Super Bowl XLIX
By: Jake Rajala
Super Bowl XLIX is in the books. In the Super Bowl rematch, the Seattle Seahawks took down the New England Patriots by a score of 29-13. It’s official: the NFL season is over. RIP.
With that said, I’m going to lay out many things we learned from the game.
QBs
In my bold predictions for the big dance, I predicted that Drake Maye would throw 2+ interceptions, and he did so. That was his first time that he threw more than an interception in a single game. Maye unleashed his second “pick six” in the late fourth quarter. As for Darnold, he was effective, and he took care of the football. He threw a touchdown and didn’t throw an interception. To be fair, Darnold could have played better, and his defense had his back, to say the least.
DL
I said the Seahawks DL was the main reason that the Hawks could beat the Pats. They recorded six sacks and had a pick-six. They were able to get after Maye without blitzing. Byron Murphy and Derick Hall both had 2 sacks each. DeMarcus Lawrence also brought pressure. The Bucs beat the Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl with their front seven. The Eagles DL took down Tom Brady to win Super Bowl LII.
WRs
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Stefon Diggs didn’t play lights out for their squads. Jaxon had four catches for 27 yards. Meanwhile, Diggs had 3 catches for 37 yards. This game didn’t tell us that WRs are unreplaceable. The Hawks TE AJ Barner had four catches and a touchdown. The Pats RB Rhamondre Stevenson also had more catches (5) than Diggs.
Coaching
I didn’t love the Pats idea to not go for it on numerous fourth downs. Vrabel was Coach of the Year. Yet, he wasn’t aggressive enough on the biggest stage. I also don’t love that the Pats didn’t do enough with Drake’s legs. They knew they had to lean heavily on him. He escaped the pocket and had some gains. I would have liked to see more QB draws and read options. I would have liked to see them get Shaheed the ball on jet sweeps and screens. They did take a shot to him, which I liked.
Kenneth Walker
Kenneth Walker deserved MVP, after he recorded 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, which means he averaged 5 YPC. He also had a 30 yard gain. Then he hauled in a 20 yard catch. Walker is a free agent. I believe he will return to the Rainy City or follow Klint Kubiak to the Raiders.
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