With two games left in the NFL as the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, how will this Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium be decided?
Jackson Smith – Nijiba Problem
The Seattle Seahawks enter Super Bowl 60 with the best player on the field, and the best player on most of the field in the NFL this season. Once seen as a replacement for DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Jackson Smith-Nijiva has risen to the status of one of the league’s elite wide receivers this year, becoming a critical outside weapon for Sam Darnold and Clint Kubiak. The 2023 first-round pick was just named Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 10 touchdowns and 1,793 receiving yards. If Mike Vrabel selects his star cornerback to face the most dangerous player in Sunday’s game, it would establish an attractive duo with Christian Gonzalez and only enhance the roles of Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shahid.
Seattle has had the luxury of using Smith-Njiba throughout the formation, attacking him as a chain mover and provider of splash plays at every level of the field. There’s a subtle yet deadly art to his route running, his cuts and breaks veiled by a distinct lack of shoulder movement or body, and the camouflage of his movement that makes it an excruciating task for defensive backs to decipher. For everyone but Darnold, his direction remains speculation.
Sky Sports NFL’s Phoebe Scheckter said, “This guy is going to ruin your day. So you game plan for this guy, and he’s going to ruin your day, and he’ll do it anyway.” “That’s what makes him a top receiver.
“What’s beautiful about him is his route running, his ability to settle down and feel the zone, understand the defense and be on the same wavelength. He’s explosive. His yards after the catch. You see him tracking the football, and those are all important things that a lot of guys probably have one or two of.”
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Will the Super Bowl winner be the world champion? Patriots Stars have the answer!
Mei’s biggest challenge
It helps to have an MVP finalist in the most important position in sports. In his second year in the league, Maye worked well with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, completing the regular season by completing 354 of 492 passes for a league-best completion percentage of 72, for 4,394 yards (4th), 31 touchdowns (3rd), and a league-best passer rating of 113.5 with only eight interceptions. One of the reasons he joined Matthew Stafford as a top MVP candidate was his ability to attack downfield as one of the most aggressive passers in football. Maye led all quarterbacks in yards per attempt (8.9), third in air yards per attempt (9.1), and ranked No. 1 in explosive play rate (8.1 – an explosive play includes a pass of 20 or more yards or a rush of 10 or more yards).
He shredded defenses with poise from the pocket and creating off-platforms from structure, showing all the traits of the long-term answer at quarterback the Patriots have been looking for in 20 years since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020. In a league full of defensemen huddled in umbrella coverage to eradicate chunk plays, he showed little restraint in his bombing approach. With that came beautifully layered touch passes, tight window offenses, and, as evidenced in the AFC Championship Game, a legitimate ground threat with the ball in their hands. He’s now facing an all-out Mike McDonald defense that throws all the fake coverage and fake pressure in his face, and his answer to it could be decisive. For McDaniels, it will be important to find a way to control the ground game through Rhamondre Stephenson and Treveyon Henderson to tee up splash plays downfield from the likes of Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boot. His Patriots defense will give him a chance to hit, but it will be limited for long. He must receive them.
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Robert Griffin III says he’s “obsessed” with the rise of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
Can the Patriots put pressure on Darnold?
Despite MVP Matthew Stafford running amok, Darnold refused to flinch during the NFC Championship Game, shattering any deep-seated fears about potentially faltering in the face of high-stakes football. It was as if he had been here many times. Of course it wasn’t. The Patriots feel like they’re tired of hearing about Seattle’s storied defense, led by McDonald, and want to prove their worth as a stifling, game-breaking unit that can knock Darnold off his pedestal. The Seahawks have been unable to find success through the air when pressured up front, leaving Vrabel and New England responsible for scheming fake rushers to disrupt timing and force turnovers.
With the status and health of Harold Landry uncertain, Milton Williams (a free-agent addition from the Philadelphia Eagles making his second straight Super Bowl appearance) and Christian Barmore loom as Vrabel’s main disruptors up front, both capable of forcing Darnold into mistakes. The Seahawks’ quarterback has played well in the past, but he was at risk for turnovers on late downs. For the Patriots to win this game, they’re going to have to make him uncomfortable, stir up old frustrations, and beat him into a corner.
Kenneth Walker has Super Bowl MVP potential and could be responsible for leading Seattle’s offense. He had 178 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two playoff games, and combined with the currently injured Zach Charbonnet, he had 1,757 yards on the ground during the regular season.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he was “incredibly happy” for former teammate Sam Darnold ahead of his first Super Bowl appearance.
patriots ball security
Ball safety resurfaced as an issue during New England’s divisional-round win over the Houston Texans, as Maye lost two of four fumbles while throwing an interception. He entered the playoffs losing three of six fumbles and giving up a league-leading 14 fumbles. His 47 sacks were the third-most among quarterbacks during the regular season, according to ESPN stats, and the first-round left tackle has struggled to settle in since Will Campbell returned from injury, allowing pressure rates of 17.2, 12.1 and 15 percent in three playoff games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Maye’s pressure-to-sack ratio in the postseason was just 45.5, and his ability to avoid playing behind the sticks against a formidable Seahawks defense is a priority for New England. Campbell will be up against DeMarcus Lawrence’s aggressive pass-rushing techniques. MacDonald and Durd prefer to fake pressure and win with their front four or five players rather than intense blitzkrieg. In fact, they blitzed teams at the seventh-lowest rate in the league.
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From Edelman’s miracle catch to the ‘Philly Special’ to Mahomes’ overtime pass to Hardman that clinched back-to-back Chiefs titles, we’ve picked out the standout moments from the Super Bowl.
field position
A matchup between two stalwart, stubborn and stingy defensemen will always involve a critical role on special teams and the potential for competition for field position. Seattle led the NFL last season with four return touchdowns and Rashid Shahid’s 95-yarder for the longest punt return of the season, while ranking third in average return yards. Meanwhile, New England ranked second with three return touchdowns, had the second-longest return with 94 yards, and led the NFL with an average return yardage of 17.3.
Seattle’s Australian punter Michael Dixon finished sixth with an average of 49 yards and completed seven punts inside the 20-yard line in Seattle’s two playoff games. Shahid has proven to be one of the most impactful mid-season additions in recent years as a legitimate game-changer in the return game, and is the perfect field tilter who can take control in the passing game.
Watch the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, February 8th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There will be live coverage on Skyspot NFL from 10pm, prior to kickoff at approximately 11:30pm.
