Seattle (16-3) vs. New England (17-3), Sunday, 6:30 p.m., NBC
Latest line: Seahawks are favored by 4 1/2 points
Dave Hyde, Sports Columnist: Seahawks 31, Patriots 20
Seattle has come through the NFL’s toughest division, and tougher conference, in dominant fashion. New England’s great year involves the easiest schedule and then an injured Chargers, Texans and Broncos teams in the playoffs. Simply put, Seattle is built for this in a manner the Patriots aren’t yet. New England’s Drake Maye, 23, is the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl (Dan Marino was the youngest) and will be hard-pressed to find much success against Seattle’s dominant defense.
Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
New England’s defense will make enough plays to deliver a win. Both teams represent a new NFL trend of strong offense and defense as opposed to favoring one side. New England has allowed an NFL-best 8.7 points per game in the postseason, while Seattle has allowed 16.5 ppg in the postseason, third-best. In the regular season, Seattle allowed a league-best 17.2 ppg, while New England was No. 4 at 18.8. Also in the regular season, New England was No. 2 in scoring (28.8 ppg), while Seattle was No. 3 (28.4 ppg). But defense will win this Super Bowl.
David Furones, Dolphins Writer: Seahawks 26, Patriots 13
I am very much not convinced on these Patriots, even as they reach the Super Bowl. They had a historically easy regular-season schedule, to play at home twice and then face Jarrett Stidham in a road AFC Championship Game where a snowstorm begins once New England had a lead because Sean Payton didn’t take the field goal earlier in the game. Nonetheless, the Pats defense keeps it somewhat close for a while, and their defense might force a turnover that leads to points. But New England won’t do enough against a well-rounded Seahawks team.
Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
The Patriots had one of the easiest schedules in NFL history and had an easy path in the playoffs. Seattle was one of the best teams in the league while playing a more difficult schedule and appears poised to avenge a Super Bowl 49 loss. New England won that game 28-24 as Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted an ill-advised Russell Wilson pass in the final seconds. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ dominant defense should hand the Patriots their first loss away from home this season.
Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor: Seahawks 31, Patriots 16
The Patriots have some standout players, especially on defense in Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams, Marcus Jones and Christian Barmore, but their run to this point has been strewn with good fortune, playing a historically easy schedule (a .391 opponent win percentage, or, basically 17 games against 6-10-1 teams) to get two home playoff games, and then looking unimpressive against compromised teams all along their postseason run. The Seahawks, meanwhile, have been dominant basically against anyone not named the Rams (while still going 2-1 against Matthew Stafford and company). They have a shrouding defense, and a quarterback in Sam Darnold who, while being one win from the greatest outhouse-to-penthouse QB run since Kurt Warner or Jim Plunkett, has won 30 games the past two seasons, something only Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning have done this century.
