Intro
No one predicted this matchup coming into the season with both teams exceeding even their most loyal fans’wildest expectations. The Patriots had one of the single biggest turn arounds in NFL history led by head coach Mike Vrabel and 2nd year QB Drake Maye. Meanwhile the Seahawks and QB Sam Darnold, who was added via free agency this offseason, won 14 games in the regular season and earned the top seed in the NFC. Both these squads have been underestimated throughout the season, but have consistently proven the doubters wrong. This will be a rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl in which Russell Wilson threw an interception to Malcolm Butler on the goal line with 20 seconds left.
Elite Defenses
The Seahawks have the NFL’s top scoring defense holding opponents to just 17 points per game and have earned the nickname “The Dark Side” for their ruthless style. Meanwhile the Patriots have peaked at the perfect time especially on defense dominating teams throughout the playoffs. So far in the playoffs the 3 teams the Pats have faced scored 26 total points with star CB Christian Gonzalez locking down the opposition’s top target. Both teams have elite interior defensive linemen that are strong against the run and the pass. A statistic to keep an eye on, the Patriots have allowed 15 sacks in their 3 playoff games so far. The Seahawks are also on a ridiculous streak of 28 consecutive games without allowing a 100 yard rusher and have only allowed 15 plays of 20+ yards all season.
Balanced Offenses
While both teams will have their hands full with the defense they are equally capable on the offensive side of the ball. Patriots QB Drake Maye registered 11 multi-TD games in the regular season and has only lost once since September 21st. RB Rhamondre Stevenson leads the NFL in playoff rush yards so far with 194 yards on 51 carries and is part of a formidable duo with rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Meanwhile Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards to go along with 119 receptions and 10 TD’s. His production has helped QB Sam Darnold register a league-leading 113.5 passer rating this year to go along with 4,394 passing yards and 31 TD passes. Seattle also has a strong RB unit with Kenneth Walker leading the way with 178 rushing yards and 4 TD’s in 2 playoff games.
Picks
These 2 teams are more alike than fans would think they both rely on elite defenses and complimentary offenses that capitalize on mistakes. So the real question is, who is going to make those mistakes? The fact that Drake Maye has been sacked repeatedly in the playoffs is a real concern, however Maye has proven that when the pressure is on he’ll persevere through it. For the Seahawks, the teams they beat so far in the playoffs in the Rams and 49ers were quality opponents, but neither team had a defense even remotely as good as the Patriots. I predict this to be a low scoring game that results in another Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. As far as player props go I’m targeting Rhamondre Stevenson to get over 48.5 rushing yards as the Pats grind out the win.
The Bookie of Eli 
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