SANTA CLARA, Calif. — New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins might be the first player ever to show up barefoot for his Super Bowl media availability.
That’s tough to research, but this seems like an indisputable proclamation: Hollins is definitely the first player to show up to talk to the media while carrying the book, “Pastured Poultry Profit$.”
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At Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday, Hollins goodheartedly stopped all questions about Super Bowl LX with a “No football! No football!” He was willing to talk about mostly anything else, including that he doesn’t eat vegetables, doesn’t like to drink water (and only spring water when he does), typically doesn’t use any utensils when he eats, how he doesn’t trust wireless headphones and his preference to never wear shoes.
“He’s probably No. 1 on the unique list,” Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He’s actually taught me a lot. Alternative medicines, things he does, things he eats, how he moves on the daily. He is definitely one of my different teammates.’”
NFL players, especially during Super Bowl week, often try to avoid saying anything unusual to avoid any whiff of controversy. Hollins didn’t say anything that would cause any problems this week, but he has been the quirkiest interview subject of the week, sharing his various theories.
“I’m not like so deep that I’m on the flat earth side,” Hollins said. “Yet.”
Mack Hollins of the New England Patriots warms up prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills on December 14. It was 32 degrees at kickoff. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
(Kathryn Riley via Getty Images)
Mack Hollins is his own individual
If you’ve heard about Hollins’ alternate views on life, it was probably because of the oft-told story of him not wearing shoes.
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Hollins said it started when he met with Melbourne Muscular Therapy, a group of trainers from Australia, to find answers for a groin injury he had when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hollins flew them to the United States, and they exposed him to the idea of living barefoot when possible. That’s why you might see him walk into a stadium on a cold and snowy day with no shirt and no shoes.
It has become a trademark. He wore a hoodie at the Patriots’ availability on Wednesday that had “HOLLINS” written across it, with footprints replacing the Ls, and “Free the feet” underneath his name. He said he’ll wear shoes in airport bathrooms. When he’ll be outside in less than 35 degrees for an extended period of time he’ll wear shoes. If he wears a military outfit as one of his many interesting pregame outfits he’ll wear shoes too, because he wants to respect the uniform.
“Oh! if I’m going out with the guys I’ll wear them. I don’t want them to kick us all out of the restaurant, ” Hollins said. “If I’m by myself? I’ve been kicked out of many a restaurant. It’s all right.”
Hollins believes in grounding, which is the positive health effects of feeling the Earth’s electrical charge through walking on ground with bare feet. He said he believes he has better mobility and has healthier hips and knees due to grounding.
“I feel like I’m healthier because of it,” Hollins said. “So yeah, I think there’s significantly more positives than the few negatives when I step on a rock or something.”
Whatever term you wish to use for Hollins’ views, he comes by them honestly.
“I think I’ve always been like that,” Hollins said. “I’ve always wanted to try things and do things. I used to take things apart all the time when I was a kid. I used to just do new things and, oh, let me try this out. And YouTube was as close a friend of mine as anything can get. I think you can figure out anything on YouTube.”
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Among the beliefs Hollins will share are that wireless headphones aren’t healthy, due to the EMF (electromagnetic fields) emitted by bluetooth.
“I think around the locker room, more guys have started to pay attention to wired headphones versus wireless headphones, the impact that I can have on the human body,” Hollins said.. “And it seems hokey-pokey or whatever you want to say, but if there’s science, I can back it, and I think there is science that can back, maybe not direct correlations to human health, but I know on plant health, they’ve done enough things, studies on how plants grow when affected by EMF.”
This isn’t a normal conversation during Super Bowl interviews. And he’s just getting started.
The Super Bowl’s most interesting man
Whatever you want to ask Hollins about, he typically has an answer. Or wants to look into it.
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Hollins said he hasn’t eaten vegetables in five or six years. And if he did it wouldn’t be with a fork: Hollins generally doesn’t use utensils to eat.
“I never liked vegetables to begin with,” Hollins said. “I think they have other purposes other than nutrition. I think they’re better or if you’re not well or something for more medicinal purposes than anything else.
“But to each their own, I tell people if you’re going to have a diet, make sure it’s the highest quality stuff. I don’t care if you’re vegan, you’re a carnivore, you’re anything in between. Just make sure the quality is good. I think the quality of food in the United States has, I mean, basically crumbled. People choose convenience, and that’s what most people do. They want convenience, convenience, convenience, and convenience comes with a cross.”
On his avoidance of water, he’ll drink spring water if he has it at all. He prefers watermelon juice. He was also happy to land in California this week, because they have raw milk in stores.
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“I’m not big on the water thing,” Hollins said. “I think that’s kind of a scam.”
The three snakes he has as pets are “alive and well.”
The book he’s carrying around? His latest curiosity has been with farming, and specifically regenerative agriculture.
“So this book is just about chickens and how they can help, really help the world because our food,” Hollins said. “The way we raise animals in general is a huge problem, number one. not only from a health standpoint, but from an environment standpoint. It’s bad.”
At some point in Super Bowl week, most players get tired of the endless questions about the game or the off-the-wall queries that come out of nowhere. Hollins seemed like he could talk all week about his world views.
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“I think there’s just a lot out there to try out and learn and be cool with,” Hollins said.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Seattle Seahawks didn’t get the respect they probably deserved over the course of what was a dominant regular season. Now that Super Bowl LX is here, after two great wins by Seattle in the playoffs, there might be an overcorrection.
Just about everyone seems to be picking the Seahawks to beat the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rout. Go find anyone, outside of New England, who likes the Patriots to win straight up. Of the 10 oddsmakers Yahoo Sports’ Ben Fawkes asked, nine thought the Seahawks would win. Two-thirds of the bets at BetMGM are on the Seahawks to cover the 4.5-point spread. Around the host city early in the week, it was hard to find anyone who was taking the Patriots.
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As we know, when everyone seems to be on one side, that can be dangerous.
While the respect for the Seahawks has spiked, the disrespect for the Patriots has gotten a bit out of control. Judging by the pre-Super Bowl chatter, you wouldn’t know they’re 17-3 counting playoffs.
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots (left) and Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl Opening Night. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
(Logan Bowles via Getty Images)
Here’s why New England +4.5 is the pick for Super Bowl LX, with a reason to believe the moneyline at +190 is in play too:
The Patriots are excellent at the two most important positions: Somewhere along the line, it seems to be forgotten that the Patriots arguably had the best coach and the most valuable player in the NFL this season. Mike Vrabel will probably win NFL Coach of the Year, and while Drake Maye seems likely to finish second in the NFL MVP race, the quarterback who will win the award isn’t in this game. It’s not bad to take an elite coach/QB combo.
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Mike Vrabel (and others) have experience: This is a matchup of two teams mostly new to the Super Bowl experience. Only nine players on both active rosters have been in a Super Bowl before.
One head coach has Super Bowl playing experience. Vrabel appeared in three Super Bowls. Listening to him speak about how he has laid out the week for his team, it’s clear he picked up lessons from Bill Belichick. Also, his offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been a part of 10 Super Bowls. It might seem insignificant but the Patriots’ leadership being on this stage before matters.
The strength-of-schedule argument is overblown: Never before has strength of schedule come up so often for an NFL team. The Patriots had the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, and that did factor into their success. But it’s not like they played in the Mid-American Conference. Winning 17 games against NFL competition is hard. While worth a mention, strength of schedule has dominated the conversation with New England recently, and that’s off base.
The Patriots can combat Seattle’s best player: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is likely to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year this week, and it’s deserved. So is all respect for Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, one of the team’s best players who will likely see a lot of JSN on Sunday. Nobody should expect Gonzalez to shut out Smith-Njigba. But if he can limit him to some extent, that’s big. Smith-Njigba had 36.2% of Seattle’s targets in the regular season, which was the highest mark in the NFL. If Gonzalez can keep JSN from going off, Seattle’s offense doesn’t have many other counterpunches.
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The Patriots match up well with Seattle’s weakness too: Seattle doesn’t have many weaknesses, but the interior of the offensive line is one. Guards Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford ranked 44th and 72nd among all NFL guards in Pro Football Focus’ grades this season, and starting center Jalen Sundell was 19th. They’ll be blocking defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, who have been very good this postseason. That could be a big matchup, especially since Sam Darnold’s struggles come against pressure.
Sam Darnold still has turnover issues: The criticism of Darnold is overdone. He has been good for all but a few games the past two seasons. But it is worth noting that Darnold led all NFL quarterbacks with 20 turnovers this season (14 interceptions, six lost fumbles). Could a Patriots defense that has allowed 26 points in three postseason games get a turnover or two to turn the game? Perhaps.
As a bonus, here are some props for Super Bowl LX, with all odds from BetMGM:
Rashid Shaheed MVP (33-to-1): Here’s the thing: If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Drake Maye is very, very likely to be the game’s MVP. At +230 odds, there’s no value in that. If the Seahawks win, it’s more wide open. If Sam Darnold doesn’t play great, Jaxon Smith-Njigba doesn’t go over 100 yards against Christian Gonzalez and Kenneth Walker III doesn’t have a big day against a good Patriots run defense, who could be MVP? It might be the explosive returner who can change the outcome with a big special teams touchdown, or a huge play at receiver too. The odds are enticing. I also love Shaheed over 19.5 receiving yards; that’s probably one catch for him.
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Drake Maye first TD (+1600): The Patriots’ best offense this postseason might be Maye scrambling. Whether it’s a scramble or a designed run, Maye’s legs make him live to be the first scorer.
Hunter Henry anytime TD (+230): The Seahawks’ defense is fantastic, but they will give up some plays to tight ends. Henry led the Patriots with seven receiving touchdowns in the regular season. He has a shot to score in the Super Bowl and there’s value in the odds. I’m good with any Henry over props, like over 39.5 receiving yards.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba under 93.5 yards: This is a scary one. JSN was amazing this season. He could blow past 100 yards, of course. But Christian Gonzalez is pretty good too.
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Coin toss is heads (-102): Last year, tails didn’t fail. With that win, tails leads 31-28 over heads in the Super Bowl coin toss history. This has to come back to the middle, right?
The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics kicked off Wednesday, as eight countries took the ice for mixed doubles curling. Team USA’s debut, however, would have to wait until Thursday, when it took on Norway, which won the silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Despite facing the defending silver medalists, Team USA did not back down. The match came down to the final end, where Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin managed to pull off a comeback win over Norway in their first match of the round-robin session. The USA then followed up that win with a more impressive showing against Switzerland, improving to 2-0 on the day.
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Team USA’s match against Norway was tight throughout, as neither team led by more than two points the entire way. Team USA managed to take the first lead, picking up a point in the first end. But Norway battled back immediately, scoring three points in the second end. That set the tone for the rest of the match. Team USA grabbed two points in the third end, tying things up, but then Norway increased its lead to two after a strong fourth end. Team USA picked up a point in the fifth end and then Norway picked up a point in the sixth end, giving Norway the 6-4 lead heading into the seventh end.
With their backs against the wall, Team USA rallied. The American managed to tie things up with two points. The team had a chance to take a one-point lead on its last stone of the end, but couldn’t push one of Norway’s stones far enough out of the way. That set up a 6-6 match entering the final end, where Norway had the all-important hammer, or the final stone.
The Americans executed well early in the final end, putting themselves in position to earn three points, and the win, with just two stones left for Norway. On the second-to-last stone from Norway, Magnus Nedregotten managed to weave his stone around some of the stones blocking the way, but it traveled a little too far, still setting up a win for Team USA.
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Thiesse had a chance to put the match away, but didn’t place her shot well enough, leaving an opening for Norway to steal the match with one well-placed final shot. They couldn’t get the stone to curl enough, though, giving Team USA the 8-6 victory.
It’s a significant win for Thiesse and Dropkin, who are making their first appearance at the Olympics games. That wasn’t the case on the other side, as Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien competed as a mixed doubles team at the Olympics in both 2018 and 2022. The duo won a bronze medal in 2018 and took home the silver in 2022. To kick off the 2026 Olympics, however, Nedregotten and Skaslien are sitting at 0-3 through three matches.
Thiesse and Dropkin will have a chance to build on the win Thursday, as they’ll take on Switzerland in their second round-robin match of the Olympics.
Team USA vs. Switzerland result
A few hours after their upset win over Norway, Team USA looked to re-capture that magic against Switzerland. Like their first match of the day, the Americans took an early 1-0 lead after the first end. But some incredibly well-placed shots by Switzerland in the second end resulted in the team taking a 2-1 lead.
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From there, Team USA settled into a nice groove. Thiesse used the hammer in the third end to knock Switzerland’s stone out of the way, giving the Americans two more points. Team USA was even better in the fourth end, putting two stones near the center of the house before Switzerland’s hammer. Switzerland attempted a tricky shot to try and gain the upper hand, but just missed, allowing Team USA to take a 5-2 lead into the fifth end.
Things were pretty wide open late in the fifth end after Dropkin managed to essentially clear the house on Team USA’s second-to-last stone. With the center of the house wide open, Thiesse knocked Switzerland’s stone out of the house, setting up a situation where Switzerland could only gain a point. They got the job done, cutting Team USA’s lead to 5-3 heading into the sixth end.
The sixth set played out in a similar fashion, where Dropkin once again cleared out the house late. Switzerland’s final stone of the end wound up off the mark, setting up Team USA with a wide open chance to add another two points with the hammer. Thiesse’s shot was right on target, putting the U.S. up 7-3.
Thiesse and Dropkin were forced to play defense at the end of the seventh end. With their last stone, Team USA put Switzerland in a tough spot. Switzerland was looking to gain one point before the hammer, but Team USA blocked their path to getting additional points. Switzerland cut the deficit, but still trailed 7-4 entering the final end.
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With Switzerland scrambling for points, Team USA called a key timeout in the eighth end to discuss its strategy with three stones left. After a lengthy debate, the team decided to hit try and hit Switzerland’s stones out of the house, putting pressure on the team to execute with only two stones left. Dropkin’s stone was perfectly placed, putting Team USA in an excellent spot. Team Switzerland was able to land their next stone in the house, but Dropkin knocked it out with his next shot. With Switzerland trailing by three points, and only capable of scoring two points in the end, the team went for the handshake, giving Team USA the 7-4 victory.
The win gives the Americans a perfect 2-0 record on their first day of competition. Thiesse and Dropkin will take the ice again Friday, where they will face Canada and the Czech Republic.
Other Olympics curling scores from Thursday
Great Britain picked up an early handshake win (10-5) over Estonia after scoring four points in the seventh end. With the win, Great Britain moved to 2-0 after taking down Norway on Wednesday.
Sweden also moved to 2-0 at the Milan Cortina games, taking down Czechia 7-4 on Thursday. Sweden is looking for another appearance on the podium after taking home the bronze medal in 2022.
Reigning gold medalist Italy defeated Korea 8-4 after just seven ends. The win moves Italy to 1-0 at the 2026 Olympics. Korea, meanwhile, sits at 0-2, with both of their matches ending before the eighth end.
Canada got off to a strong start Thursday, defeating Norway 6-3. The loss dropped Norway to a surprising 0-3 to kick of the 2026 games.
Winter Olympics 2026: Curling standings
After Thursday’s matches, here’s where each team sits in the standings:
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Canada 2-0 Great Britain 2-0 Sweden 2-0 United States 2-0 Italy 1-0 Switzerland 1-1 Czechia 0-2 Estonia 0-2 Korea 0-2 Norway 0-3
The Los Angeles Chargers made one of the splash hires at offensive coordinator this offseason, bringing in former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to run the offense led by QB Justin Herbert.
Matt Harmon was joined by Kendall Valenzuela of Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life to discuss if a certain third-year WR on the Chargers can be the 2026 version of Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.
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The receiver being discussed is Ladd McConkey, whom Valenzuela believes is a “chalky” pick to be the breakout wideout of next season, similar to what JSN did in 2025 for the Super Bowl-bound Seahawks. But there are definitely some differences between the two wide receivers’ paths so far in the NFL.
After improving in both of his first two seasons, JSN broke out big time this season, leading the NFL in receiving with 1,793 yards, a Seattle record. He had 119 catches and 10 TDs, finishing just behind Puka Nacua as the WR2 in fantasy football. Smith-Njigba also benefited from the addition of QB Sam Darnold this season and OC Klint Kubiak.
For McConkey, things are a bit different. Valenzuela points out how good McDaniel was at scheming guys to get open with QB Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. And the jump from Tua to Herbert for McDaniel, to Valenzuela, is “night and day.”
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Harmon thinks there’s no reason McConkey can’t do something similar to what JSN did in 2025. Both of them are similar in size. Harmon thinks McConkey needs to play more in the slot and points out McDaniel did a great job moving WR Tyreek Hill around the field to free him up.
As a rookie, McConkey burst onto the NFL scene with 82 catches on 112 targets for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. As a result, he was drafted as a top-12 WR overall going into the 2025 season. But he let fantasy managers down by posting just 66 catches on 106 targets for 789 yards and six TDs in 16 games in his sophomore campaign. That was good for a WR37 finish in fantasy points per game.
In Kennard, the Lakers get a career 44.2% 3-point shooter who’s hitting them at a league-high 49.7% this season. As a team, the Lakers are shooting just 34.8% on 3s this year. Theoretically, Kennard should provide a boost on offense as Los Angeles looks to climb up the Western Conference standings in the home stretch of the regular season (they currently sit in sixth behind the Timberwolves).
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Vincent started seven games for the Lakers this season, averaging 6.9 points and 1.3 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. According to Jake Fischer, Atlanta plans to keep both Vincent and Buddy Hield, who was acquired in the Jonathan Kuminga trade Wednesday night.
According to The Athletic, the Hawks generated an $11 million trade exception by acquiring Vincent into the leftover exception for Bogdan Bogdanović, which was set to expire tomorrow.
Both Kennard and Vincent are on expiring contracts and will be unrestricted free agents this summer.
Through developments both fortunate and unfortunate, as Kevin Durant left one version of the dynasty, the Golden State Warriors landed three lottery picks in successive drafts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that trio of prospects — James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody — was supposed to spawn a new era of contention.
They took Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and Kuminga and Moody with the Nos. 7 and 14 picks the next June. Sure, Tyrese Haliburton, Franz Wagner and Alperen Şengün were still on the board, respectively, but the Warriors made choices.
There was always one timeline: Steph Curry’s prime. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
(Jim McIsaac via Getty Images)
From the outside looking in, the Warriors had a choice. They could have packaged those picks, with salaries, much earlier in the 2020s, to continue building around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, maximizing what was left around the future Hall of Famers who won titles together in 2015, 2017 and 2018. They did not choose to do that.
Then, a funny thing happened: Curry, Green and Thompson rediscovered their magic, as Andrew Wiggins — their replacement for Durant — played out of his mind, and the Warriors won the 2022 title, defeating the Boston Celtics with Wiseman, Kuminga and Moody in tow.
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So, Warriors owner Joe Lacob instead touted their “two-timeline” plan to ride out the Curry-Green-Thompson triumvirate, all while developing their replacements behind them.
“I know some people thought we could’ve done more, got another star,” Lacob told The Athletic in the hours after that 2022 championship. “But who were we going to get? Who was available that would make a difference? We didn’t think there was, and we really wanted these young guys to be developed and learn from these guys. They have learned. We are going to be even better as a result of that in the years going forward.”
Fast forward, and the Warriors are not even better. They are 27-24, clinging to another play-in tournament berth in the Western Conference, four wins from a guaranteed playoff spot.
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Here’s the thing: Curry is still exceptional, averaging damn near 30 points per game on 47/39/93 shooting splits, and Green is still the anchor of a top-10 defense. Thompson is gone, and they flipped Wiggins for Jimmy Butler — the star who became available — and a fringe contender remained. At least it did until Butler tore his right ACL in a late-January victory against the Miami Heat, just as these Warriors were finding themselves again.
They are old in an NBA sense. Stephen Curry turns 38 in March, when Green will be 36. Butler is 36. Adding Al Horford, who turns 40 in June, did not help them get any younger.
They need the reinforcements that have yet to come. The trade for Porziņģis, an ailing 30-year-old one-time All-Star who has missed 40% of a 10-year career, drove a stake through the heart of the two-timeline saga, and it may have been made too late to salvage what is left of the Curry era, too, since the return on their three lottery picks was hardly a windfall.
In theory, if Porziņģis re-signs, he could be a wonderful complement to Curry, Green and (eventually) Butler. He is a floor-spacing 5 who can also protect the rim. Everything they want to do is augmented by the presence of Porziņģis. The Celtics thought so, too, until Porziņģis could not stay healthy throughout a pair of playoff appearances with him, including Boston’s 2024 championship run. He was not healthy for the Hawks, either.
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The Warriors needed another star, and they got an expiring contract instead.
And now Golden State may no longer have the assets to go big-game hunting.
According to multiple reports, the Warriors were on the short list of suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their offer? Per Substack’s Marc Stein, it looked something like this: Kuminga, Green, Brandin Podziemski and the rights to as many as four first-round draft picks. The Bucks, unsurprisingly, turned that down — and are reportedly standing pat — as the trade of Kuminga (thought to be a core part of any offer for Antetokounmpo) waved a white flag.
Nobody else available can vault Golden State into a stratosphere along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, let alone with the Denver Nuggets and other contenders.
So, what do the Warriors do? They are two tiers below the title favorites, and they do not have the trade pieces to close the gap completely, or at least it does not appear that way.
Maybe those future first-round picks could still be used to score a wing (i.e. Michael Porter Jr.) who could eventually complete that core of Curry, Green, Butler and Porziņģis. The Warriors can accept their fate or rage against the dying of the light, offering anything not tied down — everyone but Curry, really — to maximize whatever greatness is left in him.
And maybe Porziņģis is helpful in that regard, especially if they can extend him for a bargain. The thought of pairing him next season with Curry, Green and (eventually) Butler is somewhat intriguing, if not extremely unpredictable, given their ages and injury histories.
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Isn’t this what we want from a fading champion? To make their successors earn it. And they did last season, beating the second-seeded Rockets and playing the Minnesota Timberwolves to a second-round standstill, until Curry suffered a series-ending injury.
They are not doing that this season. They are middle-of-the-road on offense (114.6 points per 100 possessions), despite having Stephen Freaking Curry, still clinging to his prime. They are 23-16 with him. Pretty good! But not good enough. Not without Butler anyway.
And I’m not sure the addition of Porziņģis makes either Lacob or Kerr any less frustrated.
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R.I.P. the two timelines. There was always only one timeline — Curry’s prime. It is reaching its end, and the Warriors are transitioning into their fading champion era, when the title window has been closed, but pride is on the line, and even that is flickering on its last gasp.
Every stone gets overturned by NFL coaching staffs when they are breaking down opponents, especially late in the season. With a full regular season and crop of playoff games (plus previous matchups between coordinators, units with similar schemes, etc.) to sift through, coaches can get hyper-specific and create layered game plans that attempt to turn small weaknesses into something that cripples the opponent.
Playoff game plans, especially for the Super Bowl, are so entertaining to predict and then review afterward, at least for a sicko like myself. Big plays need to be created in big games. And the big game encourages coaching staffs to empty the clip with staple concepts, gadget plays and tendency breakers.
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The Super Bowl is also about the props, of course. And through my film and data study, I wanted to share some of my favorite wagers and how the game plans of the Patriots and Seahawks can lead to a potential payday. Or at least some personal entertainment outside of Bad Bunny and the annual onslaught of commercials. (I’m already primed for those “Toy Story 5” and “Scream 7” trailers.)
To the props!
All betting lines via BetMGM at time of writing.
When the Seahawks have the ball
Seahawks -0.5 first quarter (+100)
The Seahawks were the most complete team in the NFL this season and ran roughshod on many of their opponents. Numerous times they were able to overwhelm the opposition right out of the gate with their suffocating defense, explosive offense and gamebreaking special teams.
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The Seahawks’ offense ranks fifth in EPA per play and Sam Darnold is first in EPA per dropback on the first 15 plays of the game. The Patriots’ defense tends to struggle on opening drives before adjusting and clamping down; the Pats rank 27th in EPA per play and 29th in success rate this season while giving up an explosive pass rate of 23.4% during those first 15 plays of the game. (On a brighter note for New England fans, the Patriots improve to the second-best defense in terms of EPA and a top-10 defense in terms of success rate after the opening 15 plays. Vrabel and staff adjust very well.)
While I think the Patriots are very live in this game and that their offense can have some success running early, I think Seattle jumps out to a lead before New England settles in.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba UNDER 94.5 yards receiving (-115)
Cooper Kupp OVER 3.5 receptions (+130)
Cooper Kupp most receiving yards in the game (+1450)
I know JSN is what makes the Seahawks’ offense go. You know JSN is what makes the Seahawks’ offense go. And I can safely assume the New England Patriots’ players and coaches know JSN is what makes the Seahawks’ offense go. Every type of split, whether it’s by coverage type (man or zone), field position, personnel grouping or down and distance, JSN leads the NFL in target share by a healthy margin.
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Two things the Patriots have increased over the back half of the season have been man coverage and blitzing. They’ve been the blitz-happiest defense on late downs since their Week 14 bye and the second blitz-happiest defense since Week 10. They have leaned into variations of Cover 0 (which is also man coverage) when blitzing, heating up quarterbacks and unleashing their talented cornerback duo to play aggressively against receivers. Against late-down blitzes this season, Sam Darnold targeted JSN a whopping 41.3% of the time (with zero gains of 20 or more yards). Against Cover 0 and Cover 1, Darnold targeted JSN 36.1% of the time (for a scorching 4.41 yards per route and 21.6% first down per route rate).
So, why am I looking at the under for JSN’s receiving yards while also eyeing Cooper Kupp props? Because while I think the Patriots will keep blitzing Darnold on late downs due to his subpar play (and lowered aggression) in those circumstances, one of my working theories for this game is that the Patriots lean into “1 Double” coverage against JSN — either in a traditional way like Bill Belichick’s Patriots defenses of yesteryear, or out of quarters shells that allow both safeties to “bracket” particular receivers on the offense.
“1 Double” is exactly what it sounds like: Two defenders, typically the team’s CB2 and a safety, will play with inside and outside leverage against the No. 1 receiving threat on the other team, with CB1 freed up to then take the second most dangerous receiving option. It would make it tough to pepper JSN frequently and turn his receiving into more of a boom-or-bust type of performance (double moves are a classic way to loosen up these double-teams). This is a classic “make other players beat you” type of game plan, and thus Darnold will have to find some of the secondary pass catchers for the Seahawks with his passes.
The Seahawks’ offense runs through No. 1 wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11). That doesn’t mean Cooper Kupp (10) won’t be a factor against the Patriots. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
(Brooke Sutton via Getty Images)
To me that’s Kupp, tight end A.J. Barner and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. I can envision frequent underneath forays to Kupp that might not yield big plays, but turn into steady efficient gains with a good crop of catches. While Kupp having the most receiving yards in the game is more a dart throw wager (with the odds reflecting that), this can definitely turn into a game where Darnold has to get beyond a hyperfixation with JSN.
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Last point about Darnold and the blitz: How Darnold handles the Patriots’ aggression on passing downs will swing the game from a Seattle blowout to a New England muckfest. The Seahawks rank 31st this regular season on third-and-7 or more yards to go, and against late-down blitzes Darnold ranks 25th in EPA per dropback, 28th in explosive pass rate, 30th in air yards per attempt, 28th in interception rate, and dead last in batted ball rate (among 32 quarterbacks this season with 250 or more pass attempts). If the Patriots can keep a lid on Kenneth Walker III on the ground and create frequent “true” passing situations, this game could be a little funky.
George Holani OVER 9.5 rushing yards (-115)
Speaking of Walker: The Seahawks’ run offense has improved over the back half of the season and it was really rounding into form until Zach Charbonnet was lost to injury in the playoffs. Walker is going to be tasked with carrying another large share of touches from the backfield, but it could be a slog against a Patriots defense that ranks in the top 10 in terms of explosive runs allowed and yards after contact allowed. Those numbers are even better with Milton Williams, ranking 12th in EPA per rush and seventh in yards before contact per run with Williams on the field this season, and 25th and 27th, respectively, with him off.
I can see Holani racking up a couple of carries to help Walker’s workload. Perhaps a passing down run play with Holani on the field helps rack up some cheap yardage to cover this total.
Milton Williams 1 sack (+200)
Milton Williams 2+ sacks (+1100)
Williams is one of the most important players in this game. A star in every sense of the word, Williams has now been dominant in a full-time role over the past two seasons with the Eagles and Patriots.
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To get the Seahawks off their game is to make Sam Darnold spiral into negative plays, whether it be taking a sack or turning the ball over. Darnold has been so much better this season in terms of taking sacks and limiting mistakes, but he is still susceptible to bonehead moments. The weakest part of the Seahawks’ offense — nay, team — is their center and right guard duo of Jalen Sundell and Anthony Bradford. And the strength of the Patriots’ defense (along with their cornerbacks) is the defensive linemen at the tip of the spear: Williams, Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga. Those Seahawks positions have allowed the second-highest quick pressure rates (under 2.5 seconds) in the NFL on passing downs (second-and-7 or more, third-and-3 or more, fourth down) this season.
This is one of the few areas where the Patriots have a clear matchup advantage on every snap, and Williams could capitalize and swing the whole game.
JSN OVER 0.5 yard rushing yards (+290)
Super Bowl! Can’t hold anything back! Although Rashid Shaheed is the player Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak might dial up a designed run for, I could also see JSN getting a manufactured touch to help open things up and give the Patriots another wrinkle to deal with. Playing off of my earlier theory, aligning the receiver in the backfield is a great way to counter double-coverage, and Kubiak has aligned JSN in the backfield in recent games to much success (including a touchdown against the Rams). Whether it’s a jet sweep or a true handoff as a change-up, JSN could rack up a cheapie prop win at plus money.
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A.J. Barner anytime TD scorer YES (+240)
The red zone designs have been some of the most fun parts of the Seahawks’ offense this season, and given the Patriots’ defense potentially focusing on JSN as well as the Seahawks’ own love for bootleg pass concepts, that could leave an opportunity for Barner to take advantage. The Seahawks have shown that they’ll dial up plays for Barner, who has had a true breakout year as a two-way blocker and receiver for Seattle. Look for him to get another on a potential play-action design play that takes advantage of the Patriots’ linebackers playing downhill.
And while we’re on tight ends, Elijah Arroyo props are also a fun dart throw. He’s +1050 for an anytime touchdown, and OVER 0.5 reception is -135. His athleticism could provide the Seahawks another mismatch they could exploit. Kubiak has isolated Arroyo at times this season against linebackers, and it could be another part of the menu for Seattle’s offense as he works his way back from a knee injury.
When the Patriots have the ball
Hunter Henry OVER 3.5 receptions (-115)
Hunter Henry OVER 38.5 yards receiving (-120)
The “relative” (quotes are necessary) weakest part of the Seahawks’ passing defense is against tight ends. They rank 16th in DVOA (per FTN) against tight end targets. They have allowed the fifth-most yards per game to tight ends as well, but that is because of the Seahawks’ propensity to force underneath checkdowns as their coverage mucks up passing lanes downfield. Offenses have had some success in getting into empty formations and targeting tight ends against Seahawks’ underneath defenders (typically not for big gains).
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Henry generally gets a steady diet of targets from Drake Maye, and I could see this playing out the same way in between Maye’s forays down the field. I lean more toward the receptions prop than the yards, but look for Henry (and Austin Hooper) to get a steady peppering.
Jack Westover OVER 0.5 yard receiving (+280)
This is one of my favorite random props of the game. Westover is the Patriots fullback. He has one career regular-season catch (for zero yards) and one catch this postseason. I could see the Patriots trying to put Westover on the field to threaten the Seahawks’ lighter personnel, even splitting him out to create a formation advantage with a receiver (likely Stefon Diggs) in the slot to work against a linebacker and “waste” a cornerback on Westover on the outside (which is how his one catch this postseason against the Chargers happened).
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the best game planners in football and the Seattle coaches do a great job of playing off of opponent tendencies. Perhaps a target to the fullback will really throw everyone for a loop.
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Most receiving yards in the game: Kayshon Boutte (+1200)
Longest reception: Demario Douglas OVER 7.5 yards (-118)
If you’re feeling frisky: Kyle Williams OVER 0.5 yards (+160), Kyle Williams OVER 0.5 receptions (+155)
Anytime TDs: Demario Douglas (+600), Kyle Williams (+1000)
All of these are related more or less to the same point: The Seahawks’ back seven and coverage have a clear advantage over the Patriots’ pass catchers. They play top-down and truly put a cap on the offense and dare quarterbacks to hang in the pocket and work through progressions to find a way to beat their coverage.
The quarterbacks that have the most success this season against the Seahawks’ defense (Matthew Stafford, Cam Ward, Baker Mayfield) all were able to create explosive plays by attacking downfield and/or creating out of structure and prying open a hole in their vice-like defense. While launching throws down the field can lead to some inconsistencies, it can also create breathing room for the rest of the operation.
While Maye isn’t throwing to Puka Nacua or Davante Adams, there are other designs the Rams used that the Patriots could look at too. In Week 16 when Adams was hurt, the Rams used the speedy Xavier Smith to attack downfield from the slot, something that fits to exactly how the Patriots have liked to use DeMario “Pop” Douglas. While he might not rack up a ton of targets to score that TD or get over 7.5 yards for his longest reception, there is a path if offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has Maye keep trying to beat the Seahawks over the top.
Same with Kyle Williams wagers. Williams and Maye seem to be a bit off this season when trying to connect, but they still have hit a few big plays (and Maye even attempted more in the playoffs, like against the Texans). While Williams might be set up for a deep go-ball or perhaps even a runway route like the one he scored against the Buccaneers in November, he just needs one catch to cash and I could see the Patriots trying to use his speed somehow. So he could be worth a splash if you’re feeling frisky.
Kyle Williams (18) and Drake Maye exchange warm pleasantries after connecting on a 72-yard touchdown pass play in November in a victory against the Bucs. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
(Kevin Sabitus via Getty Images)
That leaves us Boutte, who has been one of the most improved players in football this season. Boutte isn’t a speedster, but he’s still a downfield threat because of his strength and body control. The Seahawks will absolutely be focused on Diggs, who could get swallowed up in the slot against this defense. But if Maye stays aggressive in this game, Boutte could benefit by coming down with sideline throws (look for a hole shot against the Seahawks’ Cover 2 or Cover 6) and perhaps one downfield excursion connecting. You could look at his receiving or receptions line, but Boutte feels like a big day or something more middling. Hence the most receiving yards play.
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Uchenna Nwosu sack (+275)
Rookie Will Campbell has struggled with length this season, and the Seahawks’ front is long. You could look at a few of the Seahawks’ defenders as valid sack plays, like DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams. I went with Nwosu, who has been productive and matches up well against Campbell. Odds being almost 3-to-1 helps, too.
Super Bowl game bets
Total passing attempts in the game OVER 63.5 (+100)
Both defenses attempt to make quarterbacks methodical, which could lead to plenty of underneath throws. There’s also a non-zero chance of a Seahawks romp, which could juice up the pass attempts for a trailing Drake Maye. I like Maye’s over completions wager by itself. This is a way to spread the love.
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Method of first turnover: Interception (+200)
An interception returned for TD (+750)
Two aggressive quarterbacks going against sound defenses with potential leakiness up front? A turnover or two is definitely not out of the question. Now whether it’s Sam Darnold or Drake Maye is anyone’s guess, so let’s get some plus money on the game’s first turnover being an interception. And why not a return touchdown for even more entertainment?
Octopus to be scored by any player (+1500)
I mean, come on. You get to say “octopus” and you get to collect money as you do so. Let’s see if a player can accomplish one of the more fun feats of a touchdown and 2-point conversion in succession. LETS GO OCTO!
The Pelicans are reportedly trading Jose Alvarado to the Knicks for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks and cash, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. A Brooklyn native, Alvarado will join a New York squad that’s in need of some backcourt depth and sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Alvarado is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game this season, which is a bit of a decline from a year ago. Alvarado is in his fifth year in the NBA, all with New Orleans, and has primarily been the team’s spark plug off the bench. Alvarado signed with the Pelicans in 2021 as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech.
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The Knicks acquired Terry from the Bulls in Wednesday night’s trade for Guerschon Yabusele. Chicago drafted Terry with the 18th pick in the 2022 draft, and the 23-year-old guard has mostly come off the bench for the Bulls in the last four seasons. This year, Terry is averaging 3.5 points, 1.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game. He will join a Pelicans squad that is in second-to-last place in the Western Conference.
Alvarado’s arrival in New York comes at an important time. According to The Athletic, key reserve Deuce McBride will undergo surgery Friday for a core muscle injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.
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MILAN — Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio watched the United States’ women’s hockey team take on Czechia on Thursday, the first stop in a trip planned to include a visit to the Olympics’ Opening Ceremony on Friday night.
Rubio sat in the third row off the ice, and Vance the fourth, and both cheered as the United States routed Czechia 5-1 to claim America’s first team victory at the 2026 Olympics.
Vice President JD Vance (C), his children Mirabel and Ewan, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) attends the women’s preliminary round Group A Ice Hockey match between USA and Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, on February 5, 2026. (Alexander Nemenov/ AFP via Getty Images)
(ALEXANDER NEMENOV via Getty Images)
After the game, American players indicated they had no idea the vice president would be in attendance, and didn’t seem to notice when he was there. “We try to stay pretty focused and stay within the walls of the ring,” defender Cayla Barnes said. “Everything outside the walls of the ring is kind of a distraction.”
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Vance and the American delegation left the arena with about six minutes remaining in the game.
At the Opening Ceremony, Vance’s delegation is expected to include Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta. Also slated to be part of the U.S. delegation: American gold medal-winning athletes including figure skater Evan Lysacek, hockey players Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando and speed skater Apolo Ohno.
After the Olympics, Vance will travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan to attempt to broker a peace agreement.
Vance arrived in Italy amid ongoing and planned protests of the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Olympics. However, Italian Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the Italian parliament earlier this week that only agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division, which investigates cross-border crimes, would be present in Milan. U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chief Security Officer Nicole Deal said Thursday morning that ICE agents will “unequivocally” not be connected with the United States’ athlete delegation.
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There’s a long tradition of vice presidents and other dignitaries representing the United States at both Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Former Vice President Joe Biden attended the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and former Vice President Mike Pence represented the United States at the Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018. Then-First Lady Jill Biden attended the Paris Olympics in 2024, where she took in, among other events, a women’s water polo match alongside Flavor Flav. The United States did not send then-vice president Kamala Harris or any other delegates to China in 2022 as a diplomatic protest over China’s human rights abuses.
