The Tremendous Bowl LX stage is about.
On Sunday, the New England Patriots downed the AFC No. 1 seed Denver Broncos on the highway in more and more terrible, snowy situations, 10-7.
Within the NFC, in the meantime, the Seattle Seahawks received a thriller over the Los Angeles Rams, 31-27.
With the Patriots and Seahawks set for the Tremendous Bowl on Feb. 8, it is the eleventh rematch within the Tremendous Bowl period. The 2 beforehand met in a Tremendous Bowl XLIX traditional 12 years in the past that was selected Patriots nook Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception with 20 seconds remaining.
Whereas the Seahawks are an early 4.5-point favorite, listed below are 5 explanation why the sequel in Santa Clara may have the identical ending.
Patriots protection is on an elite run
New England is permitting 8.7 factors per recreation within the playoffs, tied with the 1982 Miami Dolphins for the second-fewest amongst 22 groups within the Tremendous Bowl period that wanted three wins to succeed in the massive recreation and solely trailing the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who allowed 5.3 factors per recreation.
The run protection has been excellent, with the Patriots’ AFC playoff opponents averaging 71.3 dashing yards per recreation and three.1 yards per carry. The move rush has additionally been efficient, with New England totaling 12 sacks, together with at the very least three in every recreation.
New England’s caught some breaks alongside the way in which, corresponding to getting a broken-down Los Angeles Chargers offensive line within the wild-card, a subpar Texans offense within the divisional spherical and Denver’s backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in a snowstorm. The Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold (who’s notorious for “saw ghosts” against New England early in his professional profession), will unquestionably be the Patriots’ hardest check. However New England will not lack confidence after convincingly shutting down its first three playoff opponents.
Quarterback Drake Maye is displaying maturity past his years
Maye’s passing numbers towards the Broncos — 10-of-21 for 86 yards — had been removed from gaudy, however his wonderful decision-making together with his legs was the distinction within the recreation. The second-year quarterback gained 65 yards on 10 carries, and he picked up a primary down or landing on all seven of his keepers earlier than three kneel downs in victory formation on the finish of the sport.
His most consequential carry got here within the closing minutes on a Third-and-6, when Maye known as his personal quantity and got here up aces.
Per Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels known as a protected exterior zone run to Rhamondre Stevenson, however Maye improvised on the snap, holding onto the ball for a unadorned bootleg and choosing up seven yards to maneuver the chains.
After the sport, heart Garrett Bradbury shared his surprised response within the second, telling reporters, “I hit my block, and all of the defenders began working the opposite means. I am like, ‘What? Oh my God.”
It took loads of guts for Maye to name an audible. The choice confirmed that at crucial moments, New England can belief him to make the appropriate play.
Time is a flat circle
What’s outdated is new once more.
Again in January 2002, an upstart Patriots squad with a second-year quarterback entered Tremendous Bowl XXXVI with few giving them a lot of an opportunity over the established St. Louis Rams, who had been searching for a second Lombardi Trophy in three seasons.
Whereas these Seahawks aren’t as confirmed as these Rams had been, the parallels to this season are onerous to disregard. Seattle’s offense has been on red-hot, averaging 36 factors per recreation within the playoffs, and the protection has been one of many league’s finest. It is onerous to poke holes within the Seahawks, who appear like one of the best staff within the NFL. However that was the case 24 years in the past. And we all know how that ended.
The ‘no one believes in us’ issue
Throughout the postgame present, Fox studio analysts Howie Lengthy and Michael Strahan already raised doubts about New England’s capability to maintain tempo with Seattle’s offense. Anticipate that to be a standard chorus over the subsequent two weeks.
Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, an Related Press Offensive Participant of the 12 months finalist, is probably the most dynamic playmaker on both facet, whereas mid-season commerce acquisition Rashid Shaheed has been the right vertical complement to an explosive passing assault. Working again Kenneth Walker III displayed his all-around recreation in Sunday’s win over the Rams, ending with 111 yards from scrimmage and a landing on 23 touches.
The Patriots may also hear about their strength of schedule — the league’s best through the common season (.391) — and the way they’ve benefited from a simple playoff path. That bulletin board materials can go a good distance.
Teaching expertise
Of the final 13 Tremendous Bowl winners, 9 have been by the staff with the extra skilled head coach. That favors New England.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is in his first 12 months with the staff however his seventh season total, whereas Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is simply in 12 months 2.
Vrabel is nice at giving his groups an edge by mastering the smaller, harder-to-quantify particulars. On Sunday’s game-sealing interception, NFL analyst Nate Tice confirmed how Vrabel used the league’s substitution guidelines to his benefit, taking as a lot time as potential to get defenders on the sphere, forcing Denver to hurry the snap, impacting the sequence.
As an underdog going towards the league’s hottest staff, each element counts for the upset-minded Patriots. They’ve the appropriate coach for the second.
