Feb. 9, 2026, 10:43 a.m. ET
Following the Seahawks’ convincing 29-13 Super Bowl win over the Patriots, what lesson can James Gladstone and the Jacksonville Jaguars learn from this game?
The big learning point that stands out to me is the importance of being able to win the line of scrimmage.
It wasn’t easy for the Seattle offense to move the ball through the air against the New England defense, but where the Seahawks did find success, which allowed them to sustain drives and get into field goal range, was on the ground.
Running back Kenneth Walker was named game MVP, totaling 135 rushing yards at an efficient 5.0 yards per attempt.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots’ offense could hardly get anything going because Drake Maye was under constant pressure.
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Maye was sacked six times in this game and hit 11 times, according to ESPN.
For the Jaguars, the run game provided stability early on in the year, but even with all of the success that the offense had in the second half of the season, the run game struggled to produce consistently.
Overall, the Jaguars ranked 27th in yards per rush. From Week 10 on, there were five games where Etienne failed to rush for over 60 yards. The running lanes that were there early on were hard to find down the stretch.
This puts a lot of added pressure on the passing game, which is now operating from behind the sticks more often, making the offense one-dimensional and somewhat predictable.
As a whole, the Jaguars defense was top 10 in total pressures and around the middle of the pack in pressure rate. However, down the stretch, from the interior defensive line in particular, that unit struggled to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback.
When that unit is operating at a high level and creating a steady push, it is the quickest way to wreck an offensive play, not to mention that the jobs of every other defender on the field becomes easier.
As the old saying goes — and as the Seahawks showcased — if you can control the line of scrimmage, you can control the game, and that’s an area where the Jaguars can continue improve in 2026.