Tyler Boone ‘27 and Charlie Weigand ‘27

The Super Bowl is set as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots head to San Francisco for a showdown. The Seahawks are coming off two strong wins after dominating the 49ers and showing off tons of offensive firepower against the Rams. Quarterback Sam Darnold, in his first year with the team, has been a major part of their success throughout the season. Darnold has led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record, joining Tom Brady as the only quarterback to lead his team to back-to-back 14-win seasons. Along with Darnold’s success, head coach Mike Macdonald is another reason why this team has been so dominant this past year. In his first year, the team had a 10-7 record and just fell short of the playoffs. This year, they defied expectations and climbed to the one seed.

The Patriots, on the other hand, have also shown that they can ball with the best so far in this playoff. They are coming off three well-played games against the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos. Drake Maye, like Darnold, is also turning some heads. After a disappointing rookie year, Maye blasted himself onto the scene with an elite sophomore season. The dual-threat quarterback finished second in MVP voting and led his team to an outstanding 14-3 record. The playoffs haven’t shown him much trouble either. Despite the popular narrative of young quarterbacks struggling under pressure, Maye appears to be thriving. New head coach Mike Vrabel has done an outstanding job, earning himself the head coach of the year award. It is safe to say that both of these offenses have elite ability, but the pass catchers will need to be in peak form for either team to win.

The Seahawks have star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has skyrocketed from his first two seasons in the NFL. He led the league in receiving yards and has taken home the offensive player of the year award. A mid-season transaction led to the Seahawks acquiring wide receiver and kick/punt returner Rashid Shaheed from the Saints. Shaheed’s blazing speed has been a dangerous threat both on special teams and at receiver this playoff. The Seahawks have turned him into a force that should not be overlooked. For the Pats, four-time Pro Bowl pass catcher Stefon Diggs has been a force to be reckoned with. The sure-handed receiver has been one of Maye’s top targets and has a knack for finding the endzone. The defenses, on both sides, will certainly play a large role in this one. Both have elite playmakers and are arguably two of the top five defenses in the league.

However, this Patriots defense has not seen an offense to the caliber of the Seahawks at any point in this playoff. Darnold, with the weapons he has, will present a very tall task for the Pats. Conversely,, the Seahawks defense has plenty of experience against great quarterback play and has dominated. Right now, the betting lines favor the Seahawks at -4.5, and the over/under is currently at 45.5 for total points scored. Overall, the Seahawks have the better team. Along with their elite defense that’s making Seahawks fans nostalgic of the Legion of Boom from the last Seahawks Super Bowl-winning team, Seattle will win this game by two scores. The Seahawks will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in a 31-17 win over the Patriots.