What Texas A&M Football Can Learn from the Super Bowl: Why “Boring” Wins in the Postseason
While most of the country was buzzing about the Super Bowl halftime show, the game itself quietly delivered a valuable masterclass in winning football-especially for a program like Texas A&M looking to take the next step. It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t packed with highlight-reel plays. But it was winning football in its purest form.
And if the Aggies are paying attention, there’s a lot to take away.
Let’s start with the quarterbacks. The contrast between Seattle’s Sam Darnold and New England’s Drake Maye was striking-not just in performance, but in how each was used.
Seattle didn’t ask Darnold to be a hero. Instead, they leaned into smart design: misdirection, play-action, and rollouts that moved the pocket and bought him time.
Their play-action rate hit 30%, and it paid off. Their offensive line wasn’t dominant, but the scheme helped mask its limitations.
Darnold, under pressure on 40% of his dropbacks (per Pro Football Focus), didn’t panic. He managed the game, leaned on checkdowns to backs like Kenneth Walker III and slot options like Cooper Kupp, and avoided the big mistake.
His stat line-19-of-38 for 202 yards-won’t turn heads, but it tells the story of a quarterback who played within himself. No turnovers, even when backed up inside his own 20.
That’s how you survive and advance.
Meanwhile, New England stuck to its traditional Perkins-Erhardt system and dropped Maye straight back into the fire. The Seahawks teed off.
Maye tried to force plays and paid the price, committing costly turnovers deep in his own territory. That was the difference in the game.
The run game? Another area where Seattle quietly dominated.
Kenneth Walker III didn’t just rack up carries-he made them count. Patient, decisive, and physical, he read his blocks and got downhill, finishing with 27 carries that helped control the clock and the tempo.
The offensive line didn’t blow anyone off the ball, but they avoided assignment busts and held their own. That was enough.
Seattle’s defensive game plan was just as calculated. They targeted rookie left tackle Will Campbell with length and leverage off the edge, and it worked-he allowed 14 pressures, according to ESPN. That’s the result of film study and matchup hunting, not just raw talent.
New England, for their part, never really adjusted. They didn’t stretch the field horizontally or challenge the perimeter-likely out of respect for Seattle’s team speed on defense.
But they also didn’t lean into their own strengths. They’ve used six-lineman sets in the past to set up explosive play-action shots, but that wrinkle never showed up when they needed it most.
Special teams? Seattle’s were rock solid.
They didn’t gamble on fourth down or get cute with situational calls. They trusted their kicker, took the points when they were there, and let their punter, Michael Dickson, flip the field.
Three punts inside New England’s 20, including a key stretch in the first half when Seattle was backed up with just a 3-0 lead. Those punts didn’t just change field position-they changed momentum.
New England never got the short fields that could’ve helped ease the pressure on Maye and the offense.
So what does all this mean for Texas A&M?
It means that in the postseason, “boring” wins. And that’s not a knock-it’s a blueprint.
Run the ball. Even if your offensive line isn’t elite, find ways to stay on schedule and take pressure off your quarterback.
Seattle didn’t rotate backs-they rode one guy, and he delivered. That forced New England into a 6-1 defensive front in the second half.
Seattle responded with their only passing touchdown of the game-an explosive play born directly from their commitment to the run.
Avoid mistakes. That’s the biggest one.
Darnold wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t lose the game. Maye tried to do too much, and it cost his team dearly.
A&M’s Marcel Reed is an electric talent, but he also led the SEC in interceptions last season. That’s not a stat you want to repeat in a tight postseason battle.
As Jimmy Johnson once said, “It’s not how many great plays you make; it’s how few bad ones you make.” That’s gospel in championship football.
Big plays are nice. But they don’t erase a costly pick or a fumble in your own red zone.
Special teams matter too-more than most fans realize. A&M doesn’t need to be flashy here.
They just need to be consistent. Flip the field.
Pin opponents deep. Take the points when they’re there.
In playoff football, every inch counts.
Defensively, Seattle didn’t overwhelm with size, but they were smart and physical. They used their safeties in the box to help against the run, and their nickel, Nick Emmanwori-a former safety at South Carolina-played like an extra linebacker.
Sound familiar? A&M’s used similar schemes, especially in 2025 with Cashius Howell leading the pass rush.
The key is finding matchups and exploiting them, just like Seattle did against Campbell.
And finally, the biggest takeaway: postseason football is a different animal. You can’t treat it like the regular season.
The margin for error shrinks. The game slows down.
The teams that win aren’t always the most explosive-they’re the most disciplined.
We’ve seen it before. Miami came into Kyle Field and won a low-scoring game by doing the little things right. Indiana took home a national title by simply being better-not spectacular, just better-at the fundamentals.
So yes, “boring” is good in the postseason. And for a program like Texas A&M, chasing consistency and postseason success, that’s not a bad thing.
It’s the formula.