SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — A heralded protection vs. an underrated one. A celebrated second-year quarterback vs. a veteran QB who has gone from perceived bust to beloved. An All-Professional large receiver vs. one of many NFL’s greatest younger cornerbacks.
This yr’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots (17-3) and Seattle Seahawks (16-3) is all about contrasts.
And it begins with the coaches who will lead their groups onto the sphere.
Being part of the ultimate recreation of the NFL season is nothing new for Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who gained three Tremendous Bowls as a participant with New England.
Vrabel, 50, can grow to be the fifth particular person in NFL historical past to win the Tremendous Bowl as each a participant and a head coach, becoming a member of Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Tom Flores in addition to Doug Pederson.
He’ll match wits with 38-year-old Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who’s in his first Tremendous Bowl in simply his second yr in Seattle.
When the Patriots have the ball
New England wouldn’t be right here with out the play of Drake Maye. After exhibiting flashes of his potential to develop right into a franchise quarterback as a rookie, Maye has solidified that standing in 12 months 2 below offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
He completed second in MVP voting and led the NFL by finishing 72% of his passes this season. He threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns with solely eight interceptions because of manufacturing from a bunch of receivers led by veteran Stefon Diggs.
It’s the primary purpose that Maye may grow to be the fifth quarterback to win the Tremendous Bowl in his first or second season, becoming a member of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Corridor of Famer Kurt Warner and Russell Wilson.
However he’ll must discover a method to put factors on the board towards a Seattle protection that completed within the high seven within the league in sacks and interceptions.
Maye is the primary quarterback in historical past to win three video games towards top-five defenses in a single playoffs — the Chargers (No. 5), Texans (No. 1) and Broncos (No. 2). The Seahawks are No. 6.
The Patriots are also in good place due to a protection that completed the common season ranked within the high 10 in whole protection, rush protection, move protection and factors allowed. New England’s protection has allowed simply two touchdowns this postseason.
That has helped silence voices from the surface that had been vital of New England’s regular-season schedule, which ranked as the simplest within the NFL, with opponents ending with a mixed 113-176 document.
When the Seahawks have the ball
Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth within the NFL in factors per recreation, is a multidimensional unit, regardless that it’s led by the league’s main receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak — who is predicted to land a job as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders — has put a system in place that brings out one of the best in its gamers, each within the run and passing video games.
Quarterback Sam Darnold is contemporary off his second Professional Bowl season and has proven that he’s not afraid of slinging the ball downfield and even making a number of errors. Through the common season, Darnold led all NFL quarterbacks in turnovers, however he displayed a few of his greatest soccer within the playoffs, together with when he played through an oblique injury and accomplished 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers within the NFC championship recreation.
The Seahawks’ run recreation is surging, too, led by working again Kenneth Walker III, who is in a contract year and could possibly be enjoying his ultimate recreation in a Seattle uniform. Walker has a penchant for working outdoors the tackles and busting runs round the proper and left sides of the offensive line.
After which there’s veteran large receiver Cooper Kupp, who continues to guide on and off the sphere in his first season with the Seahawks after eight standout ones with the Los Angeles Rams.
Even when Seattle’s offense struggles, it must be buoyed by a protection that’s arguably its best energy. No staff allowed fewer factors per recreation (17.2) this season, and Seattle completed within the high seven within the league in sacks and interceptions.
Particular groups
If Sunday’s recreation is dominated by protection, this matchup could possibly be key.
The Patriots at all times have an opportunity to get into the top zone when returning punts, because of the explosiveness of Marcus Jones. He had punt returns of 94 and 87 yards this season whereas ending tied with Tennessee Titans receiver Chimere Dike with a 17.3-yard punt return common.
Rookie kicker Anthony Borregales additionally has been reliable, connecting on 27 of 32 field-goal makes an attempt, together with all 4 of 50-plus yards.
However the Seahawks are anything but slouches when it comes to special teams, led by second-year coordinator Jay Harbaugh. Together with these playoffs, Seattle has scored 5 particular groups touchdowns, 4 of them on returns.
Speedy large receiver Rashid Shaheed, whom the Seahawks acquired from the New Orleans Saints in November, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks even have fairly the weapon in kicker Jason Myers. In his eleventh season, Myers set the NFL document for many factors by a kicker in a single season with 171, surpassing David Akers’ 166.
Teaching
Vrabel’s greatest attribute this season was inspiring a locker room that earlier than this season had solely 18 gamers who’d ever appeared in a playoff recreation.
He trusts his teaching workers and has benefited from having an offensive coordinator in McDaniels, who was round for every of New England’s six Tremendous Bowl wins.
No matter how Tremendous Bowl 60 shakes out, the Seahawks’ teaching workers shouldn’t be anticipated to remain collectively as at present configured for for much longer. Kubiak seems to be on his method to Las Vegas, and it’s unclear who could comply with the offensive coordinator.
Both manner, it’s a star-studded teaching workers led by Macdonald, whose focus on defense has made him a perfect fit for the Seahawks.
Intangibles
Whereas this technically is a rematch of Super Bowl 49, gained by the Patriots in dramatic style because of Malcolm Butler’s interception of Russell Wilson, that is actually a brand new period for each groups.
New England’s season has a Cinderella-like really feel to it, however the perception and belief that Vrabel’s gamers have in him could be very actual. They really feel like they’re taking the sphere with a man who will get what they’ve gone by.
And that could possibly be the factor that will get this Patriots staff over the hump.
The Seahawks, in the meantime, dominated this season in a manner that they anticipated of themselves. En path to rattling off essentially the most regular-season wins in franchise historical past, Seattle nicknamed its defense the “Dark Side.”
The arrogance this group exudes is abundantly clear, whether or not it’s in practices, video games or media availabilities.
For Seattle, this Tremendous Bowl shouldn’t be a shot at redemption for 11 years in the past; fairly, it’s a likelihood to separate itself as the most effective groups in franchise historical past.
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