Huge Bowl 60: Who holds the edge in Seahawks vs. Patriots?

An NFL season that has infrequently ever conducted to expectations will kill Sunday with Huge Bowl 60 and a matchup few would be pleased viewed coming eventually of practising camp six months previously.

The Seattle Seahawks and the Current England Patriots.

Observe along for dwell updates

And not utilizing a dominant groups rising eventually of the long-established season, and preseason contenders similar to the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions now not even making the playoffs, the postseason used to be extensive beginning for the groups that would build together one solid month. Those befell to be Seattle and Current England, even supposing their rosters had the least prior postseason skills amongst the 14 groups to set apart the playoffs.

The Patriots won the AFC by surviving tainted climate and their bear uncharacteristic offensive woes. The Seahawks won the NFC while writing a ready-made redemption tale for quarterback Sam Darnold, who is barely the third quarterback to launch a Huge Bowl while on his fifth personnel or later.

Indirectly, finally of the controversy, we’ll look who wins it. Ahead of kickoff, our experts weigh in on who they look taking the Lombardi Trophy.

Which quarterback attain you believe more?

Tim Rohan: It’s halt nevertheless I’ll give Sam Darnold the edge. The tiebreaker? He will get to throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s offensive participant of the year, who had 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown in the NFC championship sport. Darnold has struggled against stress eventually of his occupation, nevertheless Smith-Njigba is an elite route-runner who continuously appears to be like to be beginning, which offers Darnold an procure away hatch.

Drake Maye has proved he deserves to be talked about amongst the league’s finest, especially after he nearly won the MVP award. Nonetheless his weapons aren’t nearly as dynamic as Darnold’s.

David Okay. Li: Sam Darnold. Certain, this is also essentially the most stress-packed sport of his eight-year occupation. Nonetheless attain what true stress here is? Real stress and stress is playing your manner out of the dreaded “first-round bust” designation.

Darnold’s already confirmed maximum procure to the bottom of by scrambling his manner off the ash heap of underachievement history, where the likes of Zach Wilson, Josh Rosen and Johnny Manziel all live.

Rohan Nadkarni: Neatly, simply one quarterback used to be an MVP finalist, so I undoubtedly be pleased to head with Drake Maye. While he hasn’t been appealing eventually of the postseason, Maye has restful made performs in mammoth moments eventually of the Pats’ escape to the Huge Bowl.

As we seen in Current England’s obtain over the Broncos, one finest thing about Maye’s sport is his ability to set apart performs along with his ft. Going against an aggressive defense, Maye can be pleased to set apart off-schedule performs and generate random offense to give the Patriots of endeavor.

Andrew Greif: I believe Darnold to be steadier, nevertheless I believe Drake Maye as more at risk of set apart a “wow” play — especially can be pleased to you judge about his ability to improvise as a runner. As my colleagues be pleased pointed out, Maye’s hump-catching alternatives aren’t as masses of as Darnold’s, nevertheless I attain judge it’s precious that Maye comes into this sport having already been hardened against an awfully tricky defense on this postseason eventually of Current England’s obtain against Houston. The stiff take a look at he’ll look against Seattle won’t be a drastic amplify in his discovering out curve.

Who might perhaps be an X element besides the quarterback?

Okay. Li: For 2 groups that dominated football this year, successful 14 games apiece, turnovers were a little or non-element in their success.

Current England used to be +3 in turnovers, while Seattle used to be -3, rating them both in the center of the turnover differential pack.

So might perhaps well Patriots security Jaylinn Hawkins, who went to university at halt by Cal, presumably decide off his inclined Pac-12 rival Sam Darnold? Or most seemingly linebacker Okay’Lavon Chaisson might perhaps well force a fumble that will perhaps well boost his underdog Patriots?

Nadkarni: Seahawks’ hybrid security/linebacker/nickelback Reduce Emmanwori is at risk of be the principle to this total sport. Though only a rookie, Emmanwori can play the escape and hump equally mountainous, which has been the principle to the Seahawks’ impossible defense. After tweaking his ankle eventually of practice in the lead-as a lot as the Huge Bowl, Emmanwori has since been taken off the injury anecdote, nevertheless any hitch in his sport would be a boon for the Patriots.

Otherwise, Emmanwori is the more or much less participant who can single-handedly ruin offensive drives. Current England’s No. 1 impartial might perhaps simply be attempting to neutralize what Seattle does when its defense is in a nickel kit on early downs.

Greif: Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams. His two sacks of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in last year’s Huge Bowl earned Williams a championship and a mammoth contract in free company from the Patriots, who hoped he might perhaps well reprise that protection-busting role once more for them in mammoth games. He’s conducted very effectively in the postseason while being challenged by coach Mike Vrabel.

Pressuring Darnold has precipitated him to play unevenly eventually of his occupation, though much less so this season. If the Patriots wish to disrupt Seattle, which doesn’t be pleased grand of a escape sport, it desires to happen in the hump dart.

Rohan: Will Campbell, the Patriots’ rookie left tackle. He used to be carted off the sector in late November with a knee injury. Campbell overlooked four games and returned in time for the playoffs, nevertheless he instructed reporters he didn’t feel relish himself once more till the AFC championship sport in late January. Fortunately for the Patriots, Campbell had every other two weeks to enhance earlier than the Huge Bowl.

The Seahawks be pleased a ferocious hump dart. If Campbell can’t reduction up against stress and offers Drake Maye time to set apart performs, this sport might perhaps well procure out of hand snappy.

Defensive storyline to explore

Greif: It has to launch up and kill with whether Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba might perhaps be contained, because as he goes, so goes the Seahawks offense. He accounts for 43.3% of his personnel’s total receiving yardage. It mights sound glaring, nevertheless this matchup is the one who NFL defenses couldn’t therapy all season, and it’s the first field Current England’s defense must confront Sunday.

Rohan: Can linebacker Ernest Jones IV and the Seattle defense shield Drake Maye in the pocket? Maye has confirmed he’s a risk to whisk. In the AFC championship sport, he ran 10 cases for 65 yards and sealed the sport on a QB keeper in the snow.

Jones is an brisk, athletic linebacker in the center of the Seattle defense who’s most ceaselessly asked to plunge support into coverage. He has 5 interceptions this season, a excessive number for a nondefensive support. If Seattle can stress Maye and shield him from scrambling, it might be a protracted night for the young Patriots quarterback.

Okay. Li: What can Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and his teammates in the Current England secondary attain to beget Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Now not only does Current England must limit injure inflicted by the NFL’s leader in receiving yards, nevertheless it has to be accomplished efficiently.

The moment JSN begins drawing additional eyeballs from Current England defenders, that’s when the resurgent Cooper Kupp presentations flashes of his inclined L.A. self and Kenneth Walker III can procure loose.

Nadkarni: The Patriots’ defense has been excellent eventually of the playoffs, and a mammoth element on this sport might perhaps be how Current England defends the escape. The Seahawks aren’t a mountainous dashing personnel, and the Patriots be pleased been dominant in the trenches, in particular when Milton Williams is on the sector.

Can Current England force Sam Darnold to convert on third and long over and over? The Patriots’ finest chance of successful is seemingly forcing Darnold into a shootout with Maye or to set apart Darnold play from in the support of. One manner to attain that is at risk of be to thoroughly snuff out the Seattle escape sport.

Huge Bowl prediction

Okay. Li: Seahawks 24, Patriots 14.

This isn’t college football, so no one will get vogue points for a “quality obtain.” Nonetheless if there were such an NFL measure, it’d be laborious to undercut Seattle’s 14-obtain, division championship season, popping out of the murderous NFC West.

The Patriots, in the period in-between, filled up on the empty carbs that were Tennessee, Cleveland, the Current York Giants and division rivals Miami and the Current York Jets.

Rohan: Seahawks 24, Patriots 17.

Seattle has the higher all-around personnel. The Seahawks’ defense can stress you, can duvet you, and they be pleased the depth to authorized shield coming. On offense, Seattle has multiple alternatives and might perhaps continuously throw to Jaxson Smith-Njigba if all else fails.

Current England keeps it halt due to 2 other folks: coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye. Vrabel won the NFL’s coach of the year award, and Maye used to be nearly named the MVP. Vrabel, Maye and the Patriots are coming. Nonetheless here’s the Seahawks’ year.

Nadkarni: Seahawks 28, Patriots 24.

The Seahawks be pleased been the acceptable personnel in the NFL all season and are surely more proficient total. Huge Bowls are at risk of be odd, though, and I undoubtedly be pleased a sense Mike Vrabel goes to be pleased a trick or two up his sleeve for the Patriots. Current England also has the upper hand at quarterback, which might perhaps well set apart that sport additional titillating if it’s halt late in the fourth quarter.

Seattle has authorized been so mountainous, though, and I judge the personnel that’s been more battle examined over the course of the season will pull this one out.

Greif: Patriots 31, Seahawks 28

The Patriots are at risk of play in odd Huge Bowls. Assume “Helmet Get.” Assume 28-3. Assume, in point of fact, Malcolm Butler. So, even supposing my head says Seahawks, I undoubtedly be pleased a nagging sense the Patriots feel much less stress. Vrabel is masterful at clock management and plan, and I judge it helps Current England muster an upset.