I can’t believe this is Year 6 of me doing a Super Bowl preview. Man does time fly. Anyways, in a year that has seen this league become completely sober at times due to gobs of blown leads and teams refusing to not play Prevent Defense, the postseason has seen high drama to the surprise of no one. Before we get to the 60th Anniversary edition of the Greatest Spectacle in all of Sports, we need to go over how the rest of the pack did. BRING OUT THE DEAD!
Jacksonville Jaguars (Total Overaggression): For every young team there is a moment of figuring out what needs to be looked at in order to really take that next step in an emerging window. For the Jaguars this game just so happened to be the case. In what I saw as a potential mismatch on paper it turned out to be the opposite in terms of the final outcome. Although I must say Liam Coen let me introduce you to this thing called patience. In games like these you must take the points. He didn’t after the Bills fumbled a 1st Quarter kickoff and that ultimately spelled his team’s doom. (That and Cam Little somehow missing a kick over 50 yards to end the half) And if not that it’s certainly having no answers for Josh Allen and Brandin Cooks? Really your defense let him carve you up in the playoffs like he did in 2017 with the Patriots? But even then, Trevor Lawrence had the chance for one last attempt at a game winning drive. (YoYo Sound) Nevermind since all of the right bounces went in Buffalo’s way in this one. Good job Liam you successfully saved all heads in BillsMafia from being executed for at least another week. Although with Travis Hunter coming back next year and hopefully a re-energized Brian Thomas to go with Strange and Washington you’ll be back here again. (You better not repeat 2018 and 2023. If you do, BLOOD!)
Los Angeles Chargers (I Freaking Told You): What did I say? When will people learn that skinning the Ravens alive usually leads to disasters. Unless you have Ray, Ozzie, or Lamar it never works outside of Year 1. Chargers this is what you signed up for. Now you’re going to pay. And by paying I mean suffering yet another dud in the playoffs against New England of all teams. Everyone with brains knew that Greg Roman and Steve Saunders were total hacks. We saw this both in Baltimore and San Francisco. And now Justin Herbert is getting the same treatment that Jackson’s getting in Charm City for his lack of playoff success whether he deserves it or not. I don’t care that the Bolts went for it at the 5 yard line early in the game and didn’t get it, they were still getting blown out regardless especially with Mike Vrabel’s defense calling out all of LA’s plays. Not even the Chargers defense shutting down Drake Maye was going to fix this. (Seriously how do you hold the Patriots to 9 points through 3 quarters and still lose the game) And exactly 6 years to the day of the loss that broke one of the Harbaugh brother’s coaching careers, the other one has to deal with possibly the same fate. Why? Because those Damn Ravens just swooped in and stole Jesse Minter from you moments after you replaced the Roman Empire with Mike McDaniel. Good news Dean Spanos now you have to go through what Baltimore just did with Mike Macdonald. If Chris O’Leary becomes Zach Orr 2.0 and the defense falls off the face of the map like they did under Brandon Staley. You’re done. “THEY PLAYED US LIKE A DAMN FIDDLE!”
Pittsburgh Steelers (The End Of A Standard): So much for the media thinking that this was going to be a repeat of their Super Bowl run in 2005. Especially considering that both DK Metcalf and DeShon Elliott were back in time for the playoffs. The problem for the Steelers in this game was simple. They weren’t playing a defense coached by Zach Orr. In fact let me put it this way. They were playing a defense that was the complete opposite of the one they faced in Week 18. Pittsburgh had plenty of chances to win this game early on especially with how many mistakes CJ Stroud made when he wasn’t throwing to Christian Kirk. Unfortunately putting your eggs in the basket of a 42 year old man isn’t a sustainable idea come January. Aaron Rodgers just didn’t have it. Once the Texans had that strip sack returned for a touchdown… “SCREW YOU GUYS I’M GOING HOME!” That line best represents every Yinzer in attendance. The rest of the game showcased a hollow shell of what once made the Steelers great. And as a result Houston finally gets their revenge for the 1979 AFC Championship Game. But that’s not even the biggest headline that came out of this game. The Mike Tomlin Era is over. He’s stepping down after 19 years as the head man for the Black and Gold. Let me guess, the Steelers are going to hire another young defensive genius who’s going to prioritize discipline and adapt to the modern game aren’t they? (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) THEY HIRED MIKE MCCARTHY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Seriously, Minter is about to boat race the entire coaching staff of every other AFC North team in 1 year isn’t he?)
Carolina Panthers (No Hilarity Here): I’m not shocked that this game came down to the wire especially given that the Panthers already had beaten the Rams earlier this year. (The media saw this as a mismatch, WRONG!) And it looked like it may happen again. While Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense were clicking to no one’s surprise, Chris Shula’s defense was getting massacred in the 2nd Half by Bryce Young. Seriously this man goes MIA when there’s no pressure on him, and then all of a sudden reverts back to Alabama vintage when the games start to matter. It’s been this way all year outside of that loss to the Bucs. Carolina had the chance to make the entire football world laugh at Pokemon McVay and his inability to win road playoff games unless he has the best team money can buy until… “HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!” NFL Network absolutely nailed their #1 selection as the greatest myth in all of football on the head. THE PREVENT DEFENSE PREVENTS YOU FROM WINNING! And in this case it prevents you from pulling off an upset that would have been so fitting for how this season has gone for this damn league. As a result, the Rams escape Charlotte in spite of themselves. Well Panthers at least the only way to go from here is up. Although knowing this organization and who they have at the top, I’d be very very cautious. (Yes its a weak division but still, can’t escape Tepper just yet)
Green Bay Packers (A Telltale Heart): Remember when plenty of football nerds claimed that God was a Packers fan last year? Well those people had no idea that Pope Leo would come into play once he was sworn in and he struck a deal with the Football Gods to shoot down all of the Cheeseheads hopes and dreams. I think it’s safe to say that Wisconsin sold their souls for the Bucks winning an NBA Championship in 2021. Since that title it has been nothing but agony and frustrating for arguably the most passionate set of sports fans in the country and the Packers have been center stage. And honestly this game may be one that Green Bay will have a hard time getting over. In what looked like a lost cause considering that almost every key defensive playmaker was done for the year, the Packers and Jordan Love in particular rose to the moment for 3 quarters. Soldier Field was dead silent midway through the 4th Quarter. The narratives of Chicago being owned by Wisconsin were about to be reinforced. (BOOM!) Then came the ultimate occurrence of poetic justice for the Religion of Ditka towards their hated rivals. Caleb Williams after being shut down by the Packers backups all game long suddenly chooses now to put the team on his back and pull off another massive comeback. (It’s like we never left Week 16 at all) And it also helps out that Brandon McManis turned into Lin Elliott by missing three field goals and an extra point. If at least two of those kicks go through, Bears fans would be in hell once again. Not this time. I don’t exaggerate when I say that the Packies owe their reputation this century to BJ Raji knocking Jay Cutler out in the 2010 NFC Championship. Any other outcome, they’d be looked at the same way that the Cowboys are in terms of playing underachieving right now. (That saved Aaron Rodgers from being Dan Marino 2.0) Tick tick LeFleur and Gutekuntz. The sands in the hour glass are running out.
Philadelphia Eagles (D-U-D DUD): Why did I think that the Eagles were going to make another serious push at the Super Bowl? Why was I convinced that this crew was going to imitate their old coach in Kansas City and pull off ridiculous amounts of Deus Ex Machina come playoff time? Well because this is usually what most teams with past championship DNA do. Not this time. Against a 49ers team that was limping into the playoffs, got exposed by Seattle in Week 18 and lost George Kittle during the game, Philly still wasn’t able to finish off their opponents when it mattered. This is very similar to 2023, except this time around the offense was the ones responsible for why they were eliminated this early. Not just Jalen Hurts going ice cold in the 2nd Half but the entire unit. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Madden Curse doesn’t just affect the cover athlete, it affects his entire team. Saquon you’re going to learn this lesson the hard way and you’re gonna like it. Remember when I said a few years ago that Kyle Shanahan was evolving into the modern day Brian Billick? Boy was I wrong. That honor now belongs to Nick Sirianni. (At least Billick knew when to keep his mouth shut. Sirianni not so much) His decision to promote Kevin Patullo after Kellen Moore left for the Big Easy was a mistake, and now that Patullo was just chucked into the Delaware River, every single Philadelphian is now calling for Sirianni’s head once again. Especially since the Eagles wasted a golden opportunity to try and repeat as champs given their side of the playoff bracket. (Why AJ Brown? Why did you have to come up small like this) Don’t worry Philly, even though the Birds got shot down by a wounded 49ers team at least you have the Phillies. (BUZZER!) The Flyers. (BUZZER!) The Sixers. (BUZZER!) You sold your souls for ending the Swiftie Empire when you were the ones who created that menace didn’t you? “COUNT ON IT!”
Buffalo Bills (THERE’S NO CRYING IN FOOTBALL!): All the complaining from BillsMafia and Mainstream Media has proven one thing. The right team won this game. Yes you can complain about that controversial interception, or those bogus PI calls in OT that led to Denver winning the game but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Buffalo beat themselves. In nearly every sense of the word. This game to me proves one thing, there needs to be a massive double standard held against Josh Allen like every other top QB right now that doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring. In a year that saw two of their biggest rivals out of the picture, in the weakest AFC since the 80s not including 2021, Allen chose now to have the worst game he’s had in years. 5 turnovers in total and all but one of them led to points for the Broncos. But wait, the Bills got their act together for once and overcame a 13 point deficit to take the league late in the game (WA WA!) Oh right Bo Nix is Tim Tebow 2.0 and Buffalo’s defense was gashed in the 2 minute drill. Then we get to that interception that everyone believes should have been ruled a catch even though replay shows that it was the right call (The Ravens had this happen to them in Pittsburgh last year and they never complained about it one bit). You know how Bill Walsh accused the Cowboys for making excuses about how they lost other than getting their asses kicked. The same thing should be placed on the Bills. And for Sean McDermott it ultimately cost him his job? Seriously you fired him when he was far from the main issue and held that locker room together especially last year after they were gutted by the salary cap. And you promoted Joe Brady because you feared that he would be snatched up by Baltimore or Kansas City as their OC. Folks now you see why the Sabres have been the biggest gong show in hockey for the last 15 years. And even they are now back to being a respectable foe. WOOF! (The Pegulas should be thankful for Guy Gadowsky, Josh Allen, and Matt DiMarsico or else they’d be getting compared to the Haslams)
Houston Texans (Typical Lonestar Football Luck): “What’s going on here?” “What? Huh?” “They’re gonna throw and complete, DOUGLAS! TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!” “Are you going for something?” “Are you going for that?” “No?” “In trouble that ball is up for grabs! PICKED OFF! Back the other way Jones! He is IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!” (NFL teams in Texas have PTSD of advancing to the 3rd Round post 1995 eh?) “Want some more of it?” “Uh Uh Uh.” “This one is off the hands and picked off!” (Mike Macdonald exposed CJ Stroud’s flaws for all of us to see, didn’t he?) “YES! (CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!)” “You do?” “No” “Yeah?” “No” (BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!) “Anderson coming off the edge, Maye steps into it, takes a shot downfield (OH MY GOD!) AND CAUGHT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN! KAYSHON BOUTE!” (A combined 0-8 all time in the playoffs vs the Ravens, Chiefs, and Patriots) “Uh, Mommy.” The more things change the more they stay the same. That Texans defense deserves so much better than this. (You shouldn’t have fired Bobby Slowik after the entire offense was injured in 2024 just saying)
San Francisco 49ers (The Nightmare Is Over): It started with a whistle and ended with a gun, 60 minutes of utter domination by the 12th Man from kickoff to touchdown. Everyone knew that once Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kick for a score that Seattle was going to blow out the 49ers. If you thought Week 18 was agony for San Francisco considering that they had a chance to have the entire postseason field run through Santa Clara, this was even worse. The Seahawks offense finally stopped getting in their own way as Kenneth Walker buried whatever hopes the 49ers had of victory. As is tradition dating back to the infamous Mike Flores Game on Christmas Night 2023, Brock Purdy cannot beat a Mike Macdonald defense (That’s the clever nickname Lamar Jackson gave Mike Florio just so you know). Yes you can point to San Fran not having Kittle or any of their top playmakers on defense for a long stretch of the season, but I think Seattle was winning this game in a blowout regardless. Their gameplan was just that deadly. Nothing else needs to be said about this game except that it ended. Also when will the media finally realize that Kyle Shanahan isn’t a Top 5 coach despite being an offensive genius. Games like this prove it.
Chicago Bears (What Goes Around Comes Around): There’s a funny thing about a magical ride. You never want it to end, and typically you don’t want it to end when everything is falling into place for a romantic fairy tale. Bears fans you will not get a sequel to 1985. Instead you will be the first team to lose to Sean McVay in a playoff game in under 60 degrees. I know everyone is going to blame Caleb Williams for this loss but even then he was the only reason why this game even went into OT. (Those two early interceptions were rough) That and LA’s offense going ice cold in the 2nd Half other than the score that put them up 17-10. Seriously I am still in awe of that 4th and 4 throw Caleb made to Cole Kmet especially since he ran 15-20 yards behind the line of scrimmage yet still hung up a prayer that was answered. When that happened we all thought Chicago can’t be doing this again, Pope Leo and Ben Johnson didn’t just make a deal with the Football Gods to help the Bears win. But then DJ Moore stopped running a deep post which led to a momentum turning pick. It’s at this moment where Matthew Stafford wakes up and kills off the Bears one more time just like he did with the Lions all of those years ago. It’s a rough loss there’s no denying that, but from how I see it this is something that Chicago can learn from as they gear up for 2026. As long as you don’t repeat what Washington did after their miracle run you’ll be ok. Don’t mess this up McCaskeys, I’M WARNING YOU! (Virginia may be gone, but their reputation to make some bad choices is still around. Can’t escape that)
Denver Broncos (Stiddy’s Seeing Ghosts): You knew at some point that the clock was going to strike Midnight on Denver given how many close calls went their way, but did it have to be like this? Any hopes of a Super Bowl were ripped away when Bo Nix broke his leg in the end of the Buffalo game. “OH BUT JARRETT STIDHAM IS GOING TO TURN INTO THE NEXT NICK FOLES!” I got news for you, the Patriots drafted and developed Stidham and there was no way he was going to do anything against that defense once Vrabel and company made adjustments. (They had the answers to the test before it was taken) While the Broncos defense did their best to shutdown Drake Maye, Dem Horsies were beaten where it truly mattered. On the bench and on Special Teams. That 4th Down decision in the 2nd Quarter sealed their fate for good and oh yeah Will Lutz can’t kick in horrible elements. I can hear all of the moaning from teenage fanboys now. “PLAYING IN THE SNOW IS BOGUS! EVERY TEAM IN THE NFL SHOULD PLAY IN A DOME! IT’S NOT FAIR TO HAVE THE ELEMENTS DECIDE A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!” You know what my response to a take like this? GROW UP!!! These kinds of games are must watch especially given the drama and the emotions taking place and you want to get rid of that. COME ON! And worse for Broncos fans is that even if Bo Nix were healthy, New England still probably wins this game given the coaching advantage. Tremble in fear, THE PATRIOT EMPIRE IS BACK! Well at least you have the Avalanche.
Los Angeles Rams (Death By 4th Downs): You had everything falling in your hands. You ripped the souls out of Carolina and Chicago, two franchises aching for a winner after years of suffering, the chance was there for Matthew Stafford to have that last ride like his BFF Clayton Kershaw just did, and then the Football Gods ripped your souls out in the heart of the 12th Man. Every advantage that LA had in this game on paper was thrown out the window. Mainly their strong advantage in the trenches. Not to mention the Rams to no one’s surprise couldn’t stop JSN. Hell they couldn’t stop anything Seattle threw at them. Sam Darnold went from getting owned by Chris Shula to proving exactly why Shula isn’t ready for a head coaching job. He had the game of his life in the game of his life. But even then every Seahawks fan was on the edge of their seats. Why? Because Stafford, Davante, and Puka were putting on a clinic. Shredding a defensive scheme that had dominated everyone in its path, the chance to force Mike Macdonald into reliving 2023 against Kansas City was right in front of them. And then the Rams Special Teams blew it. That and Pokemon McVay went for the throat and ended up burning his own table in the process. Seahawks win, Rams beat themselves when it matters once again. You know what I find ridiculous? Some journalist said on Social Media after this game that deafening crowd noise should be outlawed because the offensive players can’t communicate. You know what my response is? CRY ME A RIVER! You can moan with all of those fanboys who want every game to be played in a dome going forward in the back! PAUSE.
We’ve finally made it to Super Bowl Weekend. After what has been an absolutely crazy season all the way through especially in the playoffs, we finally have made it to the final showdown. Oh you thought that things were going to be different once the Chiefs and were out of the picture. Well guess what? LOOK WHO’S BACK! “ALL ABOAAAAAAAAARD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
New England Patriots: (Crazy Train playing) This is going to tick a lot of people off especially all of New York City. Just when we thought that there was going to be a knight and shining armor coming to save the day, the prince of peace who was finally going to give us a fresh champion in the AFC, instead what the Football Gods gave us was PATIENT ZERO! New England is back in the Super Bowl with the chance to make every single hater of theirs lose their minds. When we last checked in from Foxborough, the Evil Empire was dead and buried. After Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski left, it was a dark time for Patriots fans. It felt like they were reliving the days of Victor Kiam as owner. Terrible on field decisions, ruining Mac Jones after he was seen as the successor to TB12, and Bill Belichick suffering a decline that rivaled Tom Landry in his final years in Dallas. (Plus Jerod Mayo being overmatched before getting canned after one year) Little did we know that we were about to witness the rise of the First Order. Leading the way this time around is a man who knows all about winning Super Bowls for the Patriots. Mike Vrabel. After winning three as one of the more versatile players in NFL History, he has returned home following a short but successful stint with the Titans (You miss him yet Adams Family?) Since he took over Vrabel has resurrected the Patriot Way. Doing your job and suffocating your opponent in every which way. All of the elements of the original Evil Empire are back in place and that includes Josh McDaniels. He’s back for his third stint as OC and look at what he’s doing with Drake Maye. He molded a guy who was viewed as a boom or bust prospect coming out of North Carolina into potentially the next face of the league. What Maye has done in this system is no different to that of Brady. Destroying Zone D, using the short passing game, and learning when to not play HeroBall. Yes he’s struggled in the playoffs but lets be real, we saw this in the early 2000s with TB12 and it didn’t matter. It also helps when you have one of the best RB duos in the league. Rhamondre Stephenson’s been there for a good bit and after nearly being run out of town, he’s returned to 2021 vintage. It also helps that they have a total game changer in TreVeyon Henderson who has taken this offense to new heights. He was amazing at Ohio State and New England now you see why. (As a Penn Stater this guy gave me a ton of headaches) But what about WR? Well they revived the career of Stefon Diggs and he’s made every Bills fan eat tremendous amounts of salt this year. And they have a rising star in Kayshon Boutte on the other side who’s been clutch for them all year. Plus another former Bill in Mack Hollins. It’s a lot like the supporting cast they had during the Belichick Era where the WRs aren’t superstars but they get things done. (Throw in Hunter Henry as well) If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about New England this year it’s that they’ve invested a ton of money and draft capital to load up on the trenches. On the O-Line they drafted Will Campbell and signed Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses. Each of them have played key roles as to why Maye in my opinion should be the league MVP. Then there’s the defense. A throwback to their early 2000s vintage. And just like in 2001 the Krafts threw money at everything that moved to bring in guys who fit their system. On the outside they brought in Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson. Both of them were seen as low risk high reward type of players. And with how they’ve been getting to the QB this year, it’s absolutely justified. In the secondary they brought in Jaylinn Hawkins and Carlton Davis. While Davis proved himself as a winner in Tampa Bay in 2020, Hawkins went from bust in Atlanta to one of the breakout studs on the Patriots defense in no time. (Same with Craig Woodson who has shined in his rookie year) (Our House by Bon Jovi playing) Then in the middle of that defense, there’s Robert Spillane who’s back on a real team after being wasted away in Vegas. And of course the big fish in Milton Williams. We saw how much of a game wrecker he was last year with the Eagles, and this year he not only got out of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis’ shadows but in some ways he’s outperformed both of his former linemates in Philly. To his side is another potential generational talent in Christian Barmore who like Vince Wilfork before him is a monster at eating up double team blocks and crunching RBs. And we haven’t even gotten to Christian Gonzalez. I said it when the Patriots got him in 2023 after he slid in that draft that it was going to be a mistake for the rest of the league. And it has been. Gonzalez has become arguably the most dominant corner in the league this year. And rounding off the defense is Marcus Jones. Remember Troy Brown? And how much of a threat he was in the kicking game and in the slot. Jones is literally the same but on defense. Now how long until Vrabel has him running pass patterns just like when Belichick put Brown on defense in 2004? There are a lot of comparisons to that 01 championship run and they are very valid. But like I said in the Postseason Preview, this is very similar to the 1996 Yankees. A team that for most of the season was viewed as a likable cast with young and exciting players, and one who faced a ton of questions going into the playoffs given their lack of experience. And then they ran roughshod over their foes, while getting a little bit of luck as well on their way to the title which ultimately launched yet another dynasty. (Coming back from down 0-2 to that Braves team? No small feat) And the crazy part is that this could very well happen to New England. Why? Because like I said, the names may be new but the formula is the same. DO. YOUR. JOB. If the Patriots win a 7th Lombardi, there will be plenty of bitter fanbases. Buffalo for watching New England win the title that could have been theirs, Pittsburgh losing the 6 rings narrative, Miami and the Jets being forced to live through more misery, And Cleveland and Tennessee for passing on Vrabel as their head coach. (Plus every other top AFC QB for not taking advantage when the Patriots were down) The exclamation point to Robert Kraft’s legacy as the Greatest Owner in the History of Football. We all hope that someone who is viewed as a lovable darling can take them out in the Big Game, however their opponent from the NFC has also been labeled as a villain due to past reputation from its golden age.
Seattle Seahawks: (A Fresh Wind playing) Sometimes when a franchise is on the verge of losing its contending window, it leads to some uneasiness. The Seahawks back in 2021 were in this exact spot. The Legion of Boom had all gone their separate ways, Russell Wilson witnessed the beginning of a harsh decline, and Pete Carroll had to go through Father Time also catching up to his coaching abilities. What was seen as a potential dynasty after their Super Bowl in 2013 had faded to black to the joy of plenty of fans around the nation especially LA and San Francisco. Even if Seattle had just forced Denver to make a deal with the devil for Mr Unlimited which ended up as the move that ended John Elway’s time as an executive (Note: He was the main man behind the Wilson Trade). There was still something missing. Carroll, for as great as he was, wasn’t going to get the 12th Man back to glory. What they needed was a fresh wind from the Football Gods, and thanks to Boy Wonder Johnny Harbaugh refusing to call his shot like Ray Lewis did in 2012, the Seahawks got their guy. (Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore playing) And oh did they get him. Mike Macdonald was considered by many Ravens fans, myself included as the next big thing in Baltimore. (Ravens you have your answer to Ken Holland. This is exactly why they hired Jesse Minter) And so far in the Emerald City it’s been this way and then some. He, Klint Kubiak, and longtime GM John Schneider have not only resurrected a contending window, they’ve brought this franchise back to Super Bowl Contention status. Every bold gamble they’ve made has worked out. They won 10 games last year and came within a blocked field goal of making the playoffs, they’ll dump Geno Smith for Sam Darnold. And Darnold will reward their boldness by not only picking up where he left off in Minnesota last year but also getting past the Curse of Pokemon McVay in the NFC Championship. He’s done something that Lamar, Allen, nor Baker has done in their careers. Make the Super Bowl. But that has more to do with his supporting cast than his own abilities. Kenneth Walker was a monster at Michigan State, and now as the feature back in this offense, he is a do it all threat that has risen to the moment down the stretch, mainly against the 49ers. And look at who Darnold has to throw to. Cooper Kupp not too long ago put together the most dominant season by a WR in NFL History. And while the Rams thought he was done, Klint Kubiak came to the rescue and turned him back into his old self. But even then he’s not even the main star of the show. That happens to be a generational talent in Jaxon Smith Njigba. Remember people thought I was crazy for saying that he was a better receiver than Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Mazaradi Marv? Pick an apple, put it in a basket. JSN just like he did in Columbus has put the fear of god into any DB that he’s faced. The total package in every sense of the word. Even if you contain those two you have Rashid Shaheed to deal with. Just like Marcus Jones in New England his value to the kicking game is through the roof. (The moment he returned that kick for a TD against the Niners, GAME OVER!) And at TE you have Jake Bobo and AJ Barner who may not be considered as household names, but they’re very productive. Their Offensive Line especially the right side is a bit of a concern but with Charles Cross and Grey Zabel on the left side carving out holes for K9 you can’t go wrong. (SOS ALERT! SOS ALERT! SOS ALERT!) Why’s there a siren going off? (SOS playing) Oh that’s a warning sign for the rest of the NFL because Seattle’s defense wants heads placed on a tee. Legion of Boom 2.0, SOS Squad, The Dark Side, yeah the whole nine yards. No matter what you call this unit they will consume you like a delicious meal at a local steakhouse. Dominating their opponents to the point where they’ve allowed the fewest points in football. The second time a Mike Mac unit has done that in 3 years. That D-Line of theirs sets the tone. You have DeMarcus Lawrence who after years of being a run stuffing monster in Dallas gets his chance to win his first ring. On the inside you have Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams. While Murphy may lack experience, it certainly helps that he’s learned a lot from playing next to a guy like Williams who has been one of the better DTs in the league for a few years. The thing I notice with the Seahawks front seven is that their biggest strength isn’t getting after the QB but stopping the run. Well except for Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu who happen to be their sack specialists. Rounding out the second level are Ernest Jones and Drake Thomas. What do they have in common? Casted off by Sean McVay only for Mike Mac to turn them into legit cornerstones. (They aren’t PQ and Roquan in 2023 but still solid players) And we haven’t gotten to the secondary. Oh boy is this going to be a fun unit to dissect. Devon Witherspoon the main prize of the Russell Wilson trade has proved those who thought he was a reach at #5 back in the 2023 NFL Draft wrong with his outstanding play. Josh Jobe on the other side is just as deadly given his physical nature. Hell, even their backups in Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen can slot in for top CB duties and play just as well. At safety Julian Love has been a thief all season long especially in the open field in terms of stripping ballcarriers. And the glue to this whole defense. Nick Emmanwori. When the Seahawks took him in the 2nd Round this past year you knew he was going to be a game changer. Why? Look at what Mike Macdonald did with Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. He used him all over the field and it caused QBs and TE’s to lose their cool. You’re seeing the same thing with Emmanwori. A guy who not only has the size to play in the box but the coverage skills to lock down whoever he’s guarding. A true chess piece that can cause chaos. The chance to finish off a return to glory is at hand. And if they do it’ll be a sweet one since the Allen Family is rumored to be selling the team in the offseason. (It’s a shame that Paul Allen isn’t still alive especially since this wouldn’t be a conversation right now if he were on this earth given his success) As long as they don’t pass it along to a crew that’s notorious for making bad decisions they’ll be alright going forward. But right now that’s not important, what is making sure the Lombardi Trophy is in their hands for a 2nd time. PAUSE.
I think it’s safe to say that the NFL heard all of the allegations of it falling into the same traps of the NBA when it was Warriors vs Cavs in the finals every year. However what we didn’t know is that the matchup we’d be getting in the Super Bowl would be that of two of the most passionate yet insufferable fanbases over the last 15 years. You may be asking yourselves how did Seattle become an insufferable fanbase. That part is simple. Their longtime diehards especially those who came up with the 12th Man moniker back in the days of the Kingdome may be likable given their loyalty in support but all of the fanboys that they got in the age of the Legion of Boom were ruthless. The amount of trash talking they did to other fanbases especially Green Bay and Carolina at the time was a site to behold. And now all of those bandwagons who hoped on board then are back. The Patriots and really Boston and New England in general need zero introductions. No fanbase has been more spoiled than them over the last 25 years. And we’re not just talking about their 6 Lombardi’s for the Pats but the fact that the Red Sox have been the most successful franchise in baseball since Four Days in October (Ironically they’ve won 4 World Series since then), the Celtics have had a long standing run of success with Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens which has resulted in multiple titles since 2008, and the Bruins despite being run by Hockey’s version of a Boy’s Club has made it to the Cup Finals 3 times while winning it all in 2011. And from my perspective this is going to be a very hard game for me to watch as a fan. (Thank goodness I’m streaming this game and don’t have to be super biased) Why? Because my dad’s family is all from New England and are all massive Patriots fans and on the other side I had a job acquaintance with Mike Macdonald’s wife Stephanie at Church of the Nativity in the Baltimore Area and she was someone who I considered my friend given that after each mass we would chat about the Ravens, College Football, and how our everyday lives were going. But here’s where things get spicy. This may just be the biggest grudge match in Super Bowl History (That’s including Super Bowls XIII, XXIII, XXVIII, XXX, LII, LVIII, and LIX). The last time these two teams met in the big game the entire future of the NFL for the next half decade was at stake. We were either going to see the return of the Patriots Dynasty as champions after a 10 year wait or the beginning of a new dynasty in the heart of the 12th Man. And despite the Seahawks holding a 10 point lead going into the 4th Quarter, the Legion of Boom lost its juju against Brady, Gronk, and Edelman. But wait, Jermaine Kearse made the greatest catch ever in a Super Bowl not named David Tyree, NEW ENGLAND WAS GOING TO SUFFER ONCE AGAIN! (BUZZER!) And then Seattle passed the ball right into the hands of Malcolm Butler on the 1 yard line instead of giving Beast Mode a chance to punch home the game winner. (Shoutout to Brandon Browner for recognizing that Seattle would run the inside slant which gave Butler his cue to go for the ball) Just like the Tuck Rule launched Part 1 of the Patriots Dynasty, that play launched Part 2. And now New England has the chance to launch Part 3. IT’S THE DARK SIDE OF THE EMERALD CITY AGAINST THE FIRST ORDER OF FOXBOROUGH! NO MATTER WHO WINS THIS GAME THE ENTIRE AFC EAST NOT NAMED THE PATRIOTS WILL LOSE DECISIVELY! WHAT WILL THEIR CHOICE OF PUNISHMENT BE!!!
Prediction: On paper this should be all Seahawks. Considering that New England made it through an AFC that couldn’t stop tripping over themselves and nearly lost to CJ Stroud and Jarrett Stidham is cause for concern. However in my opinion I have a hard time seeing the Patriots lose this game. While Seattle faced two division foes in the Rams and 49ers they have yet to face a defense that’s this good and with the ability to slow down JSN and Kupp. And they’re thin on the interior O-Line while New England is strong in that regard. With that being said, the Patriots will claim their 7th Lombardi with a close win of lets say 21-17. The cancer of the Swifties will be replaced by the cancer of Cardi B. No wonder why all of the middle aged men are so grumpy about the type of celebrities this league caters to.
Bragging Rights Sports 