By Brock Morgan
Medill Reports 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Eight players in Super Bowl LX were named to the Pro Bowl, six of them Seattle Seahawks, which might indicate why they’re favored by 4.5 points, according to ESPN’s betting line. 

Offensive fireworks are expected to be on full display as keys to Seattle’s passing attack include Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the AP offensive player of the year, and Super Bowl LVI’s Most Valuable Player, Cooper Kupp. Disrupting the leaders of Seattle’s air raid will be critical to a New England victory. 

Smith-Njigba said he and his teammate benefit from each other’s presence, as the pair have combined for more than 2,300 receiving yards this season. 

“We draw eyes pulling the defense, it springs me open and likewise,” Smith-Njigba said.

Seattle’s defense dominates with 47 sacks on the season. Head coach Mike Macdonald has an opportunity to make history by becoming the only head coach who doubles as the defensive playcaller to win a Super Bowl, despite facing off against the coach of the year in New England’s Mike Vrabel. 

Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV said their defense’s versatility gives the group a sharper edge. 

“The way we flow and get to the ball and how relentless we’ve been (has) been the biggest thing,” Jones said. 

Seattle’s defense, nicknamed “The Dark Side,” has held opponents to fewer than 17 points per playoff game.  

“We practice the look so much, once you get in the flow of a game, we already know what’s supposed (happen),” Jones said.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has bounced around the league. After being the New York Jets’ third overall choice eight years ago, he was then traded to the Carolina Panthers and  made stops in San Francisco and Minnesota prior to becoming a Seahawk and throwing 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season, resulting in a Pro Bowl nod.

New England’s offense is no slouch, averaging more than 130 yards rushing per playoff game. Seattle defensive end Leonard Williams said the heavy group upfront has earned his respect.

“They’re physical, but so are we,” Williams said. “They try to win the game in the trenches and we believe in that same motto.” 

Defenders are locked in on extinguishing New England’s ground game, which has been a pillar of the team’s success throughout the season.

“The way they run the ball is super aggressive, the offensive line does a great job, and when you have two (running) backs that can make one guy miss, that helps,” Jones said. 

Some defenders say they would rather deal with the pass than the rush. 

“If we stop the run, get them in the obvious passing situations; we’ll benefit a lot from that,” linebacker Harold Landry III said. 

Brock Morgan is a sports media specialization graduate student at Medill.