The Seattle Seahawks are riding a nine-game winning streak dating back to the regular season. They've scored 72 points in two playoff games, and they've taken down two 12-win teams three times in their last three games.
Of course, that doesn't mean they can afford to look down on a dangerous team like the New England Patriots. But, when comparing the strength of schedule and the rosters, it's hard not to feel like Mike Macdonald's team should end up on top in Super Bowl LX.
Still, anything can happen in a win-or-go-home scenario, especially in this league. Considering that, former scout and NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah dug deep into the tape for both teams, and he concluded that there's only one way the Patriots can take down the Seahawks' behemoth of a team.
The Seatttle Seahawks can't give the New England Patriots a short field
“If this game is played consistently with a long field for both teams, then Seattle wins this game 10 times out of 10. The only way, in my opinion, they lose this game is if they give New England a bunch of short fields,” Jeremiah told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
That may sound simple, but again, sometimes football is simple. The Seahawks can't afford to turn the ball over, and they can't lose the field position battle. No 3-and-outs, no arm punts, and no mistakes on special teams. Teams that follow that rarely lose a football game, regardless of the opposition.
Turnovers were a major concern for this team during the first half of the season, but Sam Darnold has done a much better job of taking care of the football lately. He doesn't have a turnover in the playoffs, and he's gone three consecutive games without throwing an interception. In fact, he hasn't thrown a pick in six of nine games since his four-interception performance vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
As for special teams, the Seahawks just got a crucial contributor back by activating linebacker Chazz Surratt from Injured Reserve, and he should give them a boost in coverage. For punts, they've punted eight times in two postseason games, with no miscues on that aspect of the game.
The Seahawks had the third-highest scoring offense in the regular season at 28.4 points per game. They gave up the fewest points at 17.2 points per contest, all while facing much tougher competition. They should win this game on paper, but they still need to execute to live up to their status as favorites.