ESPN Panel Unanimously Picks Against Patriots (Again) In Super Bowl LX
ESPN may have given the New England Patriots more bulletin-board material before Super Bowl LX.
The Patriots claimed their 12th AFC championship with a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos. They’ll return to the Super Bowl to face the Seattle Seahawks, who dispatched the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Seattle opened as favorites to avenge its Super Bowl XLIX loss, and another ESPN group all went against New England. Ten analysts and reporters unanimously picked the Seahawks to prevail on Feb. 8.
It’s not the first time this postseason that ESPN staffers all sided against the Patriots. Five “NFL Live” personalities got trolled mercilessly for incorrectly picking a Houston Texans win in the AFC Divisional Round.
Dan Orlovsky was among that “NFL Live” crew, but he gave a blunt explanation for why he’s predicting a Patriots loss again.
“The Patriots’ offense isn’t good enough to beat this Seattle defense,” Orlovsky said.
Seth Walder foresaw a double-digit Seahawks victory, noting they rank well ahead of the Patriots in ESPN’s Football Power Index. The only participant to offer a final score, Aaron Schatz picked a 24-18 Seahawks win.
Dan Graziano questioned whether the Patriots had yet to beat a formidable opponent after their first-round win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The insider expects the Seahawks to dial heavy pressure on Drake Maye.
“They’ve been the best team all season, hiding in plain sight, and they’ll make life brutally tough on Maye, who has already been sacked 15 times this postseason,” Graziano wrote.
The Patriots could once again turn ESPN’s skepticism into fuel to prove them wrong and hoist the Lombardi Trophy.