Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots. On paper, it’s a close matchup—but our staff has a clear favorite. Who will come out on top on Sunday?
24-16, Seahawks
MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Unlikely hero: DeMarcus Lawrence
Sheil Kapadia: I think there are two ways that the Patriots could win: One, Drake Maye puts the team on his back (possible!). Two, Sam Darnold turns into a pumpkin (also possible!). But I think that the Seahawks are the better team on a down-to-down basis. I think that their defensive front will control the game against New England's shaky offensive line, and I give Mike Macdonald a big edge over Josh McDaniels from a coaching perspective. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots like to play a lot of man coverage, and Smith-Njigba destroys man coverage. I see a competitive game, with the Seahawks doing just enough offensively to be crowned champs.
27-21, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Sam Darnold
Nora Princiotti: OK, so “unlikely” might be too cute, or require a season-long mindset. But come on. There’s no more unlikely hero than Darnold, who before this season was best known for experiencing paranormal activity on the football field and having mononucleosis that one time. In theory, Darnold doesn’t have to make that many big plays for the Seahawks to carry this one, thanks to their defense, but stylistically, he’s a boom-or-bust guy. That Darnold would become the first quarterback from the class of 2018 to start in the Super Bowl seemed extremely unlikely not long ago, and even a moment or two of heroism in a Seattle win on Sunday would cap one of the most shocking player turnaround stories in NFL history.
16-10, Seahawks
MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Unlikely hero: Michael Dickson
Danny Kelly: It feels like this is going to be a low-scoring, knock-down, drag-out battle between two really good defenses. The Seahawks’ fearsome defensive front will make life hard for the Patriots offensive line, shutting down the run while getting after Drake Maye for most of the game. On the other side of the coin, I could see New England’s defense giving Seattle’s offense fits, too. That will turn this game into a competition of who can take care of the ball and win the field-position battle. Seattle’s steely punter, Michael Dickson, will do his part to pin the Pats deep in their own end. And while it won’t always be pretty, I think Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Co. will be able to do just enough to pull away with the victory.
24-20, Seahawks
MVP: DeMarcus Lawrence
Unlikely hero: AJ Barner
Steven Ruiz: This isn't a terrible matchup for the Patriots, but the talent gap is just too wide for me to back them. A few Sam Darnold turnovers will be required to keep things close, which is certainly in the range of realistic outcomes. But the Seahawks quarterback will have a wide margin for error on Sunday thanks to his defense, which can overwhelm a leaky New England offensive line and make Drake Maye’s Super Bowl debut a miserable experience. I’ve got DeMarcus Lawrence getting a fourth-quarter strip sack to put the game away. And even if Seattle’s offense turns in a chaotic performance, it’s too explosive to hold down for a full 60-minute game and should score enough points to win. New England will be ready for the downfield shots to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which could open up space underneath for tight end AJ Barner to have a busy night. Eventually, though, JSN will strike and put the Pats away.
34-14, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Ernest Jones IV
Diante Lee: I’ve tried to couch all my takes on Super Bowl LX with the tired “Anything can happen” nonsense. But I’m dropping the niceties after rewatching the film. Seattle is faster, is deeper in the trenches, and has more avenues to win than New England does. We just haven’t seen the Patriots play a team as good as Seattle. And it feels wrong to say, but I think I trust quarterback Sam Darnold to protect the ball more than Drake Maye, given how this postseason has played out. Don’t be shocked if this game gets out of hand pretty quickly.
31-9, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Ernest Jones IV
Danny Heifetz: New England's offense is good. Seattle's defense is historic. New England is trotting out a rookie left tackle and a rookie left guard versus the best and most sophisticated defense in years. For all the fears that Darnold will make a dumb turnover (or three), people have forgotten that Maye had more combined picks and fumbles in the Patriots-Texans game than C.J. Stroud did. Steel yourself to see Darnold holding the Lombardi Trophy.
28-17, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Ernest Jones IV
Lindsay Jones: I will not let how weird the words "Sam Darnold, Super Bowl champion" sound inside my brain cause me to overthink this: Seattle has been one of the best teams all season. Its success, including Darnold’s, is not a fluke. And while it very much seems like this is the start of a great new era for the Patriots, this is Seattle's time.
23-14, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Sam Darnold
Austin Gayle: Darnold is an unlikely hero! A year ago, all he was known for was shitting his pants in big games, taking bad sacks, and making worse turnovers. Two years ago, he was a backup in San Francisco. Before that, he was a failed reclamation experiment in Carolina and an all-time draft bust for the Jets. You’d have to go all the way back to the ’80s and Jim Plunkett, a former no. 1 pick, to find a draft bust turned Super Bowl–winning quarterback. (You could count former no. 9 pick Trent Dilfer and his win with the Ravens in 2000, but he was more of a disappointment for Tampa Bay than a bust.) Darnold will join rare company if he pulls it off on Sunday, and he doesn’t need to be a superhero to make it happen. Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III are game-wrecking skill players, and the Seattle defense is arguably the best the NFL has seen in the past five years. The moment just can’t be too big for Darnold. The ghosts of his past can’t creep back in. If he avoids game-altering mistakes, he will complete one of the biggest career turnarounds in NFL history.
24-20, Seahawks
MVP: Sam Darnold
Unlikely hero: Rashid Shaheed
Riley McAtee: Seattle is the better team, although it's close. The main matchup I am looking at is how Smith-Njigba fares against Christian Gonzalez and New England’s secondary—and as good as Gonzalez is, I think that the advantage lies firmly with the Offensive Player of the Year. Both quarterbacks in this matchup face tough tests, but Darnold has arguably the best playmaker in the league—and New England’s defense, while quite good, isn’t on the level of Seattle’s. The Seahawks can make Darnold’s job a bit easier than the Patriots can Maye’s, and I think that difference in supporting casts will prove to be the key factor. Darnold will officially exorcise the "seeing ghosts" demons on the biggest stage.
24-16, Seahawks
MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Unlikely hero: Nick Emmanwori
Anthony Dabbundo: New England's offense has struggled in all three of its playoff games against top-tier AFC defenses, and I don't expect the Super Bowl to go much differently against another elite defense. Maye has taken 15 sacks and fumbled five times under pressure throughout January, and I know that Macdonald has spent every waking moment scheming up ways to pressure him on Sunday. The Seahawks will get redemption for their failed goal-line sequence 11 years ago and will become one of the unlikeliest NFL champions (by preseason expectations) of the 21st century.
