Last night concluded the final game of the 2025–2026 NFL season, and let me tell you… this was not an entertaining game. It was honestly a snooze fest. Don’t get me wrong—I love a good football game whether it’s a defensive slugfest or offenses lighting it up. I don’t need a shootout every time to enjoy a game. But this one? Yeah, this one dragged.

Part of that had to do with Seattle not scoring a touchdown in the first half. That said, I actually thought kicking those three field goals was the right move. Take the points. Set the tone. Especially since they came out in the second half and added a fourth field goal to make it 12–0. At that point, Seattle was fully in control.

Now, I know throughout the playoffs I’ve been posting my predictions, and I was planning to do the same for this one. But honestly, I got busy, wrapped up in a few other things, and really wanted to blog about Marbury becoming a Hall of Famer in 2K (check out that series if you haven’t yet). But we’re back now with the Super Bowl reaction—including my thoughts on the halftime show.

As you all know, I’ve been hate-watching the Patriots all postseason. That said, I did pick them to beat the Broncos, even though I wanted them to lose. You can’t always pick with your heart—I still have to give actual analysis and not just lean into my bias.

I wanted Seattle to win last night, and they did. Was part of that because they were playing the Pats? Of course. I watched that team torment me for most of my life, so I need them off the throne for a while. Another big reason? Seattle’s QB. I’m still a Sam Darnold fan. I want him to succeed. I wish he was still our QB.

I wanted the Jets to keep Sam, trade the No. 2 pick for a haul, and let someone else take Zach Wilson. That obviously didn’t happen, and we all know how that turned out. Awful. And now here we are, once again, searching for a quarterback.

So why did I think Seattle would win? Defense was the main reason, obviously—but it also came down to which QB could just manage the game. Seattle was able to put Sam Darnold in that position because, quite frankly, they’re just a better team than the Pats.

Both defenses are elite, and I expected them to show out, but Seattle’s pass rush was the difference. The Patriots’ offensive line really let Drake Maye down. They got absolutely bullied all night, giving him no time to operate. Will Campbell had a rough game, and yes, the short-arm memes are everywhere right now—but honestly, that’s been an issue for the line throughout the postseason.

Coming into the Super Bowl, Maye had already been sacked 15 times this postseason. That trend continued. Seattle sacked him six times last night, while the Pats only got to Darnold once. One stat that really jumped out: Will Campbell reportedly gave up 14 pressures. That’s not what you want from your starting left tackle—or from any offensive lineman.

I’m not here to dunk on Campbell. He actually had a solid rookie year leading up to the playoffs. But after this postseason, you do have to wonder if the Pats consider moving him inside to guard.

Seattle did exactly what they needed to do. Sam was a game manager, and that’s all they asked of him. Their defense played spectacularly, shutting New England out until the fourth quarter, and the run game carried them the rest of the way.

Kenneth Walker—your Super Bowl MVP—finished with 27 carries for 135 yards. He was the focal point of the offense, and rightfully so. Sam finished 19-of-38 for 202 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers aren’t jumping off the screen, but the most important stat? Zero turnovers.

Sam Darnold didn’t turn the ball over and allowed his defense and run game to lead them to a Super Bowl win. The Pats, meanwhile, turned it over three times—something that’s plagued them at times this postseason.

Turnovers have always been the knock on Sam. He actually led all QBs with 20 turnovers this season, so seeing him protect the ball last night was huge. Maybe the oblique injury he’s been dealing with forced him to dial it back a bit. He almost connected on a big play to JSN in the first half but just barely overthrew him as pressure closed in.

Sam didn’t play the best game of his career—and that’s okay. He didn’t need to. He did enough.

Seattle’s defense is elite, and if you can’t run the ball against them, you’re in trouble. Drake Maye was the Pats’ leading rusher with 37 yards. That just can’t happen in a Super Bowl, especially against a defense like this. For the first three quarters, New England couldn’t get anything going.

The biggest blame falls on the offensive line. Beyond the sacks, they couldn’t create lanes in the run game. Without that, play-action was useless. One thing I didn’t understand was why Josh McDaniels didn’t lean more into screen passes and quick throws to try to get the offense moving. That felt like a missed opportunity.

Seattle was the better team and proved it last night. The Patriots overachieved by most people’s expectations—few thought they’d make the Super Bowl after being one of the worst teams in the league last year.

Depending on what Seattle does this offseason, they should open as favorites—or at least among the top favorites—to win it all again next year. If the Pats add some offensive weapons, they could be much more dangerous with Vrabel and Maye and potentially make another run.

But for now, that wraps up the season—and that means we’re officially approaching mock draft season. I’ll be dropping my own mocks and collaborating with other writers as well, so stay tuned. It’s about to get fun.

– Jett Garden