3) If you\u2019re thinking that Stafford won\u2019t get MVP now that his team is going home, put that thought out of your mind. Most of you know that MVP voting is done just after the regular season and prior to the playoffs. Stafford is still right there with Drake Maye. We won\u2019t find out who won until next week.<\/p>\n
That said, I picked the Rams to win this game. Coming down the stretch, when the Rams were on one last drive to try and snatch a win from the jaws of defeat, you could see the look of frustration and almost resignation on the face of McVay on the sidelines as his team trudged to its eventual defeat.<\/p>\n
![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_28087155_168390408_lowres-450x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4) With wide receivers Nacua and Davante Adams, running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, and tight end Tyler Higbee, Stafford had plenty of offensive weapons. They did drop 27 points on one of the best defenses in the NFL.<\/p>\n
But what all of Patriot Nation needs to get ready for is how their guys will defend such players as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Kenneth Walker, and A.J. Barner. Maybe the Patriots will drop 27 points on Seattle like the Rams did. How much they give up will be a major factor in this game.<\/p>\n
5) One nice thing about the venue (Santa Clara, Calif.) is that neither team really has to worry about bad weather. The NFL tries to put the Super Bowl in good-weather cities. Other than rain, this section of the Silicon Valley should be balmy and pleasant. It will likely be an environment where good-to-great football will most likely be played. No freezing cold or snowstorms to contend with.<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t blame either team if they started licking their chops right now. This will be pure, unabashed championship football.<\/p>\n
6) Back to school:<\/strong> According to a report, the Raiders are pursuing Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. Now, here I thought the poaching would start next year, and by college teams. With Las Vegas seemingly a lock to pick Fernando Mendoza as the top pick in April, why not bring in his head coach? The report also said that there is a chance the Raiders may pursue their former quarterback, Derek Carr, to be Mendoza\u2019s position coach. Again, all of this is unsubstantiated. But wow. Instead of the many-decades reputation of what a Raider is, will it now be a more spiritual group, instead of cheap-shot artists?<\/p>\n Why not? Name me one athlete you have seen recently that doesn\u2019t give thanks to his Almighty in postgame interviews. Nothing at all wrong with this. It just doesn\u2019t fit what you perceive a \u201cRaider\u201d to be.<\/p>\n 7) The Patriots stayed another night in Football Hades, Colo \u2013 er, I mean Denver, Colorado, to wait out the blizzard that has been pummeling the nation. They arrived safely in Providence on Monday afternoon and returned to Gillette Stadium on Monday night. Both venues (T.F. Green Airport and Gillette) had full camera crews. No, Pope Leo XIV (and it\u2019s Pope, not Il Papa<\/em>. His perfect English is still hard to get used to from a Pope) is not aboard. It\u2019s the nearest thing to royalty that the NFL has. The Patriots are back. Back on the A list. Hated once again by all not in New England. And all of Patriot Nation has something to think about other than snow.<\/p>\n 8) So let\u2019s see. If the Patriots do beat the Seahawks, where will this rank all-time in most surprising moments in Boston Sports History?<\/p>\n The Celtics\u2019 win over the Lakers in the 1969 Finals still astonishes me. The ALCS and World Series from 2004 both make this list. Bobby Orr\u2019s overtime goal in 1970 is also thought provoking; yes, it was a four-game sweep over St. Louis, but the first Cup for the Bruins in 29 years. The first Super Bowl win for the Patriots (XXXVI) and the great comeback (LI) make this list also. I might also put the Celtics\u2019 2024 title win on this list in that it came from nowhere and punctuated the rarity of Celtic titles as opposed to the 1960s.<\/p>\n But if the Patriots win Super Bowl LX? It\u2019s on the list.<\/p>\n Talk about coming out of nowhere. Talk about unexpected, and not just the national scribes and fans. Talk about suddenly the Patriots have a great coach-quarterback tandem again.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll get around to winning this game later. Meanwhile, just drink all this in. Wow. Back in the show again.<\/p>\n 9) Remember him:<\/strong> Jody Allen owns the Seahawks. Her brother, Paul, used to own the Seahawks until his death in 2018. Oh, by the way, he also co-founded Microsoft Corporation, along with someone named Bill Gates. The late Paul Allen was seen in his private box as the final moments of Super Bowl XLIX played out. He had this gawky look on his face, which looked like total stress and anguish, and the interception hadn\u2019t happened yet. It was probably just after that crazy catch by Jermaine Kearse. It was a cool camera shot, even though he probably looked worse after the pick by Malcolm Butler. Allen oversaw the transformation of the Seattle Seahawks into an NFL power. The then-defending champs were seen as a major test for the Patriots that year, even though the betting line was pick \u2018em. His sister Jody now leads the team into Super Bowl LX, with the thoughts of her late brother weighing heavily on her mind.<\/p>\n 10) Okay, some help from a Californian.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going: Try to stay in the San Jose area if you can, but you can do worse than staying in San Francisco. Availability at this stage of the game is always critical.<\/p>\n If it were me, I would aim for the East Bay, the various cities south of Oakland. Maybe there\u2019s a room open off that way. Then, to get to the game, drive south down the I-880 freeway (or north on the same freeway if you\u2019re in Fremont) to Milpitas. Watch for CA 237; take it and go west. Cross the Bay over the lesser-travelled Dumbarton Bridge (as opposed to the Bay Bridge or the San Mateo Bridge). Once on the other side, get off at the Great America Parkway exit and turn left. Go down the parkway and turn left on Old Glory Lane. The stadium is straight ahead.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re coming from San Francisco or points north: Take the Bayshore Freeway (US 101) south to Exit 396B, which is CA 237. Go east on 237. Get off at exit 5 and go south on County Road G2 which is also the North Lawrence Expressway. Turn left on Tasman Drive and go a mile. Turn right on Great American Parkway. Turn left on Old Glory Lane. The stadium is straight ahead.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re coming from San Jose or points south: Take the Bayshore Freeway (US 101) north. Exit at Great America Parkway. Go north on Great America Parkway. Turn right on Old Glory Road. Stadium is straight ahead.<\/p>\n Or you can use your GPS apps and never mind all this well-intended help. Maybe Google Maps knows better. In 2016, my daughter and I went to AT&T Park to see the Red Sox and the Giants. We saw a movie Friday night at a mall that was a stone\u2019s throw from Levi\u2019s. She saw Taylor Swift there, so she has been there, and I have not.<\/p>\n If you can go, go. Me, I\u2019ll rock with the fam and stay bunkered down in my mancave. With the doors closed, of course. My daughter makes a mean bean dip and queso, among lots of other things.<\/p>\n![\"Jody](\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_13559856_168390408_lowres-660x440.jpg\")
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