Although this year’s Super Bowl between the Seahawks and Patriots was pretty underwhelming, if you paid attention to the games leading up to it, the resulting mediocrity was no surprise.
From the AFC, the Patriots had one of the easiest runs to a Super Bowl in recent memory. In the first round, they defeated a Chargers team with an injured offensive line and subpar defense by a score of 16-3. The Patriots’ next
opponent was just as handicapped: the Texans were missing their best wide receiver, Nico Collins (out with a concussion), and their quarterback, C.J. Stroud, threw five interceptions. Finally, in the AFC championship, the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos, who were playing a backup quarterback (Jarrett Stidham) who hadn’t started in an NFL game in over two years.
The Seattle Seahawks, on the other hand, had a much more challenging path to the Super Bowl as they faced two division rivals, the 49ers and Rams, with whom they had split both games in the regular season. Seattle’s first playoff game against the 49ers was one-sided, as their defense dominated all four quarters, forcing three turnovers with two fumbles and one interception. The Seahawks held the 49ers’ offense to just two field goals the entire game for a final score of 41-6. Unlike Seattle’s first playoff game, the NFC championship game was a nailbiter, with the Seahawkswinning by just 31-27. If someone simply saw the box score stats, they would think the Rams won because they had more total yards and neither team threw an interception, but that breakdown is misleading. The biggest reason the Seahawks win was, once again, their incredible defense, which allowed only one third-down conversion (out of eight) and one fourth-down conversion(out of two). These crucial stops on defense allowed the Seahawks to control the flow of the game and advance to the Super Bowl.
In the big game on February 7, the Seahawks dominated in every aspect. On offense, the Seahawks played mistake-free football, and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker had the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl (135) since the year 2000, while Seattle’s defense had the second-most sacks in a Super Bowl (with six), forcing two interceptions and onefumble that resulted in a touchdown.
As for the Seahawks’ opponent, the Patriots fell flat when it mattered the most. MVP runner-up Drake Maye (who was just one vote away from winning the regular season’s title) played horribly against a constant Seattle Seahawks blitz. For example, in the first half against the blitz, he was sacked twice and threw one interception. The one bright spot for the Patriots was their secondary, as they played with heart despite trailing the entire time. In particular, cornerback Christian Gonzales allowed only three receptions for 36 yards and broke up three passes.
Looking towards the future, I expect repeat success from both teams in 2026-2027, but not to the same level as this year. This is because the Seahawks lost their offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, and they could also lose running back Kenneth Walker and cornerback Tariq Woolen. The Patriots should see all members of their incredible defense return for next year, but to avoid future Super Bowl losses, they will need to invest in a better offensive line and better receivers if they want to become a serious contender.
