Super Bowl LX Preview
The final game of the NFL season is upon us. As always, I am feeling a mixture of excitement and dread as the commencement of the NFL season is about to occur. This season has truly been like any in recent memory. There was tremendous parity in the NFL this past season, which created incredible games that went down to the wire throughout the playoffs and regular season. I think of games like Chicago vs. Green Bay (x3), Denver vs. Buffalo, and Seattle vs. Los Angeles to name a few. While Seattle and New England were the first and second seed in their respective conferences, neither was a Super Bowl favorite entering the season. When you have perennial contenders like the Chiefs, Eagles, Ravens, and Bills who all had down years, the door swings wide open for emerging teams to prove themselves.
The Patriots had their legitimacy questioned as their schedule was relatively easy throughout the regular season. They also haven’t faced a great offense yet in this postseason. With that being said, they played 3 of the best defenses in the NFL and find themselves in their first Super Bowl since the Brady/Belichick era. A breakout Sophomore campaign from Drake Maye has really sparked this team forward. His dual threat ability and precisions passing have turned the young quarterback into a true MVP candidate. On defense, New England has one of the most underrated units in all of the NFL. The most notable player is elite cornerback Christian Gonzalez, but this defense is filled with players that simply know and excel in their role.
For their opponent, the Seahawks played in what is almost unanimously considered the toughest division in the NFL. Sam Darnold continues to write his own comeback story. Darnold has been great and found a connection with Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who has erupted in his third NFL season. Seattle’s offense has exploded and put up games of 44, 41, and 37 this season. While I love their offensive attack, I think this team’s identity comes from Head Coach Mike Macdonald. This unit has difference makers at all three levels and thrives at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With Drake Maye potentially nursing a shoulder injury, it could be open season for Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence. When these two are cooking, it could force a young quarterback to make a game altering mistake.
Now let’s take a brief look at our our playoff predictions have faired this season and then get into the Super Bowl preview.
Wildcard Round: 5-1
Divisional Round: 2-2
Championship Round: 2-0
Total: 9-3
Patriots vs. Seahawks
Why Patriots Win:
Drake Maye’s shoulder is healthy
Get 70+ yards from Stefon Diggs
Win the turnover battle
Why Seahawks Win:
Get 100+ all-purpose yards from Kenneth Walker
Create a game altering special teams play
Sack Drake Maye 3+ times
Key Matchups:
AJ Barner vs. Patriot Linebackers
Stefon Diggs vs. Devon Witherspoon
Patriots OL vs. Seahawks DL
Preview:
The New England Patriots are underdogs going into Super Bowl LX. I understand the reasoning behind this, but I refuse to count the Patriots out of this game. You can’t ignore some of the schedule breaks that have gone their way, but this team knows how to win. Their defense is playing its best football at the perfect time, Drake Maye has proven to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and Mike Vrabel is a master of situational football. Vrabel will have these guys prepared and ready to pull off the upset. The news this week of Drake Maye’s shoulder being healthy is fantastic for Patriots fans. This obviously increases his comfort and will hopefully allow Maye to run without fear of reinjuring that shoulder. Offensively, New England is at its best when Maye is making plays with his legs and Diggs is involved. This defensive unit is playing great football, allowing 3, 16, and 7 points during these playoffs. If this unit can create chaos around Sam Darnold and win the turnover battle, they’ll likely be holding the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.
The NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks have won 9 straight games and play a physical brand of football. The emergence of Jaxson Smith-Njigba this season has helped elevate this offense from pedestrian levels. JSN is a master route runner that makes life easy on quarterback Sam Darnold. While Darnold and Smith-Njigba get a majority of the attention, the play of the Seattle offensive line and Kenneth Walker III will be key in this game. The Patriots are great against the run, but getting Walker 100+ all purpose yards will alleviate pressure on other parts of this offense. On defense, the Seahawks make plays at all three levels. From Leonard Williams to Ernest Jones IV and Devon Witherspoon, this unit doesn’t have a glaring weak spot. Seattle will make big plays on defense throughout the game, but the play of this defensive line will be pivotal for a victory. If the Seahawks can sack Drake Maye 3 or more times, then momentum will truly shift in their favor.
I had a harder time picking this game than many others did. I believe the Seahawks are the better team, but I think this is a favorable matchup for the Patriots. Seattle doesn’t have an elite edge rusher and New England has proven throughout the season to be elite against the run. The Patriots offense should be able to stay balanced on offense and get their duo of Rhamondre Stevenson/Treveyon Henderson involved throughout the game. This offense is at their best when the running back duo and Stefon Diggs are involved early and often. Even though I believe in this Patriots team, I think Seattle wins here. Despite not having an elite pass rusher, this Seahawks unit puts pressure on the opposing quarterbacks and will prevent Maye from truly being comfortable in the pocket. I don’t think New England, or anyone else in the league, can stop JSN and I think someone like Kupp or Barner will make a big play down the stretch. Finally, I think the special teams edge goes to Seattle as well. The combination of Jason Myers and Rashid Shaheed will make enough of a difference on special teams to give Seattle that final boost.
Prediction: Seahawks 27 Patriots 20