Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Super Bowl 60 is about to feature a compelling rematch as the New England Patriots prepare to take on the Super Bowl seattle seahawks.
The highly anticipated game, scheduled for February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., will feature two strong defenses, a second-year head coach against a seasoned veteran, and two quarterbacks with vastly different experiences.
The Patriots, led by quarterback Derek Meyer and coach Mike Vrabel, are getting their first field goal super bowl That hasn’t happened since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth championship seven years ago.
New England, who are seeking a record seventh Super Bowl victory, earned their berth in the AFC Championship Game with a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in their 12th NFL exhibition game.
Meyer, a finalist for the Associated Press NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, had a crucial 6-yard touchdown run after a key fumble by Jarrett Stidham in Denver.
Despite playing in a snowstorm, Meyer finished with 86 yards passing and 65 yards rushing. “Baby, the Pats are back,” Meyer declared. “Now, we have to win.”
On the opposite side, Sam Darnold, now on his fifth team, has led the Seahawks to their fourth Super Bowl as they chase a second Lombardi Trophy.
Led by head coach Mike Macdonald, Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 to clinch a spot in the NFC Championship Game. Darnold had one of his best performances, passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns without a single turnover.
Darnold addressed his critics: “It doesn’t matter to me. I just work with these guys every day. These guys in the locker room, that’s what it’s about, man. We’ve been working since April, in OTAs, training camp, getting here day by day. We’ve done it.”
The upcoming Super Bowl brings back memories of the unforgettable climax 11 years ago, when Brady’s Patriots defeated Russell Wilson’s Seahawks 28-24.
In that game on February 1, 2015, Brady threw for four touchdowns to pull New England back from a 10-point deficit before Malcolm Butler sealed the victory with his signature interception at the 1-yard line.
Seattle fans are still debating the decision not to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch in that crucial moment.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a Patriots linebacker in the 2000s, orchestrated a remarkable turnaround that took the team from a 4-13 record last year to a 14-3 season.
His goal is to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a player and head coach for the same team. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be able to work with these guys and this organization,” said Vrabel, a finalist for The Associated Press’ NFL Coach of the Year award.
“I’m not going to win the game. I promise you it’s going to be the players that win the game. It’s not going to be me winning the game and I promise you I’m going to do the best I can and get our staff ready for the game.”
Meanwhile, McDonald reflected on his team’s journey: “We didn’t care,” he said of being the underdog. “It’s about us. It’s always been about us and what we do, and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”
Meyer, 23, will become the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl, behind only Dan Marino, and the fourth second-year quarterback in the past seven years to lead a team to the final.
The Patriots have a 6-5 record in Super Bowls, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.
They went through a challenging stretch before returning to the top, having just one winning season in 2020 after Brady left.
New England’s postseason run was characterized by a strong defense that allowed just 26 points in three games and averaged 8.7 points per game, a feat surpassed only by the Ravens on the eve of the 2000 Super Bowl.
However, their offense averaged just 18 points per game, the lowest of any Super Bowl team since the 1979 Rams.