches, no doubt. But it’s also a reminder that no one side of the ball can carry a team the whole way anymore. Mike Vrabel’s Patriots and Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks are here because they play complete football - tough, disciplined defense paired with explosive, efficient offense.
If there’s a lesson for the rest of the league, it’s this: don’t just chase the next offensive genius or defensive guru. Build a team that can beat you in more ways than one. That’s what wins championships.