Super Bowl LX is set; The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This matchup will be the second time these two organizations face off in the Super Bowl.
Both teams were crowned conference champions. New England went on the road and defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship. In addition, Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Rams at home 31-27 in the NFC Championship.
In their first title matchup at Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots stole the win 28-24 after a goal-line interception by cornerback Malcom Butler sealed the game. The Seahawks are returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the loss, looking for a different outcome, while the Patriots are looking to start a new dynasty in the Drake Maye era.
In his first season as head coach, Mike Vrabel has led the Patriots to a 14-3 record and their first trip to the Super Bowl since 2018. The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. Vrabel is the eighth head coach in NFL history to take his team to the Super Bowl in his first season.
Sebastian Bogard expressed how he felt about the Patriots bringing back a potential seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“A seventh Super Bowl would add to the idea that Boston is a sports city across all sports,” Bogard, an engineering major, said. “Even though we lost the main components of that old Patriots dynasty, the culture is still there.”
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald led Seattle to the top seed in the NFC and will also be coaching in his first Super Bowl.
Fans are anticipating a grueling game given the history of the matchup. Bogard said he was not expecting a Super Bowl run, but team chemistry and Drake Maye changed the momentum for the rest of the season.
“All I expected from this season was to win more games than last year,” Bogard said. “I wasn’t thinking about a Super Bowl until they got on their win streak.”
The Patriots have now won 10 straight games, including the playoffs, after finishing 4-13 last season. The Patriots hold the third-longest streak for a team that previously won four games or less in the previous year behind the 1998 Indianapolis Colts and 2015 Dallas Cowboys.
Seahawk fans don’t see anyone standing in the way of their second Super Bowl ring.
Die-hard Seahawk fan Evan Latimer said he was expecting a playoff push but not a Super Bowl appearance.
“I knew we would go on a run, but I wasn’t expecting a Super Bowl trip,” Latimer said. “We won 10 games with Geno Smith. I knew we could win more with Sam Darnold.”
Last season, Darnold helped the Vikings finish 14-3 before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the wildcard game.
Latimer said the Vikings were holding Darnold back from reaching his full potential.
“The difference between the Vikings and the Seahawks is that [Darnold] now doesn’t have to overperform,” Latimer said. “If he messes up, he has a team built around him where if he makes mistakes, he has a defense to rely on.”
Latimer believes this Super Bowl appearance is only one of many to come in the future.
“The Seahawks have created a dynasty, and I think a lot of players would be inclined to stay because of what we built,” Latimer said.
The Seahawks hold the second-youngest offense in the league with an average age of 25.8 years. Seattle has six starters who are 25 years or younger, with NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba (23), left tackle Charles Cross (25), running back Kenneth Walker III (25), tight end AJ Barner (23), rookie left guard Grey Zabel (23) and right guard Anthony Bradford (24).
Defensively, Seattle also has five prominent contributors who are 25 or younger. Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon (25), standout defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (23), Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Nick Emmanwori (21), edge rusher Derick Hall (24) and linebacker Drake Thomas (25).
Patriots fan William Bradley has his doubts about the Patriots winning their seventh ring. He said Sam Darnold proved him wrong.
“I was one of those people who doubted Sam Darnold and he remembers all the talk people were talking,” Bradley, a Howard alumni, said.
Bradley said Darnold is looking for revenge.
“I think Draye Maye is a great quarterback, but Sam Darnold has the power of vengeance,” Bradley said. “I don’t think this game has anything to do with the Patriots; it has everything to do with Sam Darnold.”
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
