Super Bowl LX Preview: The "Darkside" Defense vs. Drake Maye & 2026 Coaching Carousel Reactions

We preview Super Bowl LX by analyzing if Drake Maye and the "Zombie" Patriots can upset the "Darkside" Seahawks defense in a battle of efficiency versus explosive plays. Plus, we break down the latest 2026 NFL coaching carousel news, including Todd Monken to the Browns and Mike LaFleur to the Cardinals.

—

In this episode:

- Preview the Super Bowl LX matchup, analyzing whether the “Zombie” Patriots’ deep-ball attack can disrupt the “Darkside” efficiency of the Seahawks’ defense.

- Identify the biggest X-factors for Sunday, including Sam Darnold’s “redemption tour” against the team that made him see ghosts and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s potential MVP performance from the slot.

- React to the Cleveland Browns’ “wild” decision to hire Todd Monken and the potential defensive fallout if Jim Schwartz departs.

- Discuss the continued dominance of the Shanahan/McVay tree in the NFC West with Mike LaFleur taking the Cardinals job and Clint Kubiak heading to the Raiders.

- Break down the Baltimore Ravens’ internal succession plan, with Jesse Minter returning as Head Coach and Anthony Weaver joining as Defensive Coordinator.

—

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Live from “Radio Row” & Super Bowl Week

02:00 – Reaction: Todd Monken to the Browns & losing Jim Schwartz

07:03 – Mike LaFleur to the Cardinals: The Shanahan/McVay tree dominates the West

11:22 – Klint Kubiak to the Raiders & how coaching hires affect playoff teams

16:03 – Ravens Reload: Jesse Minter returns as Head Coach

21:21 – Giants Hire Denard Wilson & the lack of minority offensive coordinators

23:16 – Joe Brady stays in Buffalo & rumors of Jim Leonhard to the Packers

25:24 – Cowboys Staffing: Christian Parker & the intra-division rivalry

27:04 – Super Bowl LXI Preview: The “Zombie” Patriots vs. The “Death Star” Seahawks

32:38 – The Drake Maye “Cheat Code”: Can he beat efficiency with deep balls?

38:35 – Sam Darnold’s Redemption Tour: Facing the “Ghosts” one last time

44:47 – Super Bowl X-Factor: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) vs. the Patriots’ secondary

50:49 – Keys to Victory: How New England can manufacture an upset

56:49 – Final Super Bowl LX Score Predictions

—

» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

MatchQuarters is a reader-supported publication. So, make sure to subscribe.

—

© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.matchquarters.com/subscribe