As the National Football League season comes to an end, the Super Bowl LX matchup will be between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Sadly, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t in it, but many Benilde-St. Margaret’s students and staff will still be watching, whether it’s for the actual football game, the halftime show, or the commercials. Both teams have an impressive record of 14-3.
The New England Patriots know a thing or two about being in Super Bowls, as they have won six since 2002. The Seahawks are familiar with the Super Bowl as they went back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015. They won 43-8 vs the Denver Broncos in 2014, and then in 2015 they famously lost to the Patriots 24-28.
While they are now very different teams, they are both under the same ownerships; the Allen family owns the Seahawks, and Robert Kraft owns the Patriots. Both teams have quarterbacks who have never played in a Super Bowl, so no matter who wins, either Sam Darnold or Drake Maye will become a Super Bowl champion. “I don’t think Sam Darnold can win it all. He led the league in turnovers, and he probably played his best game this season last week,” Coach Joe Creer said.
Drake Maye, the Patriots’ second-year quarterback out of North Carolina, is in the running for this year’s MVP. The Seahawks are known for their effective defense, with many fans saying it reminds them of the great “Legion of Boom,” the nickname for the Seahawks’ defense during their great Super Bowl runs during the mid 2000s. “I heard comparisons of the previous Legion of Boom versus what they are, and a lot of people are trying to say that they’re better than a legion and boom, but I don’t see that. I think it helps them a lot, but it’s all about who wanted the most,” Creer said.
Many critics are talking about the Patriots’ schedule this year, with it being the easiest strength of schedule in the league. However, schedules are created based on the previous season, when the Patriots went 4-13 and finished last in their division. On the other hand, the Seahawks are in arguably the best division in the NFL, with three out of four teams in their division making the playoffs. “I think the Seahawks [will win] because they have a very good defense, and they played some really good teams throughout these playoffs, so they are battle-tested,” senior Mary Elise Wojnicz said.