Of the many storylines going into Super Bowl LX, one of the more talked-about topics is undoubtedly about the New England Patriots being underdogs as they take on the Seattle Seahawks.
It's not a secret — not even a little.
The vast majority of NFL fans are picking the Seahawks to beat New England in this one, but that might be the one reason why the Patriots wind up winning. Former Patriots quarterback and current FOX broadcaster, Tom Brady, spoke to Colin Cowherd on the air about this underdog mentality.
How is head coach Mike Vrabel reacting to all of the underdog talk? Brady has an idea:
"Knowing Vrabel, he's probably got every bit of underdog material up everywhere.
"If you pick the Seahawks, I'm sure he's going to be telling the entire team that Colin Cowherd picked the Seahawks (and) we're underdogs."
The pettiness level would be astronomical, but you know what?
I love it.
Tom Brady confirms what Patriots fans already assumed about Mike Vrabel
Who wouldn't love to know what goes on behind the scenes, if this was indeed true?
Just picture Vrabel printing and posting all of the bulletin board material he can find for his team. All of it, everywhere you look. Pretty soon, your entire roster is walking around with the attitude of revenge, and they haven't even played the Seahawks this season.
There is nothing to want revenge for, realistically. But, with the way Vrabel is operating, that's the mentality. The underdog mentality is a powerful one and these Patriots should not be underestimated.
No matter what type of evidence, numbers, narratives are written leading up to the big game, Vrabel has something that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald does not: a Super Bowl win.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a player. He was as gritty a player as he is a head coach, too. He is who he is: unapologetically himself. And that's precisely why New England hired him. Vrabel's toughness as a player has translated over to his duties as a head coach.
The toughness, physicality and motivation factors are at an all-time high for this game.
Think about it this way ... all week long, Macdonald has to be telling his team not to overlook the Pats. Seattle is spending much of their time thinking things like, "we can't take this Patriots team for granted."
Meanwhile, Vrabel is preaching the fact that no one believes in his guys.
Which tone do you think is the more powerful one?
It's obviously in that New England locker room. Vrabel knows how to play the underdog and he knows how to let it consume him. Thus, it's going to consume this team.
Who's ready?