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Chris Berman
A number of Authors
After three straight Tremendous Bowl columns wherein we nailed the winner and the precise margin of victory, final 12 months, alas, we swung and missed. Mea culpa. Please remember, even Tony Gwynn and George Brett grounded out every so often.
The 2025 season was not like any we have seen in latest reminiscence. Just one out of eight divisions had a repeat winner. That was the NFC East and the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, however come the postseason, they have been a fast one-and-done within the wild-card spherical.
The AFC was turned fully on its ear. The perennial convention champion Kansas City Chiefs by no means actually reached strong footing, then Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and Andy Reid’s group was a uncommon down and out. The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson began 1-5 and did not make the playoffs, and Joe Burrow was harm early and the Cincinnati Bengals have been by no means an element. The one mainstay was the Buffalo Bills, led by Josh Allen, however they fell within the divisional spherical in agonizing trend once more. Who knew that by the tip of January, Sean McDermott, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin would now not be teaching the Payments, Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, and that the preseason afterthought Jacksonville Jaguars can be a division champ?
The NFC was a lot much less turbulent, except you thought of placing the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, two extra preseason afterthoughts, in your division winner dance card. Each performed superbly within the playoffs. The second NFC preseason decide behind Philly was the Detroit Lions, who have been left on the sideline in January.
So, why would not we’ve got a Tremendous Bowl matchup between two groups that missed final 12 months’s postseason?
The Patriots gained 4 video games a season in the past and 4 video games the season earlier than that, however in 12 months 1 below Mike Vrabel, it has been a very totally different story. The Patriots started the season 1-2, together with a loss at residence to the Las Vegas Raiders, who went on to “corral” the No. 1 draft decide in April. Then, quickly thereafter, they gained at Buffalo and we questioned, “OK, what are they going to do with that?” The reply? The Patriots have misplaced one recreation since late September, and three playoff wins later, they’re 17-3.
The Seahawks gained 10 video games a 12 months in the past of their first season below Mike Macdonald, however missed the playoffs. This season, the NFC West was far and away the hardest division. The Seahawks misplaced shut video games within the first half of the season to each the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, so the wild card gave the impression to be their solely path to the playoffs. Since that loss to the Rams in mid-November, the Seahawks have been on their very own run, ending the common season with seven straight wins to earn the No. 1 seed within the NFC. Two extra playoff wins made them 16-3.
What a contemporary and scrumptious Tremendous Bowl we’re about to have within the Bay Space.
Hmmm … have the Patriots and Seahawks ever met within the Tremendous Bowl? How about in probably the greatest and influential Tremendous Bowls of all time, 11 years in the past in Tremendous Bowl XLIX. It ended up New England 28, Seattle 24, with the little-known Malcolm Butler‘s interception on the 1-yard line within the waning seconds sealing the deal. You would argue that that play may even prime David Tyree’s catch for the New York Giants (in the identical Arizona constructing, no much less!) as probably the most influential in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
Consider the narrative had Seattle gained that evening. The Seahawks would have repeated as Tremendous Bowl champs, the locker room would have been tight and bracing for historical past the next season, with the possibility to change into the one group to three-peat (as we all know, the Chiefs fell brief final 12 months). Whether or not the Seahawks gained or not, they might have been the group of the last decade.
In the meantime, New England would have heard a special chorus, as unfair as it will have been. The Belichick and Brady bunch gained Tremendous Bowls within the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons, however a loss to Seattle would have been their third straight Tremendous Bowl defeat. Might they now not win “the massive one”? As an alternative, they have been now 4-2, and gained two extra Tremendous Bowls within the 2016 and 2018 seasons, and the Patriots have been clearly the group of the last decade … once more. NFL historical past certainly took a serious left-hand flip.
On to this Sunday, the place none of this has any bearing on the most recent editions of the Pats and Seahawks, besides that Josh McDaniels remains to be calling performs for New England. That is removed from insignificant, as it’s the sixth time he’ll be doing that within the Tremendous Bowl. Properly-timed trick performs, a bunch of screens, and others to widen the sphere could also be coming with the intention to unfold out this Seattle protection that closes gaps in a rush.
His quarterback, Drake Maye, performed a clear AFC title recreation in Denver when his group wanted it most. And now, in good climate, Maye can return to specializing in finishing his intermediate and longer passes to Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry, which is what made him an MVP contender. It is virtually inconceivable to guide the NFL in completion proportion AND yards per try, however he did it.
The Patriots’ working recreation is approaching, and so is their protection, which outshined three of the AFC’s finest within the playoffs in caring for the Chargers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. It is no shock, since no person is aware of higher than head coach Mike Vrabel, along with his postseason information as a New England linebacker and Tennessee Titans head coach, how necessary it’s to hit the bottom working in December and within the playoffs.
Seattle, after all, is doing the identical. Its protection allowed the fewest factors within the NFL, which led the Seahawks to the perfect level differential as effectively (+191). Whereas the famed Legion of Growth of final decade was constructed from the again to the entrance, the “Darkish Aspect” protection of Coach Macdonald is inbuilt reverse, with Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence headlining the entrance wall and Ernest Jones IV within the center performing as a soccer Bermuda Triangle. With the intention to play protection for the Seahawks, you should deliver thunder in any respect three ranges. In 4 of their previous eight video games, they held opponents to single digits … and yielded simply 10 and 16 factors in two others. The Rams (twice) have been the one ones who lit up the scoreboard in opposition to them. Are the Patriots outfitted sufficient to enter the 20s?
Going into the playoffs, the query requested of QB Sam Darnold was, “Are you prepared?” Twice, he has answered emphatically with a “Sure!” Seattle performed a clear recreation because it beat each the 49ers and Rams to get to Tremendous Bowl LX. It helps dramatically that he and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have been on the identical web page from day one, because the third-year wideout led the league with virtually 1,800 yards receiving, getting open when everybody within the stadium is aware of that if the Seahawks are throwing for an explosive achieve, it’ll him.
An element to not be missed: Seattle has as sturdy a veteran punter/kicker tandem as anybody within the league, whereas the Patriots have a rookie kicker and a third-year punter. Each groups have excellent returners.
There aren’t many Tremendous Bowls wherein each groups have been preseason lengthy pictures. New England was 75-1 and Seattle was 60-1. That is why Sunday’s showdown is so tasty. One way or the other, a way, if the Seahawks are to win, they should get a 1-yard speeding landing. It does not should be on the finish of the sport. And in the event that they do, I really feel the Darkish Aspect will flip off the lights late.
Seattle 26, New England 17
P.S.: If the Swami is appropriate, there will probably be at the very least one document set. Seattle assistant coach Leslie Frazier could have the longest hole between Tremendous Bowl rings — 40 years! He was a “Tremendous Bowl Shuffle” Chicago Bear within the 1985 season and an Indianapolis assistant within the 2006 season as effectively.
