Super Bowl instant predictions for Seahawks vs. Patriots winner

Super Bowl LX is set: the New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara for the NFL championship on Sunday, Feb. 8. This is a Super Bowl 49 rematch, but this time Tom Brady and Bill Belichick aren’t leading the Patriots, and Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, and Marshawn Lynch are nowhere to be found for the Seahawks. A new cast of characters is leading both teams, and new legends will be born on football’s biggest stage.

This is a truly shocking Super Bowl matchup based on preseason expectations. The Patriots were coming off a 4-win season, and even their biggest optimists didn’t think Mike Vrabel would lead this team this far in his first season. The Patriots were No. 21 in the preseason championship odds. The Seahawks were No. 19 in the preseason Super Bowl odds, and had the longest odds to win it all of any NFC West team. Seattle rode a dominant defense and a historic year from receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba all season, and proved themselves by beating their more experienced division rivals in the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The Patriots feasted on one of the easiest schedules in NFL history, and haven’t looked too convincing yet during this playoff run. Still, Drake Maye might be the MVP, Mike Vrabel looks like an elite head coach, and good days are very much back again in New England.

I’m 9-3 in my picks during these NFL Playoffs after going 1-1 in my conference championship game picks. I went 3-1 with my picks in the Divisional Round, and 5-1 mark in the Wild Card Round. Here’s my Super Bowl pick.

I still can’t believe the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. The Chargers didn’t have an offensive line in round one, CJ Stroud forgot how to play football in round two, and they got a backup QB and a snowstorm in the championship game at Denver. Drake Maye’s MVP-caliber season hasn’t translated in the playoffs, but he’s still a high upside QB who can make all the throws and has plus mobility. New England hasn’t really given him great weapons this year and the offensive line has had some problem areas, but Maye made so many superhuman throws to put the Patriots in a position to get lucky. The schedule has just been so soft along the way, and they’ve never seen anything like the Seahawks. Seattle has an elite defense and a much better offense than the one New England saw in a snowy AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos. Sam Darnold hasn’t turned into a pumpkin yet, and he’s been doing a good job getting the ball to Smith-Njigba while also spreading it around to rest of his weapons. Seattle has elite players on the defensive line and in the secondary, and it makes them a team with a clear strength and not a lot of weaknesses.

Seattle has passed so many more tests than the Patriots have. New England might have the edge at QB, but it feels like Seattle has the advantage at most of the other position groups. Darnold doesn’t have to be great, he just has to be solid, and he’s been exactly that all year. Seattle looked like the most complete team entering the playoffs, and now they’re about to make it a reality.

Pick: Seahawks.