The Super Bowl is set! The Seahawks and Patriots will clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The game will kickoff at 6:30 PM ET on Sunday, Februrary 8th, and is a rematch of the 2015 match (when Russell Wilson was actually good). Definitely don’t forget about Green Day and Bad Bunny! All in all, this might just be among the most unexpected Super Bowls in NFL history.
The Seahawks Offense: There is a case to be made for both teams, but it is clear that the Seahawks remain favorites to win this game by a moderate amount. The Seahawks are five-point favorites, meaning that a Patriots win would be considered an upset. The Seahawks being favored this much is also clearly justified. Their offense, under the helm of QB Sam Darnold, ranked 3rd in scoring offense (28.4 points per game), and 7th in total offense (354.1 yards per game). A huge part of the Seahawks offense under head coach Mike Mcdonald has been balancing a run-heavy offense with play action passing. In fact, the Seahawks ran the ball on 51% of their plays, which was 2nd in the entire NFL. Kenneth Walker, the running back for the Seahawks, accounted for 1027 yards on 4.6 yards per carry, and five touchdowns. His impressive stats can be attributed to both his impressive individual performance and the scheme Mike Mcdonald curated for him. The real star of the Seahawks offense, however, is their wide receiver core. This meant not passing the ball much, but still getting plenty of yards through the air. This is best exemplified by Jaxon Smith Njigba. If you’ve watched any good amount of football this season, you probably know him or heard his name. He ranked third in receptions (119 catches), 1st in receiving yards (1,793 yards) So, although it’s debatable, many agree JSN has been the best wide receiver this year. He isn’t the only contributor though. Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp played huge roles as wide receivers, and although their performance was overshadowed by JSN, they can still potentially determine the tide of the Super Bowl. So, although it’s debatable, many agree JSN has been the best wide receiver this year. He isn’t the only contributor though. Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp played huge roles as wide receivers. Rashid Shaheed, in fact, might’ve just been a small yet powerful blessing. The Seahawks landed him in a trade with the New Orleans Saints, and since then, his speediness was utlizied on special team returns and on deep post routes as a wide receiver. Cooper Kupp also made multiple crucial catches in the NFC Championship, propelling them to where they are today. Although their performance was overshadowed by JSN, they still have the power to determine the destiny of the Seahawks. Their biggest issue, you may ask? The offense that seems so great, had the 2nd most turnovers in the entire league. They even had four in the NFC Championship game. So, the Seahawks offense isn’t all shiny, but it is definitely promising.
The Patriots Offense: As underdogs, the Patriots offense will definitely need to step up if they want to beat such a dominant Seattle team. In the regular season, they boasted 28.8 points per game (3rd best). That fell to a miserable 18 points per game in the playoffs. If the Patriots want to win, their offense simply has to step up. They have to at least play ‘okay’. They’ve had a historically easy path to the Super Bowl, facing a combination of losing and injured teams, and they simply aren’t going to get that with the Seahawks. In other words, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Patriots, but it wouldn’t be surprising if their offense can’t put up points. Quarterback Drake Maye ranked 3rd in the NFL with 4,394 passing yards, and showed his scrambling ability throughout the entire season. If he battles a low-scoring game, which is the most likely scenario, his legs could bring the Patriots their first ever Super Bowl win without Tom Brady. As for their rush attack, New England performed strongly in the regular season, with 128.9 rushing yards per game. Their run game also performed well in the playoffs, which could translate into a run-first playstyle against the Seahawks, involving both Trayveon Henderson and Drake Maye. This also means a predictable offense and is another weakness the Seahawks might exploit. As for Maye’s weapon, he’s got a solid group of recievers and tight-ends. One of them being Stefon Diggs (this definitely hurts if you’re a Bills fan). He isn’t quite at the same level as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but had 85 catches for 1,013 yards. Their 2nd best option is Keyshawn Boutte, who has occasional flashes, and could get a few targets. This is part of why they rank ahead of the Seahawks in yards per pass attempt, yet that dramatically fell in the playoffs as well. Ultimately, it is hard to see the Patriots offense perform great. Their wide receiver core lags behind Seattle, and their postseason wins leaned heavily on their defense. Nothing is certain until the actual game, though, and considering the unpredicatable and ever-evolving monstrosity of football we just witnessed, either team could take the trophy!
The Seahawks defense: This is the most impressive unit of all the ‘offenses’ and ‘defenses’ in football this year. They have the best scoring defense, only allowing 17.4 points per game; the best run defense, the second best pass defense, and had the most interceptions (18). Tariq Woolen, who had his breakout year a couple years ago, has become a double-edged sword. A liability and an asset. He’s only recorded one interception this season, and nearly cost the Seahawks a chance at the Super Bowl against Los Angeles, but has also made great highlight-worthy deflections and showcased himself as a “lockdown prototype. His penalties and discipline on the field definitely have a ton of room for improvement. Nick Emmanwori stood out as a new player in an otherwise underwhelming rookie class. He had a PFF grade of 71.4, which is considered good, but didn’t have any flashy stats. The real star of the secondary in the Emerald City is Devon Witherspoon. Despite only having one interception, he has truly been a lockdown prototype and boasts a PFF grade of 95, which is considered elite. Expect him to have a one-on-one matchup with Stefon Diggs. As for their run defense, Seatte ranks 3rd in that category. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV had 126 tackles and a 90.3 PFF grade, solidifying his elite status as a linebacker. Interestingly, he also led the team in interceptions, at five. That is highly unusual of the linebacker position. Byron Murphy and Demarcus Lawrence have been great at applying pressure on the quarterback, and can attack the weak Patriots offensive line. The Patriots will probably not score much.
The Patriots Defense: The final key to the Super Bowl. This unit is also elite, ranking 4th in scoring defense and 8th in total defense (yards allowed). This means that they might give up yards, but they do enough to prevent opposing offenses from getting points. In the playoffs, they had the 1st-ranked defense in almost every metric! This improvement could give the Seahawks offense trouble, and is exactly what carried the Patriots offense into the Super Bowl. It is interesting and important to note that the offenses the Patriots played in the playoffs suffered from costly injuries or were generally underproductive throughout the regular season. With that being said, why is the Patriots defense so good? For one, Christian Gonzalez emerged as a lockdown corner, and won the Patriots the AFC Championship with an interception against the Broncos. Another key player for the Patriots is Harold Landry III. He had 8.5 sacks this season, and can provide pressure by beating the Seahawks mediocre offensive line. Sam Darnold performs well under pressure, however, partly because of his great receiver core. This means the Patriots will have to get to Sam quickly. Mike Vrabel had a tremendous season, rightfully earning coach of the year, and his defensive-minded coaching style has definitely put this unit on the right course for years to come. Expect the Super Bowl to be a defensive battle of wits between both teams.
Bad Bunny: The Super Bowl is more than just football. For instance, the Halftime Show. Bad Bunny hasn’t revealed too much about what to expect, but there are a few things we know! For instance, his desire to keep his lyrics in Spanish. He has repeatedly stated that he will express his Puerto Rican culture during the halftime show the same way he does at any of his concerts. The 13-minute show will most likely feature songs like “La Cancion”, “Baile Inolvidable”, or grammy-winner “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos”. So you might want to learn some Spanish as the hours wind down!
Green Day: Green Day will kickoff the opening ceremony at 6:00 PM. He’s made many hit songs way back in the prehistoric times of the 90s and 2000s, and is definitely buzzing up excitement, even if he hasn’t been getting as much attention as Bad Bunny. “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” is a song you’ve most likely heard, even if you aren’t a Green Day fan at all. “American Idiots”, “Basket Case”, and “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, are all songs to learn for the opening ceremony.
