Few teams in the NFL look more capable of handling the pressure of Super Bowl LX than the Seattle Seahawks, who emerged as the league's best squad over the course of the season. A strong postseason run has seen Sam Darnold redeem his reputation, while the Seahawks' Dark Side defense has given teams fits throughout the campaign.
60 minutes separate the Seahawks, who have been favored by 4.5 points since the conclusion of the NFC Championship Game, from their place in history. The New England Patriots figure to be a formidable foe and didn't win 17 games by accident, so the Seahawks will have to hope Mike Vrabel's group doesn't expose some key weaknesses that could cost Seattle their second Lombardi Trophy.
Seahawks' Players who could make their fans nervous in the Super Bowl
CB Riq Woolen
The weak link of the Seahawks' defense is its secondary and Riq Woolen has been vulnerable to both getting beat in coverage while also committing ill-timed penalties throughout the season. Woolen almost cost the Seahawks dearly in the NFC Championship Game, taunting the Los Angeles Rams' bench after a key third down stop to give up a key first down via penalty.
Instead of facing a 4th-and-12 that may have been a kill shot moment, the Rams picked up an automatic first down and Matthew Stafford immediately picked on Woolen, who got burned by Puka Nacua for a touchdown to bring Los Angeles within four points. It took another defensive stand for Seattle to hold off the Rams in the final minutes, but the situation could have been avoided if Woolen had played smarter.
The Patriots are not a prolific passing team but they do have the type of speedsters who could give Woolen fits, such as Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. Seattle should be able to slow down New England's running game but if Woolen is torched through the air or commits another bad penalty it could give Drake Maye some much-needed momentum in a close game.
QB Sam Darnold
It feels unfair to list Darnold here after his strong play in the postseason, but this stretch of efficient football has been a bit of an outlier for Darnold in his career. The Seahawks have seen Darnold play very smart and avoid turning the football over in three straight games, the longest stretch of mistake-free football he's played this season.
Teams that can generate pressure and get Darnold moving in the pocket have given him the most issues, which is something that New England may be able to exploit. The Patriots have done a good job disguising their coverages and have harassed opposing quarterbacks throughout the postseason, picking off C.J. Stroud four times in the Divisional Round and racking up 12 sacks over the course of their three playoff wins.
There is reason to believe that Darnold has taken a leap and figured out how to handle pressure better than he has at any point in his career, but Darnold's track record suggests he may be overdue for a critical interception or two. If that pick comes deep in Seattle's territory, it could lead to some free points for New England in a game that may be tighter than the 4.5-point spread indicates.
RB Kenneth Walker III
The loss of Zach Charbonnet to injury in the divisional round has put all of the Seahawks' running eggs in the basket of Walker, who struggled with consistency this season. Walker was held in check in the NFC Championship Game, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, and Seattle will need him to step up to avoid putting too much work on Darnold's plate against a strong New England defense.
The Seahawks are well aware that New England has an elite cover corner in Christian Gonzalez that may shadow Jaxon Smith-Njigba throughout the game. Cooper Kupp can still make big plays, as evidenced by his work in the NFC title game, but the Seahawks have always been at their best as a run-first team that can have Darnold make big plays to fill in gaps in the offense.
New England's run defense has been good throughout the postseason so Walker will have his work cut out for him to find open running lanes against a stout defensive front led by Milton Williams. If Walker can't get going on the ground, there may be more of a burden on Darnold's plate than initially anticipated, which is not what Seahawks' fans want to see in the Super Bowl.