New England Patriots
Opponent: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Line: NE (-7.5)
In two games with Michael Bennett on the sideline, the Seahawks have given up 50 points, 58 first downs(!) and 800 yards against the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. Now, still without Bennett, they’re on a short week on the road (where they’re 1-2-1 this season) against the Patriots, who are coming off a bye week and have won four games by an average of 16.25 points since Tom Brady returned from suspension. The Seahawks haven’t lost a game by eight points or more since Week 2 of last season, but this really couldn’t set up any worse for them. The Patriots roll on national television. (Getty)
You can click through the gallery for the rest of the picks and predictions.
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman had a classic story about an NBA legend. He shared the story in a recent episode of the St. Brown Podcast.
At this point in time, Edelman and the Patriots were coming off a successful 2014 season. They were ready to face the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl XLIX in a game that would be an instant classic.
Several people had high expectations for the game, as it was an anticipated Super Bowl at the time. This was especially true for Michael Jordan, who placed a lot of money on the outcome of the game. Jordan spoke with Edelman prior to the game and gave him a very clear and concise message.
“(Michael) Jordan grabs my hand and pulls me close and says, ‘Don’t (expletive) it up kid I got a lot on you tomorrow.”
Super Bowl XLIX Was A Patriots Classic
The message itself was hilarious when you think about it. The game ended up being an instant classic, with both teams showing their strong defensive prowess in this game. The game started out slow, with both teams not scoring any points in the first quarter. Both teams were able to score 14 points apiece in the second quarter, before the Seahawks put up 10 in the third. That being said, the Patriots were able to storm back and score 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Tom Brady certainly did his part in this one. He threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns. His 37 completions set a Super Bowl record at the time. Edelman was on the receiving end of several of those passes. He caught nine passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in the game. New England became the first team in Super Bowl history to win after trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter.
Edleman Was Strong Performer For Patriots
In the meantime, this was only the beginning of Edelman’s postseason resume. The Kent State product would go on to prove himself as a dependable postseason receiver. He would go on to record 118 catches for 1,442 yards in 19 games. This puts him third all-time in receptions, trailing only Travis Kelce, who has 178 and Jerry Rice, who had 151. The wide receiver ranks third all-time with 1,442 receiving yards behind Rice (2,245) and Kelce (2,078). He was also named the MVP of Super Bowl LIII.
The Patriots would go on to win two more Super Bowls following the victory over the Seahawks. This included the infamous 28-3 game over the Atlanta Falcons. The Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams was the last one of the Tom Brady era for New England. Edelman would retire from the game officially in 2021. He would go on to be viewed as one of the most dependable wide receivers in Patriots history.
He was certainly dependable for Jordan on that day. The Super Bowl was too close to call for many, and that included Jordan. This is one of those stories that seems almost impossible to believe. It just goes to show how small the sports circle is and how much those not in the football circle pay attention to one of the biggest sporting events of the year. In any event, this is certainly one of the more unique Patriots stories
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet