A special teams breakdown ended the Rams’ Super Bowl dreams, and it has become one of the most dissected moments of the championship game. Sure, Los Angeles punt returner Xavier Smith has shouldered much of the blame for the costly mistake. But now, the spotlight has shifted in a different direction. On the other sideline, ex-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s son is applauded for the Seahawks’ special teams efforts.

Smith’s muffed punt early in the third quarter swung the game. The Rams were trailing 17–13 in the early third quarter; punt returner Smith drifted back to handle a high ball, and he got underneath the ball. However, his foot gave way in the wet conditions, causing him to stumble and fall backward, losing control of the ball. Seattle’s Dareke Young pounced on the muffed ball at the Rams’ 17-yard line and gave his team an immediate red-zone possession. The Seahawks wasted no time and scored in the next drive, with a 17-yard touchdown, to take a commanding 24-13 lead.

The moment didn’t go unnoticed online, especially by Connor Stalions, Jim Harbaugh’s former assistant at Michigan, who couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab on X.

“Jay Harbaugh is brilliant,” Stalions wrote. “Convincing the punt returner to lay down and muff the punt is next-level coaching.”

While the ex-Michigan coach sarcastically tried to frame it like ‘a sign steal,’ which cost Stalions his job at Michigan, it was purely Jay Harbaugh’s preparation and situational awareness.

That lapse wasn’t an isolated incident, though. The Rams had already fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn in December, in the Week 16 game against Seattle. The unit’s flaw remained a fundamental obstacle. Seattle anticipated the chaos and pounced, while the Rams looked unready for the moment, losing their Super Bowl chance due to fundamental weaknesses.

On the other hand, the Seahawks, led by Jay, were ranked No. 1 for most of the season, per ESPN Analytics. The Seahawks’ special teams helped in several comfortable victories over the first two-thirds of the season and have been a difference maker against more evenly matched opponents. The same special teams earned them a chance at the Super Bowl against the Patriots in Santa Clara.

Connor Stalions’ sign-stealing controversy at Michigan

Connor Stalions, the former analyst, resigned from his position in November 2023 following a signal-stealing accusation from the opponent’s team, crossing the NCAA guidelines. The NCAA officially handed him an eight-year “show-cause” order in August 2025. 

Stalions reportedly paid people to observe games of Michigan’s upcoming opponents and to document their sideline signals. While the NCAA allows teams to study signals by watching the film during their own games, they cannot record signals through direct observation. Stalions did not watch these games by themselves but employed workers outside the Michigan program. It raised the question of the Wolverines’ operational guidelines and led to an NCAA investigation.

While the accusation was spun up, Stalions attended the CMU vs. Michigan State game during the 2023 season. Though he was there at the request of CMU staff, he was caught deciphering Michigan State’s signals, a team that Michigan was set to face later that season. That move strengthened the case against Michigan, even though Jim Harbaugh or other Wolverines staff were not aware of his presence. That led to resigning from the Wolverines staff.

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