Not So Super

The Super Bowl is the largest sporting event in the United States with over 150 million

viewers nationwide. One game is the culmination of 21 weeks of hard-fought competition. This

year, the Super Bowl was a clash between supposedly the two best teams in the NFL: the New

England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The game should have been an offensive knife fight

with two offensive powerhouses and breakout star players ready to put on a show.

Despite this expectation, the game was a slow and grueling defensive battle that ended

with the Seahawks leading 29-13. The scoreline, taken at face value, looks like an average NFL

game, but the stats tell a different story. Out of the Seahawks’ 29 points, the kicker, Jason

Meyers, scored 17 total points: 5 FGs and 2 XPs. As impressive as those points are for a kicker,

nobody wants to watch field goals all game. There were only 3 offensive touchdowns scored in

the entire game, all coming in the fourth quarter. Both quarterbacks also put up less than ideal

numbers, with Maye completing 27/43 passes for only 295 yards and Darnold completing 19/38

passes for only 202 yards. Neither quarterback completed more than 60% of their passes. For

comparison, Patrick Mahomes completed over 65% of his passes in last year’s Super Bowl when

he lost by 20 points. This Super Bowl should have been an offensive masterclass given the

amount of talent on that side of the ball. Yet, it was an underwhelming 4 quarters that came to a

predictable end with the Seahawks ahead.

Although offense stalled in the Super Bowl, the defense had a day to remember. The

Seahawks forced 3 turnovers and had a total of 6 sacks, only one off a Super Bowl record. The

Legion of Boom reincarnated stumped the Patriots offense, only allowing 53 yards in the firsthalf and a total of 330 the entire game. The Patriots defense also recorded a sack and only

allowed 335 yards. Although the yardage totals are nearly the same, the Seahawks were able to

turn their possessions into points unlike the Patriots. Defense is an intrinsic part of football, but

field goals and “3 and outs” don’t exactly live up to the hype of what a Super Bowl is supposed

to be. A Super Bowl should be a magnificent display from both sides of the ball, keeping you on

the edge of your seat at every snap. It’s safe to say, this Super Bowl wasn’t so Super.