Three Ways the Seahawks Can Beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LX

During their playoff run, TV analyst Tom Brady discussed the Seattle Seahawks’ symmetry between their offense, defense and special teams.

All three areas are stellar, one of the main reasons the Seahawks will be playing the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif.

“It’s very rare … that you can say that about your team that you feel there’s no weak links,” Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe said. “So, as you have that opportunity, it’s one of those things where you just have to seize the moment.”

But what’s really unique is how each facet of the game can pick another up when needed.

Take Seattle’s two postseason games.

With quarterback Sam Darnold questionable with an oblique injury for their divisional round game against San Francisco, Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and the defense held the 49ers to a pair of field goals in a 41-6 triumph.

In that same game, Kenneth Walker III rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns as backfield mate Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury.

The next week, in the NFC Championship, the Los Angeles Rams piled up 479 yards of total offense, limited Walker to 62 yards on 19 carries and generally kept the ball out of Shaheed’s hands on returns — he returned one kickoff for 21 yards.

But Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns, the Seahawks forced a key special teams turnover — Darnold threw a 17-yard scoring strike to Jake Bobo on the next play — and the defense rallied to pitch a fourth-quarter shutout in a 31-27 victory that sent Seattle back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 11 years.

Of course, the Seahawks lost that game to New England 28-24 when they decided not to hand off the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line at the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s ill-fated pass.

Talk about symmetry.

But enough about the past.

So how can the Seahawks beat New England on Sunday? Here are a few ways:

Stay turnover-free

Much was made of Darnold’s league-high 20 turnovers during the regular season (14 interceptions, six lost fumbles). But he’s taken care of the ball recently and Seattle hasn’t given the ball away in its two playoff games while averaging 36.0 points points per game.

Get the ball to Shaheed

With Charbonnet out, the Patriots will likely key on Walker like L.A. did. Shaheed only touched the ball twice on offense against the Rams — on a 51-yard reception on Seattle’s third play from scrimmage that set up the first touchdown and one rush for zero yards. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak worked with Shaheed previously in New Orleans, so he knows what he can do with the ball.

Don’t be dumb

Cornerback Riq Woolen nearly cost the Seahawks the NFC title, drawing a taunting penalty after knocking down a third-and-12 pass intended for the Rams’ Puka Nacua late in the third quarter. Nacua beat Woolen for a 34-yard touchdown on the next play.

But the Seahawks’ defense picked up Woolen and didn’t allow another point.