In last year’s Super Bowl, we witnessed the Philadelphia Eagles’ utter destruction of the Kansas City Chiefs, effectively ending the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs’ dynasty. With no clear favorite going into this season, the throne was up for grabs. So, we wondered what kind of Super Bowl we would see between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. That was difficult to predict going into this game. Both teams had rock solid defenses and all the momentum going into San Francisco. Of course, the wheels were going to have to fall off for someone.
It certainly did for the Patriots. What started as a defensive slugfest turned ugly really quick. The Seahawks were the better team. They played more physically, more disciplined, and just better from start to finish. The Seattle Seahawks are the new kings on the mountaintop with a 29-13 victory. The Seahawks’ vaunted defense proved too much for Patriot quarterback Drake Maye, the runner up for this season’s MVP award. It wasn’t a pretty picture for Seahawk QB Sam Darnold either, but he had a better day than Maye. Darnold finished the game completing 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. Maye completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions and even lost a fumble.
So, what went right for the Seahawks, and what went wrong for the Patriots? Well, the Patriots’ offense looked like they were still stuck in that Denver snow. They didn’t have a first down for the entirety of the second AND third quarter. You’re not going to win the biggest football game of the year unless your offense can move the ball. The Seahawks won because their offense moved the ball. Yes, the Seahawks got points thanks to their vaunted defense, but that was because the Patriots got desperate in garbage time.
The MVP of this Super Bowl is running back Kenneth Walker III. The man ran all over the Patriots for 135 yards. No one on either team was close to that kind of yardage (he even outran the entire Patriots team). Walker would have added more yards and a rushing touchdown to his impressive game if not for a penalty that took it off the board. Walker is only the eighth running back to win Super Bowl MVP. Each of the other seven running backs that previously won is currently in the Football Hall of Fame (that’s good company).
This game means the NFL season is officially over. Both teams need to re-sign players that had a big role going into the Super Bowl. For the Patriots, it’s defensive back Christian Gonzalez. If the Patriots had come back and won this game…it was because of several plays that Gonzalez made that kept them alive. The Patriots need to extend him and maybe get more help for Maye on offense. The Seahawks’ guy to keep is Rashid Shaheed. He was a great trade acquisition at the deadline this year. The Seahawks have cap space to bring him back as well as Coby Bryant and Kenneth Walker III. The Seahawks look like a team that will be relevant for a good long while…but they need to keep their eyes on the rival Rams (who are going to be breathing down their necks next year.)
FAVORITE COMMERCIAL:
I may be biased, but my favorite commercial this year goes to the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. What started as a possible Budweiser commercial turned out to be the titular characters from the hit Disney+ series. And the voice of veteran Sam Elliot was a very nice touch.
One of the more hilarious ones was for Uber Eats. It followed the running joke of football being a ploy to sell food. The commercial featured the talents of Bradley Cooper and Matthew McConaughey. It continued the “facts” that a lot of NFL players and plays were named after food. The two were hilarious together.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS:
The Seahawks will start their title defense next season, but they have a few things to worry about. Their offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is expected to work out a deal to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. After the firing of Pete Carroll, the Raiders became an interesting coaching position to watch. The Raiders have the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and they’re expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. That will be a very potent mix to add to their high caliber weapons they already have in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
Also, bad news for Seahawks fans: Matthew Stafford will return. After he was announced as this season’s MVP, Stafford announced he would return to the Los Angeles Rams next season. The news is very welcome to the Rams, who can put off searching for a worthy successor for another year. Wide receiver Puka Nacua said that he “almost did a front flip” over the news. The Rams are a very serious threat to the Seahawks’ chances to repeat next year, especially with Kliff Kingsbury, the man behind the success of Jayden Daniels, is joining the Rams next season.
The last news also concerns the Seahawks. It was announced before the game that the Seattle Seahawks will go up for sale. The announcement ends years of questions about when the team would seek new ownership following the 2018 death of former owner Paul G. Allen. The Seahawks and NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers have been owned by Allen’s estate since the former owner and Microsoft co-founder died in 2018 from complications of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. His sister, Jody Allen, has controlled the teams as the executor of the trust, with a directive from her brother to eventually sell both and donate the proceeds to charity. It’ll be interesting to see if this has any impact on the Seahawks’ ability to repeat next year.
As we say goodbye to another NFL season, we will soon be saying hello to a new season of MLB. That’s right, the words “pitchers and catchers report” will soon be said, indicating the start of another spring training. This year will be interesting as it coincides with the World Baseball Classic, an international tournament that happens every three years. MLB teams will start reporting to training camps as soon as February 10.
All eyes in baseball will be on the hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, as they seek to do what the Kansas City Chiefs failed to last year: complete a three-peat. The two-time defending champs look locked and loaded for the coming year as they look healthier than ever. They’ve also added reinforcements in the form of closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker. This will be an interesting season for baseball this coming year.
