#don-hasselbeck

#don-hasselbeck

One of the more notable examples of that is offensive lineman Joe Thuney, who left the Patriots for the Chiefs in 2021, signing a massive five-year, $80 million contract that the Patriots very easily could have (and probably should have) offered. He has since won two more Super Bowls and is now continuing his career with the Bears.

Shortly after his playing career ended, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo followed Troy Aikman into the television booth in 2017. At first, Romo drew high praise for his work alongside Jim Nantz. Especially when he started accurately calling what the offenses were going to run. As good as his playing career was, even though his postseason record was less than great, Romo seemed to have found his calling.

"It's a blast to be out here again," Steve said. "My first day here, I was walking to go pick up my media credential, and one of my crew members said, 'Hey, look, that's Veronica.' I said, 'Veronica's in Miami, playing right now for Unrivaled.' She goes, 'No, up on the billboard.' and I'm like, 'Oh my goodness, that is Veronica.'"

Instead, with the Seahawks trailing 28-24 and 26 seconds to play, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell with the authorization of coach Pete Carroll called for a quick slant pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette. New England safety Malcolm Butler got there first with an interception at the 1. The Patriots (15-4) won their fourth of six Lombardi Trophies under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

Clearly, he would be unwise not to rely on the best wide receiver throughout the 2025 season as much as he has been. But that's also a recipe for disaster come Super Bowl time, as the Patriots' defense will surely be ready to do all they can to shut JSN down. That's something that Simms believes is Seattle's biggest weakness going into this game, and it's interesting that more people aren't talking about it.

The NFL world is coming out in full force to support former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after he was somehow snubbed from becoming a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer for the 2026 class. That's how you know the Hall's decision to keep him out for at least another year is bad when some of the Patriots' biggest rivals are vocally supporting their longtime nemesis.

"I feel like we're live in South Boston right now!"

In one of the most unexpected Super Bowl matchups in recent memory, the consensus expectations are fairly one-sided. The Seahawks have firmly established themselves as one of the NFL's true elite teams. They have dismantled overmatched opponents and manuevered their way into making pivotal plays in high-leverage situations to beat the league's best. Despite all the concerns surrounding Sam Darnold, his confidence must be sky-high after his stellar performance against the Rams.

As I've said a few times, you don't dream about this because the dream is so silly that you stop and you wake up before you get to this point, Tirico said. I think for all of us, Super Bowls bring back very specific memories, people you've watched the game with. If your favorite team was in it, moments that have lasted forever. And to be a part of that scenario for this year's Super Bowl is the thrill of a lifetime.

May the best team win. And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England, and I'm glad everyone's embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to this position. We did it for 20 years. There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it's a very exciting time for everyone in New England.

Defense was the story of the first half. The Seahawks allowed just 51 total yards. Outside of two big runs by Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III, the 'Hawks only managed 124 yards of offense. New England and Seattle combined for only five third-down conversions on 16 attempts in the first 30 minutes of the game. A promising opening drive allowed Seattle to make it down to the Patriots' 14 yard line,

As a rookie, he was the architect behind the Commanders' stunning run to the NFC Championship game. He was quite arguably the greatest first-year quarterback in NFL history. He was already being thrown into conversations as a top-five passer in the league and the best in the conference. He could do no wrong. Then, Year 2 happened. Jayden Daniels' second-year slump with Commanders has drawn wildly unfair criticism Daniels couldn't stay healthy, and Washington went 5-12.