The Super Bowl Checklist: 10 Things Teams Should Aspire to as they Pursue a Lombardi
K. Joudry
|
Credit where it’s due: this piece is inspired by a Stanley Cup – go Wild! – checklist from The Athletic. In that article, Shayna Goldman and Dom Luszczyszyn put together “contender checklist” to act as a guide for evaluating how good of a chance teams have at getting the Cup.
Can we put together something similar for a Super Bowl? I think so. It’s very plausible – likely? – that others have already put forth articles that consider the factors that go into a Super Bowl. Below is my humble attempt to join the conversation.
Admittedly, I’m not as gifted nor as intelligent as the two authors in the aforementioned Stanley Cup piece. Their reasoning is more sophisticated than what you’ll get from your author. Alas, I’ll make due with what I’m capable of providing at the moment.
Below, you’ll find 10 items for teams to aspire to as they pursue the Super Bowl. It would be nice to nail all 10, but that’s supremely difficult in an NFL that makes a concerted effort to allow multiple teams to compete, most notably through the salary cap. Nevertheless, I think you’ll find that teams, more often than not, have several of these items checked off when they win.
In the future, the hope is to return to this list, placing it against recent Super Bowl winners in a more robust manner. Did someone fail on the first point? If so, how good did they need to be in other areas to make up for this deficiency? What are the least common items on the checklist?
By no means is this an exhaustive list of questions; rather, it’s a mere start for where this kind of discussion can go.
Finally, a main part of the goal is to put out this list so that we can see how the Vikings stack up. The team’s leadership is acting like it can win the Super Bowl following the 2022 season. Is that actually the case? How many of the items on the list do they firmly tick off? This is something we’ll discuss at a later date, giving us more time to reflect and to see how the roster takes shape following the draft and any remaining free agency moves.
Let’s move onto the list. It proceeds from most to least important.
1) A High Floor, High Ceiling QB
OK, so here’s the thing about Nick Foles: the dude played at an elite level during that run. The second point on this list certainly helps matters; Doug Pederson did a sensational job of allowing his QB to thrive. Plus, Foles is somewhat of an exception (though we can think of Peyton Manning’s second SB as another example). More often than not, Super Bowl teams have an elite or a very good QB.
Recent Examples: Patrick Mahomes (2019); Tom Brady (2020); Matthew Stafford (2021).
2) A Brilliant Strategist at HC
Bill Belichik is the GOAT. I know this because he has won six Super Bowls as a HC and two as a DC. Sean McVay is one of the best young minds in the NFL, and he’s the most recent winner. Andy Reid finally got his SB, largely because of his QB. All these coaches are alike insofar as they cater their gameplan to the skills present on the roster. They also exploit the other team’s weaknesses.
Recent Examples: Bill Belichick (2018); Andy Reid (2019); Sean McVay (2021).
3) A No-Fear Matchup Corner
Jalen Ramsey was crucial to the Rams’ success. I know he got beat at times, but the mere fact that he could slow down a WR1 is huge. Defense is often a numbers game. Being able to leave a lonely corner on the other team’s best receiver allows the defense to roll coverage to the second-best option, making it considerably more challenging for the offense to function.
Recent Examples: Stephon Gilmore (2018); Carlton Davis (2020); Jalen Ramsey (2021).
4) A Pair of Pass Rush Terrors
The Rams had three: Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Von Miller. The Bucs boasted Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul. The Chiefs put Chris Jones and Frank Clark out there. Are you seeing a trend? Defenses most often need to have multiple legit pass rushers to find success. Similar to an offense with only one receiving threat, a defense needs to have multiple weapons, players who can get after the QB in critical moments.
Recent Examples: Chris Jones & Frank Clark (2019); Shaq Barrett & Jason Pierre-Paul (2020); Aaron Donald & Von Miller (2021).
5) An Identity-Allowing Offensive Line
Different offenses have different identities. The Vikings, in all likelihood, will employ plenty of wide-zone runs. From there, expect them to sprinkle in bootlegs and play action. The amount of seven-step drops with four verticals will likely be kept to a minimum, so they won’t necessarily need to have linemen capable of blocking for so long. The issue will arise when the offensive line doesn’t allow a team to stay true to its identity. In the Super Bowl, an offense needs to be able to stay true to itself.
Recent Examples: The most recent winners are all in this category. The Eagles, Patriots, Chiefs, Bucs, and Rams all had legitimate talent along their OLs.
6) A Pair of Dynamic Playmakers
Having one elite playmaker on offense often isn’t enough. Defenses will key on that player, making life exceedingly difficult (especially in crucial situations like third and fourth downs). An offense, more often than not, needs to have multiple options. Somewhat ironically, having two great playmakers also allows other skill players to shine. Defense are so distracted by nullifying Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook that K.J. Osborn finds room to produce.
Recent Examples: Julian Edelman & Rob Gronkowski (2018); Tyreek Hill & Travis Kelce (2019); Cooper Kupp & Odell Beckham Jr. (2021).
7) A Clutch Capable Kicker
A team can win with a pretty good kicker, but it sure does help to have someone who is clutch. It’s good to have someone capable of putting the ball through the uprights when the game is on the line. I always think back to 2017 since that’s the last time Minnesota was good. Jake Elliott – at that time, a rookie – made all seven of his field goal attempts in the playoffs. In the Super Bowl, he hit two fields goals, including one from 46 yards with a little more than a minute left. Making the kick in that moment – and against the Patriots – is remarkable.
Recent Examples: Brandon McManus (2015); Jake Elliot (2017); Matt Gay (2021).
8) A Do-It-All Defender
Football, as you may have heard, is a matchup game. Offenses are offering more and more challenges by bringing in players who possess a challenging size/speed combo. Defenses are responding with linebackers who are a touch smaller and faster. Safeties with the size/strength to hang with tight ends are also super important in today’s game. Having someone who can slow the offense’s hybrid weapon is a big part of finding success.
Recent Examples: Dont’a Hightower (2018); Tyrann Mathieu (2019); Devin White (2020).
9) A Special Teams That Doesn’t Beat Itself
The games are often closer as the playoffs drag on. Great teams look for any edge they can get, so having huge special teams gaffes can really make things challenging. Sometimes, a strong special teams is like having a strong offensive lineman: you don’t really notice them. Now, we’d all like to see a Percy Harvin-style kickoff return for a TD, but those moments aren’t common. At the very least, teams need a specials unit that helps the field position battle and doesn’t turn the ball over.
Recent Examples: Patriots (2018); Chiefs (2019); Rams (2021).
10) An Ability to Elevate Depth
There’s no such thing as a Super Bowl win that doesn’t involve overcoming at least some adversity. True, this exists on a spectrum, but the general point remains: teams cannot expect to face no challenges on their journey along Super Bowl Road. The wise team thus plans accordingly, having depth players who are capable of stepping up when needed. The most prominent example comes from this past season. Weddle performed admirably, even calling plays during his defense’s Super-Bowl-winning performance. Being able to lean on depth is often the difference.
Recent Examples: Damien Williams (2019); Leonard Fournette (2020); Eric Weddle (2021).
