Then there were two. The Seattle Seahawks, the winners of the National Football Conference (NFC), and the New England Patriots, the winners of the American Football Conference (AFC), meet in the biggest game of the year—the Super Bowl. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
Both of these teams had their own courageous paths to the Super Bowl, but their success would begin in the offseason.
The Seattle Seahawks of the NFC had a very eventful offseason, to say the least, which is a huge reason for their success this season. They began the offseason by making a splash at quarterback, signing Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings to a three-year deal after they traded veteran quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders. Many were skeptical of Darnold, as they believed he was not capable of leading another team despite winning an impressive 14 games in his first year as a starter.
Later on that same day, Seattle would move on from longtime wide receiver DK Metcalf by trading him too the Pittsburgh Steelers. As his replacement, the Seahawks would sign veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp from their divisional rival, the Los Angeles Rams, on a three-year deal. Notably, they would also sign former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. Finally, the Seahawks put together a solid draft class by bringing in safety Nick Emmanwori and tight end Elijah Arroyo, who both had impactful seasons, especially Emmanwori.
During the regular season, the Seahawks were unstoppable. They finished with an overall record of 14-3 with their last loss coming in week eleven to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were a team that gave the Seahawks the most problems, with both of their regular-season matchups being decided by two points or less. But a huge reason why Seattle was so successful was because of their very balanced roster overall. Their offense of quarterback Darnold, running back duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was dominant. Smith-Njigba led the entire league in receiving yards with an impressive 1,793 yards and ten touchdowns.
Their defense was also very impactful, which included players such as linebacker Ernest Jones IV, safety Nick Emmanwori, and corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. With such a balanced roster, and especially a dominant defense, the Seahawks finished as the number one seed in the NFC. With this, they gained a bye in the first round, then proceeded to breeze by the San Francisco 49ers 41-6. They would then face the Rams once more in the NFC Championship game, where, thanks to an impressive performance must needed performance from Darnold, the Seahawks would sneak this game out 31-27.
The New England Patriots of the AFC, coming off a disappointing 4-13 season, looked to revive the franchise to the glory days it once had. They knew this mission would begin with a big offseason, and with money to spend, the Patriots got to work. Notably, they brought in wide receiver Steffon Diggs, center Garrett Bradbury from the Minnesota Vikings, and defensive end Milton Williams from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots, just like the Seahawks, were able to bring in two immediate impact offensive players in offensive tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson. They also brought in Mike Vrabel to fulfill their head coach vacancy, and he did not disappoint, as he was able to bring out the best in the team in just his first year.
Just a year after winning just four games, the New England Patriots would go on to have a 14-3 record, which helped them reach the second seed in the AFC. But even with such a dominant season, many were not willing to give the Patriots credit, as many brought up the fact that they had a so-called “easier” schedule than most teams. New England also had a very performative offense itself with second-year quarterback Drake Maye, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Steffon Diggs, and tight end Hunter Henry. Defensively, the Patriots have one of the top defenses in the NFL, consisting of players such as cornerback Christian Gonzales, linebacker Harold Landry, and linebacker Robert Spillane.
In the first round game versus the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots’ defense let up just three points to a very solid Los Angeles offense. The defense would be the key to the Patriots’ success for the rest of the playoffs, as their continuous pressure on the quarterback and incredible secondary helped them get to where they are. To clinch a spot in the Super Bowl, corner back Christian Gonzales would get an interception to win the NFC championship 10-7 over the Denver Broncos. The Patriots are also considered the underdogs in this game due to questions about whether their offense can produce.
Overall, the Super Bowl will be very entertaining to watch thanks to these two impactful defenses and solid offenses. My prediction for this game is that the Patriots will pull off an upset over the Seahawks by winning 24-20.
