Securing a spot in Super Bowl LX was only the first part of the statement Mike Macdonald wanted to make after his team defeated the Rams 31-27. Following the win, the head coach immediately shifted focus to the external narrative surrounding Sam Darnold, who delivered a standout performance despite dealing with an oblique injury.
Macdonald pointed out that “you can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback” and expressed his joy that Darnold “shut a lot of people up tonight.”
With 346 passing yards and three touchdowns, Darnold proved to be the decisive factor in an offensive duel against Matthew Stafford, while the defense relied on a late pass breakup by Devon Witherspoon to clinch the victory.
According to a series of gut-reaction predictions from ESPN, the Seahawks are expected to complete a clean sweep over the New England Patriots in the upcoming title game. Analyst Stephania Bell believes the Seattle “defense will be the difference-maker here,” noting that “consistent, relentless pressure up front will ultimately force costly turnovers.”
Other experts like Dan Graziano and Dan Orlovsky emphasized that the Seahawks have been the league’s top team all year, “hiding in plain sight,” and argued that the Patriots’ offense is simply not good enough to overcome such a formidable unit.
Seth Walder added that analytical models like the FPI see Seattle as being “in a different class” compared to their AFC opponents.
This championship opportunity also highlights a historic milestone for John Schneider, who has achieved a front-office feat never before recorded in the NFL. Schneider is the first general manager to reach multiple Super Bowls with the same franchise while employing a completely new head coach and an entirely different roster.
Analysts like Field Yates suggest that while New England has survived a difficult string of defensive matchups, the Seahawks’ roster is “superior” to anything the Patriots have faced this postseason.
The combination of a top-rated defense and an offense firing on all cylinders has placed the Seahawks in a position to validate their historic front-office transition on the biggest stage, and something we’ll see in February.
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