Welcome back to The Lance’s NFL Playoff Predictions. Last week, we were 2-0 on our predictions as both the Patriots and Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl, moving our total record to 9-3 across the entire playoffs so far. We are now down to the final game, where every play matters, and one small misstep cost a team the Lombardi Trophy. Luckily, one of us will actually be at the game (yes, Sam will be at the game. Look for a story to come later). Here’s who we think will win this year’s Super Bowl between the Seahawks and the Patriots:
Seahawks (#1 in the NFC): Jaxson Smith-Njigba has been a human cheat code all season long and that has stayed the same throughout these playoffs. He is now on the cusp of 2,000 receiving yards for this entire season, counting both regular season and playoffs. Having a receiver like Smith-Njigba makes all the difference, as it is almost impossible to guard him because he is a receiver with all the assets:great route running, spectacular catching, and speed. To go with a great receiver comes a phenomenal quarterback. Additionally, Sam Darnold has been that quarterback, as he led this team to the best seed in the NFC and has now brought them back to the Super Bowl for the third time in the last 12 years. Darnold is now on a streak with back to back 4,000 passing yard seasons. It is still absurd how a quarterback who played for the Jets and could barely reach 3,000 yards has now completely turned his career around and put himself in the conversation for being a top 10 quarterback.
The Seahawks defense has been one of the best, if not the best, defense on display this season. A key player on this defense this year has been Ernest Jones IV, as during the regular season he led the team in tackles and interceptions. He also had their only pick six of the year. The Seahawks defense as a whole also finished first in points allowed per game during the regular season. With a talented offense and a loaded defense, it guarantees a strong and competitive game to be played at the Super Bowl.
Patriots (#2 in the AFC): The second-year quarterback out of UNC, Drake Maye, has been absolutely killing it this season, as he has thrown for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. Maye is 73 yards away from having a 5000-yard passing season including both regular and post season.
A rookie from Ohio State who has stood out this year has been TreVeyon Henderson as he put up over 1,000 scrimmage yards in his first season, he ran for 911 and had 221 receiving yards. He also had 911 rushing yards while only having 180 carries,which is significantly less than other running backs in the league.He also had 7 games where he saw less than 10 carries coming out of the backfield.
A veteran wide receiver now in the league would be Stefon Diggs, but even at the age of 32 and coming off an ACL tear last year, Diggs still put up 1,013 yards and came up big for the Patriots in big games when they needed him most. On the defensive end, Harold Landry III came up big for New England as he led the team in both sacks and tackles for loss during the regular season. The cornerback position for New England has also been elite as 3 of their cornerbacks together had a combined total of 31 pass deflections. The Patriots defense came together and have stamped themselves as an elite defense as they finished top 5 in points allowed per game. A young and put together offense goes well with an elite defense, so the Patriots will have the opportunity to prove themselves as a well put together and all around great football team.
Game Prediction: A rematch of Super Bowl XLIX is in store for us this Sunday. In 2015, the Patriots came out as the Super Bowl champions as they beat the Seahawks 28-24. The Patriots look to repeat history and beat the Seahawks again, while the Seahawks look to rewrite history and flip the script. We see this game having a story book ending, with the Seahawks choosing to run the ball in for a touchdown late to win 21-17