FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – After seven long years, the New England Patriots are back in the big game, for a shot at a record-setting seventh Lombardi Trophy. Western Mass News spent the day at Gillette Stadium speaking to players and coaches, ahead of what’s shaping up to be their toughest, and most unexpected challenge yet.
Unexpected is the exact word for it. As a matter of fact, according to sports odds history, this is the most unlikely Super Bowl matchup in over 50 years. A Testament To The Long Road Both Of These Teams Took To Face Off Once Again, On The Grandest Stage In Football.
“Looking forward to being ready to go, and this is the game you dream of so looking forward to getting out there, and getting ready to play in the Super Bowl,” said second year quarterback Drake Maye, nursing a shoulder injury ahead of the biggest game of his life, showing a veteran calm at the podium.
“As a little kid, ya know, watching the Super Bowl or having a Super Bowl party and now… we are the party,” Maye said.
It’s a similar story for fellow 23-year-old star Christian Gonzalez, “It’s a long week, a long ten days, media, a lot of stuff, but kinda like I hit earlier you just gotta do your job and play football at the end of the day.”
And second year cornerback, Charles Woods, “It’s another game but just be consistent with what you’ve been doing for the other 20 games and just go out there and play your role.”
As for veterans Stefon Diggs and K’Lavon Chaisson, though they’ve never played snaps with stakes this high, their journeys have them ready for whatever gets thrown at them in Santa Clara.
“I think we can all kinda get caught up in what we want out of something instead of what we learned, and what we may experience throughout the time being. So everything that I’ve been through and everything I’ve learned throughout my time has been crucial,” Chaisson said.
“Back to work for me, not a normal regular work week but it’s back at it my focus is there I’m locked in on what’s important and I really look forward to it,” Diggs said.
It’s a mentality they’ll need, against the last team standing out of the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks, looking to avenge the heartbreak of super bowls past, boast a defense that’s allowed the fewest points per game through 2025, and an offense who’ve yet to be held to under 30 points in the postseason.
Led by comeback quarterback Sam Darnold and the arguable best receiver in football, Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Patriots’ defenders tell us they understand the challenge in front of them, but as self-proclaimed ‘road warriors,’ they’re prepared for whatever path they have to take to a championship banner.
“Just go out there and ball, have fun, and enjoy the moment. Every moment you get to step on that field is a blessing, and just give it your all,” Gonzalez said.
On the injury front for New England, neither Mike Vrabel nor Drake Maye himself seemed concerned about a shoulder injury — though we can confirm that linebacker Robert Spillane did not take to the practice field.
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