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Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 4:58 2nd quarter<\/p>\n
Darnold from the shotgun, quick fire to Walker and it\u2019s incomplete! So New England stop that little bit of Seattle momentum there with a timely spot.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s great news, except the punt is coffin-cornered perfectly by Dickson at the two!<\/p>\n
New England will have their backs against their own endzone to start this drive!<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 5:15 2nd quarter<\/p>\n On 2nd & 6, Walker has the ball again and he gets a single yard. So it\u2019s 3rd & 5 \u2013 big down coming up!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 6:26 2nd quarter<\/p>\n On first down, Darnold is pushed out of the pocket before throwing incomplete in search of Walker on the near sideline.<\/p>\n On the other sideline, Darnold does hook up with Kupp! It\u2019s an eight yard gain \u2013 so it\u2019s 3rd & 2.<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s passing again and finds Walker after stepping out of trouble! A six yard gain for a first down!<\/p>\n Is this a real drive? Ball at the NE 44.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 8:00 2nd quarter<\/p>\n OK, here comes another drive and it begins with another healthy Walker run, this time for nine yards. He\u2019s up to 85 this half.<\/p>\n On 2nd & 1, here comes Walker again, wight into the pack, up the middle, and he has just enough for the first down. The ball is at the Hawks 39.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 9:16 2nd quarter<\/p>\n Stevenson takes the handoff up the middle for about three yards.<\/p>\n Then Maye from the shotgun is sacked by Mills! Maye kind of just stood there like a statue \u2013 I don\u2019t think he thought there was much of a threat there, but there was!<\/p>\n 3rd & 17 coming up and Diggs, who we haven\u2019t heard from, runs for about five yards, so clearly Vrabel is more than happy to wait for his moment before pulling out his bag of tricks \u2026 or, like, a basic offense.<\/p>\n The punt is caught fairly by Shaheed at the 29.<\/p>\n If you like chess, you came to the right place.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.36 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 11:16 2nd quarter<\/p>\n New England catches the kickoff in the end zone \u2013 they\u2019ll start at the 35.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.32 EST<\/p>\n Email!<\/p>\n The legend Hunter Felt is here and he says:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a bit but, uh, I remember football as being a tad more thrilling than this.\u201d<\/p>\n Joke\u2019s on you Hunter, it\u2019s 6-0 now!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.32 EST<\/p>\n FIELD GOAL! Seahawks 6-0 Patriots, 11:16 2nd quarter<\/p>\n 3rd & 12 coming up and the drive stalls after the Seahawks run! Why are they running? Because they don\u2019t think they can pass! It\u2019s conservative but Seattle are happy to take the points. Can you blame them? Myers is good from 39 out. Eight plays, 39 yards in 2:54.<\/p>\n Is Myers the MVP so far? I joke \u2026 maybe.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.32 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 13:10 2nd quarter<\/p>\n Walker again, this time up the middle, wiggling through with even more space, and the running back has opened up the Pats some on this drive! That\u2019s a gain of 29 more hard yards! Seattle is on the 19!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 13:34 2nd quarter<\/p>\n Darnold airs it out! He\u2019s looking for the streaking Shaheed, and he has a step on Gonzalez but the All-Pro bats it down, making a fantastic play to break it up! Wow!<\/p>\n Now Walker is running left and has room down the near sideline! That\u2019s a 30-yard gain, the biggest of this game for Seattle, for anyone! Ball on the NE 46!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.25 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 14:10 2nd quarter<\/p>\n OK, so this is a war, as Maye is nearly intercepted over the middle as the ball bounces off Henry and nearly into the hands of the Seahawks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 3rd & 5. It\u2019s a draw play \u2013 Maye hands to Stevenson who goes absolutely nowhere.<\/p>\n The punt is caught fairly at the Seattle 22 where the Seahawks will begin.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.24 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, end of 1st quarter<\/p>\n Stevenson ends the quarter with a run up the middle for about five yards to the NE 37, bringing this defensive quarter to a close. It seems a miracle that Seattle got three points. Vrabel made his adjustments quickly and Seattle have failed to move the ball since their first drive.<\/p>\n Now, can the Pats get any kind of offense going?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 0:19 1st quarter<\/p>\n Darnold throws before being hit, incomplete! Wow, that\u2019s pressure from New England! He was looking for Smith-Njigba but how could he even see him? It\u2019s 3rd and 15.<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s looking for Smith-Njigba on the far sideline, and no dice \u2013 incomplete! Another drive is quashed!<\/p>\n Defense rules right now in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n Brown catches the punt, goes back, goes forward and falls at the 32. Here come the Pats again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.18 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 1:00 1st quarter<\/p>\n Darnold finds a streaking Barner on a slant to convert a 3rd and 8, spinning after the catch for a few extra yards. It\u2019s a 12-yard catch, first down Seattle!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.14 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 2:18 1st quarter<\/p>\n Walker pushes the pack for a short gain.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s 2nd and 8 \u2013 Walker runs to his left this time for another short gain and it\u2019s 3rd and long coming up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 3:29 1st quarter<\/p>\n So the Pats pass the gut-check and get set for their second drive. Maye is in the pocket with time! He finds Boutte for a gain of 21! Don\u2019t give that kid time, folks!<\/p>\n Now Henderson is running but he is wrapped up for a loss of four. Then Henderson makes a catch out of the backfield and is also wrapped up for a loss on the near sideline.<\/p>\n Add it all up and it\u2019s 3rd and 15 \u2026 and Maye now has NO time to do anything! Witherspoon comes in on a corner blitz and takes him down!<\/p>\n That means another punt for the Patriots! That\u2019s sack 17 of Maye in the playoffs. Ouch!<\/p>\n The punt is 52 yards and after a small return, Seattle will be back at it at their 13.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.11 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 6:07 1st quarter<\/p>\n On 3rd & 6 New England are swarming Darnold! He avoids the sack but then Smith-Njigba is open! Darnold chucks it up but the ball sails over his head, incomplete! That would have been six for Seattle if he makes that catch. Instead, it\u2019s three-and-out.<\/p>\n The punt is caught fairly on the Patriots 35, so decent field position to start for NE.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.07 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 6:51 1st quarter<\/p>\n Good first down by NE, who nearly force Darnold into a mistake \u2013 a batted ball is almost intercepted as the QB ends the play on his back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Big drive coming up<\/p>\n Credit the Seattle defense for making life uncomfortable for Maye and forcing the punt. Now if they can come back and get in the endzone, we will start to wonder about the Pats hanging on and keeping this game competitive.<\/p>\n That\u2019s another way of saying this drive represents an early gut-check form New England.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 7:11 1st quarter<\/p>\n On 1st & 10 Maye is under pressure! Hall has a Super Bowl sack, pushing the pats back 10 yards and back into their own territory.<\/p>\n But he comes right back and steps into the pocket and takes off! The Seahawks didn\u2019t have to face that v LA. That\u2019s an 11-yard run for the QB!<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s 3rd & 9. Here comes the pass rush and Maye chucks it out of bounds. Seattle holds and New England punts!<\/p>\n The Seahwaks will start at their own 10-yard-line after a fair catch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 9:24 1st quarter<\/p>\n A pair of NE runs makes it 3rd & 2 \u2013 can Seattle hold? No! Stevenson has a catch for a first down! Love had a chance to make a play and halt the drive but the running back made his move and had just enough to earn a fresh set of downs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.04 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 11:28 1st quarter<\/p>\n Myers kicks off to Johnson who has a short return. New England start with the kid under center from the 28. Can the Pats move the ball as well as Seattle did?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>FIELD GOAL! Seahawks 3-0 Patriots, 11:58 1st quarter<\/p>\n The Pats bend but don\u2019t break and Myers is good from 33 yards. It\u2019s a nine play drive that ate up just 3:02 of clock and could have been more for Seattle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.49 EST<\/p>\n Seahawks 0-0 Patriots, 12:02 1st quarter<\/p>\n On 3rd and 7, Darnold looks for Shaheed on a short out on the far sideline, but it\u2019s incomplete! The Patriots hold, here comes the field goal unit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 0-0 Patriots, 12:15 1st quarter<\/p>\n Darnold drops back \u2013 there\u2019s no pass rush and he finds the tight end for a healthy gain! That\u2019s 15 to Barner. Now Darnold is back at it again, firing and finding Cupp for 17. The Seahawks are down to the 17 already!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks 0-0 Patriots, 14:00 1st quarter<\/p>\n Walker takes the hand-off and finds the edge on the far sideline \u2013 a healthy gain of 10 on our first play from scrimmage. First down!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Kick-off!<\/p>\n It\u2019s real and it\u2019s wonderful. Super Bowl 60 is up and running, and so I have to ask, how will it end? No return, Seattle start at their 35! Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.53 EST<\/p>\n Coin Flip<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the big flip, which takes about five minutes instead of 10 seconds because of all the pomp and circumstance. If you picked Seattle to win the flip, you picked wrong! New England won the toss and will kickoff and take the ball after halftime, resuming play in whatever haze the show leaves behind.<\/p>\n Kick-off is going to happen very soon. Really!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.53 EST<\/p>\n From the stadium<\/p>\n Guardian editor Tom Lutz reports on the anthem.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone in the stadium around me stood, except for one large gentleman who looked like he could handle any haters. The biggest cheer, as always, was the flypast of the fighter jets. They were heading north – hopefully not towards Greenland.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Emails!<\/p>\n Seth Mazerik:<\/p>\n \u201cWell David, after years of watching the Patriots cheat and a new era of having Tom-The-Terror Braydeedee give some of the worst performances as an announcer I\u2019ll be routing for the Oceanbirds. I\u2019ve boycotted kraft macaroni and cheese on principle and put the TV on mute so my ears don\u2019t catch T.B. should it be present.\u201d<\/p>\n Barry Ragin:<\/p>\n \u201cHi David – I expect it\u2019ll be 11:40 or so here in Ireland by the time the game kicks off, so you\u2019d get longer odds on me being awake at the end than for any possible combination of teams to be playing in it. That said, New England is just far easier to hate on. I don\u2019t even think my Boston friends are rooting for them. Go Seattle!\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Savage<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going for the Seahawks. Not because I\u2019m a fan of theirs or have any inside knowledge. But because I bought two NFL team jumpers within the last few years, from a well known UK sports shop for approximately a tenner a pair. One being the Patriots the other Seahawks. I went to find them earlier. And realised I had thrown out my Patriots jumper due to Milton stains(parents will know of these). So go Seahawks. 100% behind them even though I probably won\u2019t stay up beyond the next 10 mins as work tomorrow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.52 EST<\/p>\n National Anthem<\/p>\n Here is Grammy-nominated singer Charlie Puth about to sing the national anthem. Since I have no idea who that is, I asked my daughter if he was any good. She said \u201ceh, he\u2019s alright.\u201d Well, I\u2019ll be the judge of that! Charlie Puth knows the bar is pretty much unreachable, with Whitney Houston\u2019s Super Bowl 25 version the gold standard.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ladies and gentlemen, Charlie Puth\u2026and choir. <\/p>\n So, how did he do? Well, I think he had a choir or backup vocals? Is that right? That\u2019s kind of cheating, so I would normally give him an incomplete. The vocals themselves were pretty reasonable, so I would give him a 6.7\/10, with a penalty for the choir if I really had to.<\/p>\n Also, the Super Bowl flyover seemed to be quite high and looked more like a Learjet. Was that botched?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.51 EST<\/p>\n Vrabel is the ultimate ____ starter<\/p>\n If you believe Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel\u2019s former defensive colleague with the Patriots, Vrabel knows how to agitate his opponents, going as far as to conduct independent research on players he\u2019d match-up against in his bid to wind them up as much as possible.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Vrabel is a windup master. <\/p>\n This video also mentions that Vrabel caught touchdown passes in the Super Bowl as a tight end as one of coach Bill Belichick\u2019s big game wrinkles. And it makes you wonder, will Vrabel launch some sort of jaw-dropping trick play now that it\u2019s his turn at the helm? I would say it\u2019s highly possible some razzle-dazzle plays are in our near future.<\/p>\n Kick-off soon!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.52 EST<\/p>\n America the Beautiful<\/p>\n I\u2019m a little confused as to why we need two America songs before the big game, but Brandi Carlile is on the field belting it out. Regular readers know I will only rank The Star-Spangled Banner, which is coming up shortly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shoulder Update<\/p>\n In case you\u2019re wondering, the world\u2019s most discussed shoulder \u2013 the most discussed ACL belongs to Lindsey Vonn \u2013 belongs to Drake Maye and is no longer an issue, according to the Patriots quarterback. The pivot is no longer listed on the New England injury report and he expects to benefit from the non-blizzard playing conditions in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.49 EST<\/p>\n Alternate \u201cBowls\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ve had Bud Bowl and the much adored Puppy Bowl and now there\u2019s a new edition, the \u201cPedo Bowl\u201d. The projection created by street artist \u201cvjaybombs\u201d<\/a> in Las Vegas calls out Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and other highly prominent men whose names have been mentioned in the Epstein files. As the legacy of groundbreaking Super Bowl ads have shown us, there\u2019s always room for creative spaces and controversy when it comes to the big game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The \u201cPedo Bowl\u201d, courtesy of \u201cVjaybombs\u201d.Share<\/a><\/p>\n Mack Hollins<\/p>\n The Patriots wide receiver seems to be quite serious. I hope he brought another outfit for later, especially if the Pats lose.<\/p>\n Mack Hollins dressed Hannibal Lechter-ish for his arrival. Photograph: Charlie Riedel\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n E-mail!<\/p>\n This in from Steve Robinson:<\/p>\n \u201cLike you David, I\u2019m struggling to choose who to support. As a Niners fan, do I really want a division rival to win it all on our turf, especially given they smashed us out of the playoffs? But I can\u2019t get up any enthusiasm for the Patriots and I really don\u2019t want to see Kraft lift the Lombardi again.\u201d<\/p>\n Yeah, it\u2019s very tough. Like pouring lemon juice on a cut. No thanks!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Defens(s)e!<\/p>\n I loved the take from Andrew Beaton of the WSJ<\/a>, that both of these coaches came from defensive backgrounds in an era where offense seems to dominate the game in almost every way. The coaching match-up goes against the grain, with the last six Super Bowls have been led by offensive brains. In 60, the bosses are Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who attended the University of Harbaugh, coaching defense with the Ravens and at Michigan, while Pats coach Mike Vrabel played linebacker for Bill Belichick\u2019s Patriots, learning from possibly the best defensive mind of all-time. Does that mean we have a 2009 Rams\/Patriots type 13-3 game in our near future? Likely not – offenses mostly abuse defenses in the NFL nowadays, but perhaps these coaches will find a way to tie up these quarterbacks and slow down any impending track meet. That\u2019s one way of saying \u201ctake the under\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here comes a regular!<\/p>\n Our loyal reader Roger Kirkby is always with us, and he would like us to know that\u2026<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026my stats tell me that New England have never won a Super Bowl on the west coast (Arizona is the closest they\u2019ve come). I see it staying that way and am hoping for a Seattle rampage in the first half so I don\u2019t have to stay up all night.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think it\u2019s gonna happen that way Roger. I have New England with the upset special, 27-17, mostly thanks to a genius game-plan from the Pats head coach Mike Vrabel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n From the Editor!<\/p>\n Please enjoy this message from big boss man Tom Lutz who is at the game.<\/p>\n \u201cHello from sunny Santa Clara, where it\u2019s a beautiful, warm winter\u2019s day. The teams are warming up on the field – the Patriots in white and the Seahawks in blue. From the press box, it looks like a 50-50 split of fans. although there were slightly more New England fans in San Francisco this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n and\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a few signs of anti-ICE protests on the way to the stadium. A bridge over the highway was strewn with upside-down US flags as protestors held anti-ICE signs and urged passing motorists to honk their horns in support of immigrants. My coach driver didn\u2019t, but she was on official NFL business so I guess she wanted to stay neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.59 EST<\/p>\n Black National Anthem<\/p>\n Coco Jones is the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist on the field in Santa Clara as we get closer to kickoff and actual football! Will it be worth the wait?<\/p>\n Coco Jones performs during the Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Photograph: Neilson Barnard\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n I wanted to be with you alone\u2026<\/p>\n \u2026and talk about the weather.<\/p>\n I\u2019m looking at the weather forecast for Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and it seems that the threat of rain has dissipated and it\u2019s clear skies ahead. The temps? Much milder than the Brooklyn igloo I\u2019m typing in. It\u2019ll be about 66 degrees Fahrenheit at kick off, that\u2019s around 19 Celsius if you\u2019re scoring at home, and your home is metric. It\u2019ll drop to around 56\/15 with winds out of northwest with gusts up to a measly seven mph. So this will be a quite the change for the Pats, who played, more or less, in two blizzards in route to Super Bowl 60. Advantage New England!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Orchids of Asia<\/p>\n It sounds like an exhibit at The Bronx Botanical Garden, but it\u2019s actually the Florida \u201cspa\u201d that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was picked up at following a sting operation at the Jupiter massage joint a few years back. Well, this weekend, TMZ reported<\/a> that Bill Belichick\u2019s girlfriend Jordon Hudson was spotted wearing a t-shirt with an Orchids of Asia logo. The font selection is suspect, but the elite level trolling by Belichick, who is no fan of Kraft, and his company can not be debated. Apparently, it\u2019s set off quite the reaction amongst a certain Patriots super fan<\/a>. Just another fun Super Bowl wrinkle!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.40 EST<\/p>\n Let us pray\u2026<\/p>\n According to the folks digging up every possible stat possible in the run up to the Super Bowl, the Seahawks have quite the link to, you guessed it, 21st-century popes.<\/p>\n Seattle have reached the Super Bowl each year a new pope took the reigns at the Vatican, losing to the Steelers in 2005\/2006, burying the Broncos in 2013\/2014 48-3, and now, with the new Boss Leo letting down his home town Bears, they\u2019re back, looking to go over .500.<\/p>\n The bad news is that popes don\u2019t die that often and Leo seems quite healthy, so don\u2019t bet on a Seattle dynasty!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.53 EST<\/p>\n Hello!<\/p>\n \u2026and welcome to our live coverage of the Super Bowl!<\/p>\n First off, just let me say that I\u2019m 100% committed to a Latin free Big Show blog. So for those of us not living in the Roman Empire, let\u2019s say it clearly: this is the 60th version of the AFC-NFC Championship Game, and it\u2019s a match-up that few would have put a flutter on way back in September when the season began. If you had, you\u2019d have done quite well: the odds of the Seahawks and Patriots facing off for the Lombardi trophy were 4800 to 1, which is on the hail Mary side of a long shot. And yet here they are, getting set to get to kick off in about an hour-and-a-half from now. That means the fan bases on opposite ends of the country are starting to get that squirm in the stomach while the rest of us relax and dip our chips under no pressure whatsoever.<\/p>\n But what about the neutrals? Who are they supporting? Personally, I\u2019ve found it quite difficult to peg my loyalty to one of these clubs. Why? Because there\u2019s no underdog I\u2019ve been able to grow closer to. The Seahawks are the favorites, and who wants to just jump on the bandwagon? Lame! That said, they do have the ultimate quarterback underdog leading their team. Sam Darnold is an all-time draft bust that bloomed long after his NFL draft obit was written. He put together back-to-back playoff seasons and wiped out the elite 49ers and Rams en route to the Super Bowl. Nobody saw that coming, and it\u2019s warm and fuzzy, but again, he\u2019s playing with the favorites. So now what? The Patriots? They\u2019re underdogs, with Vegas handing them a 4.5 point lead. Regardless, they\u2019re the biggest Massholes of all-time, owners of six Super Bowl titles, a couple of scandals, a coach that was detested and a pretty-boy QB who was annoyingly awesome. If you\u2019re not a Patriots fan, the last thing you want is another decade of Robert Kraft and company.<\/p>\n So there\u2019s no true, obvious underdog in this Super Bowl, which leads me to the question: which do you want to see in the confetti shower tonight and why? Let me know and we\u2019ll get your name in the paper and chew this one out together. E-mail me on david.lengel@theguardian.com<\/a> and i\u2019ll make you famous.<\/p>\n More to come, stick with us!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.15 EST<\/p>\n Anti-ICE sentiment has made an appearance at the big gameAnti-ICE protesters have passed out towels reading \u201cICE out\u201d to fans heading into Levi\u2019s Stadium for the game. Photograph: Justin Sullivan\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Seattle\u2019s Aden Durde will be the first British coach to appear in the Super Bowl. He wants to ensure he\u2019s not the last.<\/p>\n A great story by Melissa Jacobs:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A good pregame read: Guardian US arts writer Adrian Horton on Bad Bunny \u2013 the ultrapopular star who will take over the Super Bowl half-time show and will continue to be at the center of the US culture wars:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Who is going to win? What will the score be? Who will be MVP?<\/p>\n Our team of experts have predictions for all of that and more:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>A view outside of Levi\u2019s Stadium. Photograph: Icon Sportswire\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Fans are starting to arrive at Levi\u2019s Stadium ahead of the showpiece event<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n David will be here shortly. In the meantime, here are our writers\u2019 score predictions:<\/p>\n The final score will be \u2026<\/p>\n Seahawks 27-24 Patriots. The best unit on the field is Seattle\u2019s defense. After that, everything else feels like a wash. The Seahawks pass-rush is relentless and runs deep; they had six different players record at least 35 pressures this year, while no other team had more than four such players. The Patriots\u2019 offensive line is vulnerable \u2013 and pass rushers typically decide championship games. It\u2019s going to take a special performance from Maye (and maybe a trick play to rob a possession) to keep the Patriots in it. Oliver Connolly<\/p>\n Seahawks. By a lot. The Seahawks are a top-to-bottom juggernaut that can beat you so many ways. New England\u2019s high blitz-rate success has gotten them this far, but Seattle can beat them so many ways. Quarterback protection? Check. Staunch run game? Check. High-octane passing attack? Check. Seattle\u2019s offense is essentially quarterback proof, especially when your quarterback can compartmentalize his rags-to-riches story<\/a>. Meanwhile, New England\u2019s offense is not quite quarterback-proof, and Maye\u2019s miscues will hurt the Patriots much more than in their three previous matchups. It\u2019s easy to envision Maye forcing poor throws once blinded by Seattle\u2019s defense, and Vrabel and McDaniels getting too cutesy once down a couple of scores. Melissa Jacobs<\/p>\n Seahawks 27-17 Patriots. Darnold settles down and plays yet another clean playoff game on the way to claiming MVP honors and cementing the signature win of his career at last, in a redemption story that gives critics more reason to pile on the Jets for holding up his progress. Mike Macdonald makes coaching defense sexy again and the loss of Kubiak \u2013 reportedly bound for Las Vegas after this game \u2013 begins the talent raid on the Seattle coaching staff. The Patriots put up a valiant fight, but Maye\u2019s arm proves too weak in the end \u2013 but the loss just sets them up for an epic revenge tour that ends with right back in this same spot next year. Andrew Lawrence<\/p>\n Seahawks 17-27 Patriots. Gonzalez wins the matchup with Smith-Njigba, shrinking the options for Darnold, who regresses for all the world to see. It\u2019s not because Darnold isn\u2019t good: he\u2019s an excellent quarterback and a wonderful story, and I\u2019m happy for him, really. He\u2019s just about to face an upstart coaching staff that has the gameplan and the pieces to make Darnold uncomfortable, frustrated and mistake prone. Maye will have just enough to get in the endzone twice, and will be helped by an interception by Gonzalez that he takes to the house. That means we have to see more of postgame Robert Kraft amid the red, white and blue confetti. Yuck. David Lengel<\/p>\n Seahawks 31-32 Patriots. The rise of a team written off in August as 70-1 rank outsiders is a heartwarming tale often lost in a sport dominated by extreme wealth, statistics and hot takes. Yes, their schedule was \u201ceasy\u201d \u2013 and they even lost to the Raiders \u2013 yet here we are. No team with preseason odds longer than 40-1 have won the Super Bowl since Tom Brady\u2019s legendary first win in the 2001 season. Coincidence? Graham Searles<\/p>\n