Super Bowl LX is another reminder that the Miami Dolphins are a long way from being this good. Jeff Hafley, however, was just gifted a game plan by the Seahawks that kept the Patriots guessing.
The Seahawks dominated the Drake Maye-led Patriots. The defensive game plan was a simple one: take away their outside receivers and blitz from disguised positions. That forced Maye to dump the ball to his outlet receiver, and the Seahawks were covering that, too.
The Patriots swept the Dolphins in 2025, but it will be up to Hafley's defense to make sure that doesn't happen going forward. The Seahawks' use of defensive back blitzes and linebackers in mid-range coverage didn't just force Maye into errors, but also forced him to rely on those tertiary reads. In other words, Seattle forced Maye to play right into their defensive scheme.
The Seahawks provided the Miami Dolphins with a perfect blueprint to beat the Patriots
Under Anthony Weaver, the Dolphins allowed the Patriots to dictate the tempo of the game. New England was able to take advantage of Miami's secondary issues and the lack of push off the defensive edge. Miami relied too much on its defensive linemen to get pressure on Maye.
During Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks aggressive approach kept Josh McDaniels guessing and the Patriots offense unbalanced.
The Dolphins can replicate this style of defense under Hafley. The former Packers' DC believes in a strong, physical, and attacking system. He wants to put players in a position to make plays that will force offenses into turnovers.
On Sunday night, the Seahawks gave him some other avenues to concentrate on. What worked the best was the constant pressure on every play. A relentless and perfectly disguised scheme worked because Maye couldn't get a good pre-snap read. When the thought he knew where pressure was going to come from, it came from somewhere else.
What made this work better was that Seattle didn't overdo it with more than one guy coming at a time. They got pressure from the line and, if needed, from the edge rushers, but by rushing only one from another spot, there was no clear place to put the ball.
This helped keep the Patriots' running game in check because Seattle's plan didn't leave holes in multiple places that would allow Maye to make a quick read; instead, they covered where the only option would be, leaving Maye confused.
In the second half, the Patriots spread out their offense to give Maye a better view of the field. Seattle responded with a zone defense and more blitzes from different areas of the field. In the 4th quarter, Seattle started using a four-man rush, which almost proved costly.
With a four-man rush, there were open gaps that allowed Maye to pick the defense apart. Ultimately, it didn't matter as the Seattle defense was just too good for the Patriots' offense to overcome a two-score deficit.
Seattle had 7 sacks, including two stripped sack fumbles, with one going back for a game-clinching touchdown. The relentless pressure was too overwhelming for the Patriots' offense, and that is what the Dolphins need to replicate in 2026.
Hafley should strongly consider using the Super Bowl defensive tape to gameplan next season when he faces their AFC East rival. It's clear that getting pressure on Maye is the key, but not just pressure; designed coverages that force the QB to have just one outlet to cover. It's literally filtering an offense to play into your coverage.
For the Dolphins, personnel will also be part of the equation. Miami needs to improve at safety, add starters on the boundary, and they must get better production from the edge rushers. The problem? The Dolphins currently have no starters at CB, Chop Robinson and Bradley Chubb on the edge, and a lack of depth at safety.