After a hard-fought season, only 2 remain, the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots, who will meet on Sunday for Super Bowl LX. This matchup is characterized by many things, but perhaps the most notable being the strength of the defenses, and explosiveness on offense.
The phrase, “Defense wins championships,” is very much at hand this Sunday, as we’ll see the #1 rated defense according to many, facing another formidable unit in the Patriots. But who has the Upper Hand? The Patriot’s defensive unit is certainly a strong one, featuring stars such as pass rushers Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, as well as standout Christian Gonzalez at the CB position. Their defense may have some holes but is an overall top 10 defense in the league and has lots of strengths overall. Such as Christian Gonzalez having not allowed a single catch in the 4th quarter so far this postseason, and their elevated run stopping. However, as good as the Patriots defense may be, the Seahawk’s defense is on another level. Featuring superstars CB Devon Witherspoon, LB Ernest Jones IV, and DT Leonard Williams, the Seahawks defense is not to be trifled with. Referred to as “The Dark Side”, Seattle has certainly performed up to its name this season, backing the number one scoring defense in the league, along with having the least points allowed. Safety Coby Bryant has yet to allow a single completed pass in coverage all playoffs, and Rookie standout Nick Emmanwari has been all over the field himself. With a defense sporting so many similarities to the Seahawks 2013 unit, entitled “The Legion of Boom” known to many as one of the greatest defenses of all time, many question whether a win in Super Bowl LX will start a reign of terror similar to that unit.
Well to answer that question, I think it’s important to first look at these team’s offenses. The Patriot’s unit features MVP runner-up Drake Maye, and rookie standout TreVeyon Henderson alongside veterans such as Kayshon Boutte, Rhamondre Stevenson, and led by star WR Stefon Diggs. This unit does feature lots of well spread talent, with running backs Stevenson and Henderson splitting it’s carries to maintain fresh legs, and lots of WR talent for Maye to target. In the words of Seattle’s own head coach Mike Macdonald, “You have to play great football. If you don’t force [the Patriots] to, they’ll run it every snap. You have to control the game and put it on your own terms.” Seattle’s offense on the other hand is headlined by Superstar WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or JSN for short, the winner of this year’s Offensive Player Of the Year (OPOY). Under center is star QB Sam Darnold along with rising star AJ Barner at the TE position, and stars Kenneth Walker III, Rashid Shaheed, and former Super Bowl MVP and OPOY Cooper Kupp. According to ESPN, their 4.7% explosive-play differential was the best mark in the NFL, and the ninth-best figure posted by any team of the past 25 years. That mark will be the separation in this game, as both these teams feature high end units across the board, but that offensive explosiveness will be the edge that gets their offense past the Patriots’ defense.