North Texas Daily

Akshay Mirchandani / Sports Editor

In a way, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the saddest days of the year. It’s the day of the last football game of the season, and by the end of it we’re all depressed that we have to go to work or school the next day.

But alas, it is still a wonderful day and the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots on Sunday shouldn’t disappoint.

Let me preface this by saying I have no rooting interest in either of these teams. In fact, I’m still tormented by nightmares about what transpired in Lambeau Field between the Cowboys and Packers a few weeks ago.

With that being said, I’ll take the Seahawks to beat the Pats and win its second straight championship.

Love it or hate it, no one can deny the Seahawks team has been playing some of the best football in the NFL over the past two or so months. It didn’t look great against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game, but has still found ways to win games.

For Seattle, it all starts with defense. Richard Sherman and the “Legion of Boom” are still trash talking the way to victory and will be looking to bother Patriots quarterback Tom Brady much like the team managed to mess with Peyton Manning a year ago. Combine that with Michael Bennett leading the Seattle defensive front and the Patriots may run into some major issues.

The Seahawks offense is nowhere near as elite as its defense, but quarterback Russell Wilson seems to always find a way to get it done. Wilson, who seems like the new Golden Boy of the NFL, doesn’t have big-time receivers, but does have Marshawn Lynch to hand it off to and can still make plays with his feet.

Even still, Wilson managed to overcome four interceptions against the Packers to throw a game-winning overtime touchdown pass, and was brought to tears when talking to Erin Andrews on the field afterward. If that doesn’t scream “team of destiny,” then I don’t know what does.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have been dealing with the Deflate-Gate scandal after it was found that the balls the team used in the AFC Championship game were slightly under the regulation weight. Brady and head coach Bill Belichick have come under fire and have essentially become the villains of this whole thing.

Still, no one can deny how good New England is. Brady is still chugging along and the scariest part of the Patriots is the return of tight-end Rob Gronkowski. Add that to the fact that New England now has a revitalized running game, and the team is even scarier on offense.

The Pats’ defense isn’t as good as Seattle’s unit, but is still solid nonetheless. Still, don’t expect Wilson to put on the same pitiful performance he did against Green Bay.

The biggest problem Seattle is going to have is containing “Gronk” and New England’s sneaky good receiving corps. The Seahawks had a few health scares this season, including Sherman’s arm, but everyone seems to be healthy and ready. Brady might need this win for legacy purposes, but the Seahawks  will win 24-21.

It will be a fun matchup, and hopefully it won’t be like last year when Seattle dismantled the Denver Broncos 43-8. So enjoy the food, enjoy the Katy Perry halftime show, enjoy the ads and, most importantly, enjoy the game.

I will be eating wings on my couch in silence, wearing my Dallas Cowboys division champions T-shirt, wondering what could have been.

Featured Illustration by Edward Balusek – Visuals Editor