Seahawks Projected to Beat Ravens in Super Bowl LXI — SkimNews
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- Stephen Oh's simulation projects the Seahawks to beat the Ravens in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium, citing coach Mike Macdonald's five seasons working with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore — including two as defensive coordinator — as the decisive factor.
- The Seahawks are the NFC's No. 1 seed, leapfrogging the Rams, who were preseason Super Bowl favorites but were blasted 27-7 by the 49ers in Australia's Week 1 opener.
- The Ravens are the AFC's No. 1 seed and beat the Bills in the AFC Championship, sending Lamar Jackson to his first Super Bowl after the simulation knocked out Patrick Mahomes in the divisional round.
- The Falcons are a surprise pick to win the NFC South despite a 20-13 Week 1 loss to the Steelers in which they started a third-string QB and missed two field goals.
- The reigning AFC champion Patriots are projected to miss the playoffs entirely, while the Chiefs return as the AFC's No. 3 seed after a dominant 31-10 Monday night win over the Broncos.
- Three NFC West teams (Seahawks, 49ers, Rams) make the playoff field per the simulation, and the Bears land at No. 6 in the NFC despite a 59-point Week 1 outburst that wasn't enough for the division title.
- The model assumes Sam Darnold's injury is short-term; the article notes a longer absence 'could certainly change our projections' for the entire NFC bracket.
Why it matters: Two L.A. teams — the Rams and Chargers — were preseason division favorites and both got blown out in Week 1, cratering their playoff odds and leaving the entire NFC West open. The simulation hands the ultimate edge to Seattle's defensive coach who knows Lamar Jackson better than anyone, but the article itself flags Darnold's health as the single variable that could upend the entire NFC side of the bracket.
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