Patriots fans are funny. All over the net right now, they are talking about how bad our defense played and how well their defense is playing. Just a cursory glance at what the two teams have faced makes them a joke.
First it was perennial choke artist Justin Herbert at QB with a Swiss cheese offensive line due to injuries with an aged and slowed by injury Keenan Allen, with a middling second receiver in Ladd McConkey. Who had a middling sixth round running back as their primary runner with a rookie who had a middling season. Way to go slowing down that offense!
Their second game was against the Texans with CJ Stroud having literally the worst playoffs I have ever seen. In his first game, he fumbled five times. He was extremely lucky to only lose two of them. He also threw one interception. He followed that up against the Patriots with four interceptions. Once again, the Patriots benefitted greatly from O-line injuries as both tackles for the Texans either didn't start the game or were injured in the game. The running game for the Texans was not all that good with old and slow Nick Chubb being their most effective back, but he was only given four carries as Woody Marks, their younger back was allowed to fail fourteen times for just seventeen yards. They really only had one very good receiver in Nico Collins who did not play due to concussion and his good TE Dalton Schultz was injured in the first quarter. Way to go slowing down that offense!
Then the conference championship the Patriots get to face a career backup QB who has a really good arm, but does not do well processing coverages and struggles with pressure. The Broncos main reason for making it as far as they did was the starting QB leading eight fourth quarter comebacks during the 2025 season. Now, taking him out of the equation, what could a backup do to win that game? Then factor in the Broncos have one very good back in JK Dobbins and one actual threat as a receiver in Courtland Sutton. Then add in the snow which basically ended offense for the last third of the game. Seems like the Patriots had an easy time of it. Way to go slowing down that offense!
So, the Seahawks trip to the big game looks like this, game one the Seahawks had to face both of our division opponents featuring a QB that has taken his team to the conference championship twice resulting in one Super Bowl appearance (may have been two if he had been healthy for his first conference championship). He also had his first team All Pro running back perfectly healthy in that game. Their receiving options were limited, but Shanahan is known for getting his receives separation through scheme and not really their physical superiority. All the Seahawks did was shut them completely down, with them scoring just six points.
Game two, the Seahawks face what literally every person who knows football considers to be the best offensive mind of this decade in Sean McVay, who will be a hall of fame coach, as their play caller. There are so many teams who have taken things that McVay has done and based their offense on his teachings, it isn't even funny. Their QB is a future hall of famer (possibly first ballot) in should be MVP Matthew Stafford. Who was throwing to future first ballot hall of famer Davante Adams who lead the league for the third time in receiving touchdowns. And future hall of famer if his career stays on it's current trajectory, Puca Nacua. No matter how much I do not like him, he is a fantastic receiver. Plus, the Rams running back Kyren Williams was the most productive runner of all the backs mentioned thus far with more yards than McCaffrey and the same amount of touchdowns with fifty-two less attempts. Then factor in the fact that their TE Colby Parkinson was third in touchdowns by a TE in 2025.
Of course, the game will be played in two weeks. We shall see how all of these things add up on the field. A lot will be made about this being a rematch and I really wish there was no connection, but the fact is that the previous Super Bowl turned on a dirty play by the Patriots that took out our best pass rusher with a concussion giving Brady more time. Hopefully this Patriots iteration won't take the cheap shot direction.
