Benster and D Pick Your Games---The Super Bowl That Could Have Cost Kwesi Edition

Sam Darnold has proved that last season was no fluke. As it turns out, letting Sam Darnold walk is the worst decision a team has made with a quarterback since the 49ers discarded Alex Smith for Colin Kaepernick. 

At the time, picking Kaepernick didn't seem that bad, grasshopper.

But it was, Old Dude! And it's become clear that the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in large part because he gave the money that Darnold deserved on multiple bad defensive contracts and gave Justin Jefferson quarterback money and saddled him with JJ McCarthy to throw him the ball. 

I sense a local radio host warming up in the background. Meanwhile, a photo of our protagonist.

That Darnold Cat 

So you went with the obscure 60s Disney movie reference and didn't even explain what the heck you're talking about?

Of course I didn't!

Actually, I preferred the Ugly Dachshund

Stop interrupting my victory lap! I wrote in October 2024 that Sam Darnold should have gotten the chance to continue as the starting quarterback, and his success with the Seahawks not only makes me look smart, but should lead to serious questions about how the Vikings develop quarterbacks and also be a damning indictment about Kevin O'Connell and his ability as a quarterback whisperer. In fact, KOC shouldn't be getting any benefit of the doubt from Vikings fans or the Vikings/NFL media who have given him a pass for this debacle. 

So our host is Nostradamus, and the rest of us are Nostra dumbass?

Well, maybe not that, but I am taking a W for this one. By the way, for the record, I would be saying the same thing had Jordan Love been a bust about Gutey and LaFleur. Meanwhile, I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

Seattle Seachickens (-4.5) vs. New England Patriots, in the Bay Area Well, this is a Super Bowl that offers something different similar to the Rams-Bengals tilt. I'm sure that Malcolm Butler's interception will be played a bunch on Sunday, as of course that was the defining play of their previous matchup. The Patriots are a different team from their cheating dynasty past for the most part, and should Sam Darnold get his ring, it would be a deserved ring. The key to the game in my eyes is going to be how well the Patriots are able to shut down the potent Seahawks running game. Both of those things were key deciders two weeks ago, and the Seahawks running game allows Darnold to flourish off play action. In what I think is going to be a fairly low scoring game, should the Seahawks get out to a 10 point lead by the half, I don't think that Drake Maye can get out of that hole. He is a very good quarterback, but he ain't Tom Brady. Seahawks 17, Patriots 14. 

I'll be honest with you - this game does nothing for me. Darnold is the most interesting player in this game and that's what we call damning with faint praise. The Seahawks have surprised me this season and they certainly play defense. The Patriots are a solid operation again, but they don't really have anything that makes you think this is a great team - they merely outlasted a lot of teams that seemed to have bad things happen to them. I tend to believe had Bo Nix been available, the Broncos would have been in this game, but he wasn't. Seahawks are a better team, so they should win. Seattle 27, New England 16.

 A quick reminder, if you are reading this post either tonight or on Saturday of this weekend, I highly recommend going to the Border Battle on February 7th at Hamline University. You will get to see multiple very good high school basketball games between Minnesota and Wisconsin schools. You will be very glad you did. Also, thanks for reading this feature this year, and I'll see you in the fall. For the final time this season, Ben out.