The road to the Super Bowl has come to an end. After last Sunday’s Conference Championships, only two teams remain standing. Neither representative was expected to be here at the start of the season, and that’s what makes it exciting for fans and why we play the game on the field and not on paper. Let’s recap the two games, see what the eliminated teams can do for next season, and preview the upcoming Super Bowl matchup. Warning for LA football fans…you’re not going to like this.
RAMS 27 – SEAHAWKS 31
Let’s get this one over with since I know LA natives are not going to like this. The Los Angeles Rams’ comeback came up short as the offense stalled in the fourth quarter. With the victory, the Seattle Seahawks will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold dueled to a near draw in their quarterback matchup. Stafford threw for 374 and three touchdowns while Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns.
Now the Rams go into the offseason after yet another disappointing exit from the playoffs. The biggest question will be whether Matthew Stafford will try one more time. At the post-game press conference, Stafford declined to answer if he would be back next season. The Rams do have the cap space and the draft picks to find a replacement, as they have the No. 13 pick from the Falcons and the No. 29 pick in the first round of the draft. If Stafford does return, then the biggest thing to fix will be on special teams. It was the special teams that cost them key games, including this game against the Seahawks. They also need to get better at cornerback as the defense couldn’t take advantage of Sam Darnold’s tendency to turnover the ball. The Rams have a few things to fix and the ability to do it, but it all falls on whether Stafford returns next season or if he’ll follow his high school friend Clayton Kershaw into retirement.
PATRIOTS 10 – BRONCOS 7
The frozen tundra…wait, where have I heard that before? (Oh, that’s right. Cue the dramatic NFL Films music here…only because I can’t think of a Stevie Nicks song that deals with snow except Landslide and that doesn’t fit the tone.) The ice and snow definitely played a role in this game. I mean, HOLY MOLE HOLES…the Patriots practically blended into the snow. However, the New England Patriots managed to play better in the snowy conditions than the home Denver Broncos to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. This is the Patriots’ first trip to the Super Bowl in the post-Tom Brady era. Drake Maye couldn’t pass as much in the wintry conditions, but he did use his legs to score the Patriots only touchdown on the ground. Bronco back-up quarterback Jarrett Stidham did his best to fill in for injured starter Bo Nix, but too many costly mistakes and bad playcalling cost the Broncos.
Where the Broncos go from here depends on the state of Sean Payton’s coaching staff. Many teams are looking to hire his assistants away, something that has happened on previous occasions to Payton. It’s difficult to assess where the Broncos could improve. However, I would point out that their offense never really operated on first gear despite their great defense. They could go out and get linemen or get more weapons for when Nix returns next season. They have $36 million in cap space to work with, and they could go big. Some rumors say the Broncos could go for either Jaylen Waddle via trade or Alec Pierce via free agency. With the Kansas City Chiefs falling into disarray, the Broncos will have to compete with the Los Angeles Chargers for dominance in the division. And it won’t just be the Chargers and Broncos looking to retool, as their other division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, holds the No. 1 pick in the draft and is expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Broncos will need to stay on their toes.
SUPER BOWL PREVIEW
This year’s Super Bowl is actually a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. The infamous game where the Seahawks made the controversial decision to pass the ball instead of running it resulted in Malcom Butler’s interception at the 1-yard line to give the Tom Brady led Patriots the victory. This upcoming contest marks the ninth time there has been a Super Bowl rematch. The New England Patriots have been involved in four of those matchups, the most by any team. For the Patriots, it’s a return to the Super Bowl after a six-year absence following the end of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty. And for the Seahawks, it will be their fourth appearance, and their first since that heartbreaking loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.
The Seahawks have the benefit of Sam Darnold being at quarterback to improve on last season’s offense. They also had a big boost from the trade deadline when they acquired Rashid Shaheed. Meanwhile, Drake Maye has put together an MVP caliber campaign this season to defy all expectations. And first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround that took a 4-13 team to their first division title since the glory days of Tom Brady.
Now, the reason the Seahawks can possibly win this year is because their defense is elite. Head coach Mike Macdonald’s unit allowed the fewest points in the NFL in the regular season at 16.4 per game, and then it turned it up a notch in the divisional round against the 49ers. However, we have some concerns: their tendency to turnover the ball. Sam Darnold made the Pro Bowl despite leading all players with 20 turnovers. They didn’t have to worry about the last few games since the San Francisco 49ers’ defense was filled with injuries and the Rams didn’t have a great defense going into last week’s matchup. However, now they’ll have to deal with a much stingier and healthier defense in the Patriots.
The Patriots will look to ride the hot hand of Maye. His knack for making plays with his arm and legs is unique, as is his pinpoint accuracy on deep passes — even when he is escaping the pocket. The only reason for concern is what led me to have low expectations of Maye in the first place: turnovers. Just like the Seahawks, Maye’s tendency to turnover the ball hasn’t improved much this last season. He fumbled it six times in the Patriots’ first two playoff games, and a tipped-ball interception against the Chargers.
This will look like a close game, as the Seahawks open only as a 3.5-point favorite to win the title. Super Bowl LX will be on Sunday, February 8 at 3:30 PM PT on NBC.
