This Sunday, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will play to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium. While the Patriots look to break the record for most Super Bowl wins in history, the Seahawks seek revenge for their last-minute loss to New England in Super Bowl XLIX. Ahead of the Big Game, The UCSD Guardian’s Sports section casts its predictions for which team will come out on top.
Kurt Johnston, Managing Editor
Sam Darnold was not supposed to be here. The former third overall pick’s tenure in New York was, to put it mildly, disastrous; Darnold threw 39 interceptions in 38 starts, missed three games with mononucleosis, and said he was “seeing ghosts” live on TV. Two seasons ago, he was backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco, and this offseason, the Vikings ditched him for J.J. “Nine” McCarthy — a move that helped get Minnesota’s GM fired last week — after a humiliating loss to the Rams in the wild-card round. Yet, Mike Macdonald, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and company have revitalized Darnold’s career.
Drake Maye, on the other hand, is the NFL’s new golden boy. The people’s MVP threw for nearly 4,400 yards and 31 touchdowns en route to the AFC’s No. 2 seed. Memories of the Brady-Belichick beef have faded quickly; just one year removed from a dismal 4-13 season, the Patriots have gone 16-1 in their last 17 games.
Unfortunately for Darnold, ghosts loom large at Levi’s Stadium. It may not have been the best idea to tell the media that passing at the goalline is a good idea. Sam, beware of Malcolm Butler. Beware of the Great America parking lot. Beware of the electrical substation. Give me the Pats.
Patriots 21, Seahawks 17
Isaiah Benitez, Senior Staff Writer
For the second Super Bowl in a row, an NFC bird team will face off against a historic AFC dynasty after choking years prior. The Seattle Seahawks enter Sunday’s matchup at the top of their game. Offensively, they have proven effective on the ground and uber-effective in the air; defensively, they have become one of the most feared units of the decade. Jaxon “The Emerald City Route Artist” Smith-Njigba, Nick “Demonwori” Emmanwori, Sam “Mononucleosis” Darnold, and Anthony “Lowlight” Bradford are just a few of this team’s many stars.
The Patriots aren’t far off, with MVP candidate Drake “Drake Maye” Maye at quarterback and a bloodthirsty defense that has awakened in this year’s postseason. However, Seattle isn’t like any offense they’ve seen. In the trenches, the Seahawks have mauled opponents on both sides of the ball, while New England’s pass rush has struggled — just like its rookie offensive tackle Will “Get Beat” Campbell when facing elite veteran edge rushers. Barring Darnold seeing ghosts or somehow contracting mono again, the Seahawks will dominate this game and reap their sweet, sweet revenge.
Seahawks 30, Patriots 18
Abigail Kapur, Sports Co-Editor
After eight long years, the wait is over — New England is finally back in the Super Bowl. Sans Brady, sure, but there’s a new dynasty in town.
In just his first year in the role, head coach Mike Vrabel has pulled the Patriots from a 4-13 record to a Super Bowl appearance. But it’s his quarterback, Drake “Drake Maye” Maye, who’s stolen America’s attention. “I <3 Drake Maye” shirts aside, Maye has emerged as one of the best in the game this year, leading the league in completion percentage and yards per pass attempt in the regular season.
In only his second season, Maye and his Patriots are already drawing whispered comparisons to Brady-era New England. Aside from the Patriots’ scrappy AFC championship win, when Maye seemed to scramble more than he threw, New England has thrived under pressure this season. Still, the Patriots will have to rely on a disciplined defense to hold off the heavily-favored Seahawks. Despite the challenge, New England will triumph because it has something Sam Darnold never could — aura.
The biggest game in football is familiar ground for the Patriots. For Darnold and his Seahawks, though, it’ll be a Sunday as tragic as that Super Bowl XLIX loss.
New England’s back, baby.
Patriots 24, Seahawks 21
Ashwin Belur, Contributing Writer
The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl after a short hiatus, but in this rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks will get their revenge.
Klint Kubiak’s high-powered Seahawk offense has produced some high-scoring games this season, and the pattern will continue next weekend. Jaxon Smith-Njigba — my pick for this year’s Super Bowl MVP — put up an amazing performance in the NFC championship game. On the other side, Drake “Drake Maye” Maye has pulled off an MVP-caliber season for the Patriots. Unfortunately, he is facing a Seahawk defense that held the 49ers to just 6 points in the divisional round.
The Patriots’ defense has stepped up in the playoffs, allowing just 26 points in three playoff games. However, Seattle’s dynamic offense, with weapons like Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III, will make the difference, and the Seahawks will win the Lombardi Trophy in their rival’s home stadium.
Seahawks 31, Patriots 21
