FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Five days before Super Bowl LX, the Atlanta Falcons officially introduced Ian Cunningham as the organization's next general manager. During his introductory press conference, Cunningham made it clear that his roster-building philosophy starts up front.
"We're going to build through the trenches," Cunningham said.
The most recent Super Bowl illustrated exactly why that approach fits the modern NFL, as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, Seattle's front paved the way for a 135-yard rushing performance from running back Kenneth Walker, who averaged five yards per carry and earned Super Bowl MVP honors. Walker became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998.
"Everyone really dedicated themselves to the run game (Sunday), which is something we had to get going to really control the game," Mike Macdonald said postgame via NBC. "And I think this is one of the best versions of Ken that we've [seen] up to this point."
The offensive line also kept quarterback Sam Darnold upright, allowing just one sack and giving him ample time to protect the football.
Defensively, the Seahawks' front showed why the old cliché that defense wins championships still rings true. They made life tough for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, sacking him six times and forcing two critical turnovers that helped seal the victory. New England's rushing attack was also neutralized, held to just 79 yards over four quarters. It marked only the sixth time all season the Patriots were held under 100 rushing yards.
In essence, Seattle leaned on a physical run game to sustain its offense while smothering its opponent's rushing attack and relentlessly pressuring the quarterback.
That blueprint should sound familiar, because it is exactly the plan — and vision — the Falcons have put in motion.
"The main thing was we wanted a detailed, tough, physical football team," president of football Matt Ryan said in his opening statements of Kevin Stefanski's introductory press conference. "On offense, we want an offense that has the ability to run the football, that is going to be explosive with the pass game off of the run. On defense, we're going to stop the run. We're going to be physical against the run. In the pass game, we're going to affect the quarterback physically and we're going to affect him mentally as well with disguise and with the way that we play coverage."
It's exactly what the Seahawks executed against the Patriots on football's biggest stage. And if that performance represents the model for sustained success, the Falcons have seen it firsthand, and will look to replicate it in their own way.
