Patriots Pregame Thread SUPER BOWL PREGAME THREAD - Patriots vs Seahawks 2026 SB - The Rematch

[NFL Mystique]

QB: NE
WR: Seattle. At least WR 1. After that, it gets interesting.
RB:Sea
TE: Tie?

 

[The Gr8est]

So what is the difference between this Seattle team and the one last year that the Pats should have beaten?

Is Darnold the main difference?

 

[Triumph]

It's the Dan Duquette/04 Red Sox consideration. Certainly deserves credit for adding impact/important players but wasn't around to get the team to championship caliber because he wasn't the right guy to do it anymore.

BB did not have a QB.

Kraft forced him to keep Corky. So, BB drove the team into an oak tree in hopes of getting fired. BB wanted to 86 Corky and bring in Baker Mayfield. How that would have changed the Pats for the better.

Also, the Pats are not here today without Gonzo. BB was a stud at picking CBs later in his NEP tenure. Marcus Jones too. Schooler picked up where Slater left off. Rahm isn't on the BB list. Virtually every player on the list contributes to winning this season. One doesnt need to suspend disbelief to believe that BB would have McDaniel's as his OC either. Vrabel took note of how a 6 time World Championship HC ran his business and added some things of his own.

 

[NFL Mystique]

Do folks here think that a point spread of 5.5 is unreasonable?

I certainly think that we have to play better than we have in order to win, and of course, I expect us to win.

Unreasonable--no. Seattle has looked better in the postseason. If the Patriots just had three consecutive dominant wins, the spread is probably even. Like SB 49 was.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The still early weather look remains 60s for the game. Accuweather says 58% chance rain but that its just a little rain in the afternoon so still looking pretty clear.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Triumph]

QB: NE
WR: Seattle. At least WR 1. After that, it gets interesting.
RB:Sea
TE: Tie?

QB NE
RB Sea if Charbonet plays.
WR Sea
TE NE

 

[NFL Mystique]

BB did not have a QB.

Kraft forced him to keep Corky. So, BB drove the team into an oak tree in hopes of getting fired. BB wanted to 86 Corky and bring in Baker Mayfield. How that would have changed the Pats for the better.

Also, the Pats are not here today without Gonzo. BB was a stud at picking CBs later in his NEP tenure. Marcus Jones too. Schooler picked up where Slater left off. Rahm isn't on the BB list. Virtually every player on the list contributes to winning this season. One doesnt need to suspend disbelief to believe that BB would have McDaniel's as his OC either. Vrabel took note of how a 6 time World Championship HC ran his business and added some things of his own.

He would have kept them from drafting Maye and the Patriots are then in a 9-8 type position for the foreseeable future. It also keeps Bill in NE when both parties clearly needed to move on.

The Patriots simply had to suck and take their medicine. It's what teams like TB & Pittsburgh desperately need to do too. Being in the middle is the worst place to be.

 

[Mack Herron]

QB NE
RB Sea if Charbonet plays.
WR Sea
TE NE

You have to consider the matchups. Seahawks have better WRs, but when you factor in CBs things look much better for NE. Then you have to consider the QBs against inside pressure. If Williams and Barmore knock Darnold off his spot, the equation shifts in our favor.

 

[jimnance]

You have to consider the matchups. Seahawks have better WRs, but when you factor in CBs things look much better for NE. Then you have to consider the QBs against inside pressure. If Williams and Barmore knock Darnold off his spot, the equation shifts in our favor.

If Maye is close to 100%, Seattle is in for a rude awakening.
The 2 defenses are basically a wash.
But Patriots offense with a healthy Maye is clearly superior.
The struggles with our rookie OL will keep some of the Pats scoring down. But I expect a Patriots win.
Williams and Barmore will be huge in this game. Our cbs are exceptional and the combo of those 2 things means Darnold is back to seeing ghosts. I woukd take the over on Darnold INTs.

 

[Uptown]

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I'm a little nervous about the predictable 5-7 yard diggs route that it might get picked off. They need to put him in motion alot to make it easy for Drake to identify zone vs man.

 

[Uptown]

 

[upstater1]

I used to teach at U. Rochester and this kid who is one of my classes would walk everywhere on campus barefoot even through snow and ice storm all year long. I asked him why and he said he's trying to toughen his feet for dancing.

 

[upstater1]

The biggest factor for the Patriots is the play of the D-backfield.

Seattle has one of the 3 top passing offenses in football.

Hawkins and Woodson can't have any brainfarts. If they play a clean game, the Patriots take away the #1 thing the Seahawks do well on either side of the ball.

The 2 most important players other than Maye for this game are Hawkins and Woodson. More important than Milt Williams in some respects since Milt's pressure rate (as high as it is) is much lower than the pass completion rate for the Seahawks.

 

[shmessy]

BB did not have a QB.

Kraft forced him to keep Corky. So, BB drove the team into an oak tree in hopes of getting fired. BB wanted to 86 Corky and bring in Baker Mayfield. How that would have changed the Pats for the better.

Also, the Pats are not here today without Gonzo. BB was a stud at picking CBs later in his NEP tenure. Marcus Jones too. Schooler picked up where Slater left off. Rahm isn't on the BB list. Virtually every player on the list contributes to winning this season. One doesnt need to suspend disbelief to believe that BB would have McDaniel's as his OC either. Vrabel took note of how a 6 time World Championship HC ran his business and added some things of his own.

The problem with those teams was BB consistently ****ing up the OL after 2019 and then having no earthly clue who to put in at OC when McDaniels left.

It was managerial malpractice on his mental decent into the Kingdom of Jordon.

That was it. Full stop.

It wasn't Mac Jones - who had a perfectly fine rookie season with McDaniels as OC.

Jones was perfectly fine in Jacksonville last year and in SF this year. Belichick was the problem.

 

[TommyD4207]

Do folks here think that a point spread of 5.5 is unreasonable?

I certainly think that we have to play better than we have in order to win, and of course, I expect us to win.

Considering the national narratives and amount of casual money that comes in on the Super Bowl, 5.5 is probably about right, they can probably still make money if that goes out to 7.

Sharp money will come in huge on the Patriots if the number keeps heading that way.

 

[TommyD4207]

Unreasonable--no. Seattle has looked better in the postseason. If the Patriots just had three consecutive dominant wins, the spread is probably even. Like SB 49 was.

26 points in 3 games against three of the top 5 defenses in the league is pretty goddamned dominant.

 

[TommyD4207]

QB NE
RB Sea if Charbonet plays.
WR Sea
TE NE

Charbonet tore his ACL 2 weeks ago - so it would the the world's fastest recovery from an ACL tear ever.

I guess you missed that while you were busy posting whatever was on your facebook feed.

 

[Uptown]