With the Super Bowl on the line, four teams clashed, each trying to earn a spot in the biggest game in sports. Conference Championship Weekend came and went, and we now have our two victors: the Seattle Seahawks (not who I picked, by the way) and the New England Patriots. It’s a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, and while a lot has changed since 2015, these two franchises find themselves in a familiar position. But the past doesn’t really matter here; it all comes down to this: one day, one game, one champion... Everything is on the line. Will it be Seattle and that top-ranked defense or the young quarterback in New England trying to follow in the footsteps of maybe the greatest to ever do it? What do you think?
The Patriots are back -- the dynasty we love to hate. Seems like not too long ago Tom Brady and Bill Belichick (who should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer … but I digress) were winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl. That is, until being dethroned by Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs. But since then, Brady moved on to Tampa, winning another Super Bowl before retiring and transitioning to commentating in the booth. Belichick, after a clash with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, is now coaching in college at the University of North Carolina. So, yes, the nucleus of their championship teams is pretty much gone, and most didn’t think they would ascend to the top again this quickly, but here they are.
Sort of reminiscent of those former championship teams, the Patriots are led by young star QB Drake Maye and a very good defense. For the Patriots, a trip to the Super Bowl meant they had to go through Denver. Weather conditions were not ideal on this day. What started out as some cold winds and frigid temperatures turned into heavy snow during the second half of the game.
Still, the Pats battled and came out victorious, winning 10-7 over the Denver Broncos and punching their ticket to the Big Game.
The Patriots will face a familiar foe, the Seattle Seahawks. By now, I’m sure you have seen the famous interception 1 million times on replay. Possibly the worst play in Super Bowl history and just for laughs, here it is again … SMH.
The new Seattle Seahawks have nothing to do with that debacle, so they will come in fresh -- just a bright future, without history weighing on them. They, like the Patriots, have moved on from that old regime. This time, no Russell Wilson or Pete Carroll ... but a new coach, Mike Macdonald, who has been there for only two years, and Sam Darnold, at QB, who is in his first season with the team.
For the Seahawks to advance to the Super Bowl, this meant a matchup against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. This game proved to be every bit of the exciting matchup we anticipated, coming right down to the wire. Both QBs threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions, but it was Darnold who was able to will his team to victory. Now, he and the Seahawks are looking to get back to the top of the mountain.
I’m not making a prediction – and the real reason is this matchup is so close, I can see it going either way. A lot of times, the Super Bowl match comes with a clear favorite and this time, I can’t say that is the case. The betting odds have Seahawks as the favorite, and that's probably because while the Patriots did beat Denver, they did not look impressive in doing so. Beating a team 10-7 when they are playing with a backup quarterback does make people skeptical.
All I’m hoping for is an amazing game to cap off the football season. And, oh yea, who can forget about Bad Bunny!!! See you after the game.