SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Maybe the game itself will live up to the hype, because Super Bowl Opening Night was calmer than usual.<\/p>\n
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots (17-3) take on Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) on Sunday at Levi\u2019s Stadium<\/a>, home of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n The media frenzy that kicks off the week\u2019s festivities on Monday night was smaller, quieter and far less outrageous than recent years.<\/p>\n The crowd inside the San Jose Convention Center included more than 5,000 fans \u2014 it’s been twice that size or more in larger arenas. More than 2,000 reporters from across the globe were credentialed to cover the typically zany event, down from 6,000 media members in Las Vegas two years ago.<\/p>\n There was no sign of the naked man in a barrel. Nobody wore a wedding dress and proposed to Maye. Reporters weren’t asking players to dance or perform odd tricks.<\/p>\n Still, it wasn’t all football and X’s and O’s.<\/p>\n Maye was asked about his wife, Ann Michael Maye, and her popular baking videos on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep being you,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re the better half of me and I love you. It\u2019s such a special moment for me to follow your journey. I know you do it for something bigger than yourself and that\u2019s what makes it special.\u201d<\/p>\n Patriots coach Mike Vrabel refused to compare Maye to Tom Brady and was asked several questions about playing for Bill Belichick. He had fun with a reporter from Nickelodeon who presented him with a purple-and-green chain that read, \u201cSlime.\u201d Vrabel wore it but feared he’d get that green, gooey stuff splashed all over his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you keep looking up? Am I about to get slimed?” he said.<\/p>\n Assured he wasn’t, Vrabel was asked if there’s one player he would want to slime.<\/p>\n \u201cStefon Diggs,\u201d he said without hesitation.<\/p>\n Diggs, the standout receiver, was full of praise for his coach.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had great coaches but this guy played the game, he knows we\u2019re gonna grind and he takes care of us,\u201d Diggs said.<\/p>\n The Patriots spent one hour fielding questions before giving way to the Seahawks, who were set to take the stage an hour afterward.<\/p>\n An event that began as a daytime introduction of the teams has evolved into a live, ticketed, prime-time showcase on national television.<\/p>\n The Patriots are aiming for an NFL-record seventh Lombardi trophy and first without Brady and coach Belichick.<\/p>\n Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker with New England, inherited a 4-13 team and has the Patriots on the verge of their first championship parade in seven years.<\/p>\n