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Sunday night’s matchup is about more than a game for Levi’s, aiming to share their story
[ad_2]Sunday night’s matchup is about more than a game for Levi’s, aiming to share their story – CBS News
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The kids ‘picked last in gym class’ gear up for Super Bowl | TechCrunch
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The Super Bowl is happening in Silicon Valley this Sunday, and the Patriots-Seahawks game at Levi’s Stadium is going to be packed with tech money. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan is expected to be there. Apple’s Tim Cook, too. (He has become a Super Bowl fixture since Apple Music began sponsoring the halftime show several years ago.)
Longtime VC Venky Ganesan from Menlo Ventures gave the New York Times a quote about the whole thing, saying the Super Bowl in the Bay Area is “tech billionaires who got picked last in gym class paying $50,000 to pretend they’re friends with the guys who got picked first.” Added Ganesan, “And for the record, I, too, was picked last in gym class.”
Ganesan could likely afford a $50,000 ticket if he needed one. Menlo went all-in on Anthropic, setting up a $100 million fund with the AI company in summer 2024 to invest in other AI startups. The firm has also joined numerous funding rounds for Anthropic itself, both through its flagship fund and various special purpose vehicles. (Anthropic is reportedly expected to close a $20 billion round of funding next week at a post-money valuation of $350 billion.)
Tickets are expensive across the board, averaging almost $7,000 according to the Times (with some last-minute seats still available on StubHub for closer to $3,600, according to a quick glance at the ticket reseller site). Only a quarter go to the general public; the rest are distributed to NFL teams. Of all ticket buyers, the largest group (27%) is coming from Washington State for the Seahawks, who’ve won just one Super Bowl in franchise history compared with the Patriots’ six titles, all with Tom Brady at quarterback.
Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Meta are splashing out for competing ads about whose AI is best for customers, so maybe their respective CEOs will show up, too. Other than Amazon’s Andy Jassy, who reportedly splits his time between Seattle and Santa Monica, all of them have homes within an hour or so of Sunday’s game.
This is just the third time the Bay Area has hosted the Super Bowl. The first time was in 1985 at Stanford Stadium, the original football stadium at Stanford University, where the 49ers beat the Dolphins. The second took place 10 years ago at Levi’s Stadium, when the Broncos beat the Panthers.
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Connie Loizos
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Oakland artist creates Bad Bunny artwork for the Super Bowl
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Timothy B., an East Bay Area artist, received a call inviting him to share his creativity on a national stage this Super Bowl weekend.
The Oakland artist wanted to get this just right, but had a very short deadline.
“This is my first time or second time using poly cloth,” he said. “This took me about a day in a half to create.”
But Timothy B. admits he almost didn’t think it was real when he was commissioned by someone he had recently met.
“I didn’t know him that well, so I thought the project was probably too good to be true,” he said.
Before beginning, he talked to die-hard Bad Bunny fans.
“I just asked them for their input,” he said.
Then it was time to sketch. Timothy b. Chose to go with heart-shaped sunglasses for Benito Antonio and admitted the entire assignment was not his typical work.
“My style is a little more realistic you know so at least when it comes to painting portraits so trying to dial it back was a challenge for me,” he said. “I decided to add a bunch of paint to give it more texture and some more splatters and stuff.”
The artwork will be used as an backdrop during an NBC interview with Bad Bunny.
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Gia Vang
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Going to the Super Bowl? Here’s the special menu
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Every NFL season, the Levi’s Stadium chefs try to take their menu to a new level of creativity. But when the Super Bowl comes to town, and fans are paying thousands of dollars to attend, the expectations soar.
So to impress the crowd on Sunday, the culinary team headed by Jon Severson, Levy regional chef, and Alvin Kabiling, executive chef for Levy at Levi’s Stadium, has created a “best of the bay” menu.
They’re showcasing signature ingredients from Marin County (oysters) to San Francisco/Half Moon Bay (crab) to the South Bay (garlic) along with locally sourced meat, cheese and produce.
According to the Levy company, which is the stadium food partner, 90 percent of the purveyors are based in California.
Pulling together a fan feast like this requires a sizeable staff. On game day, 2,000 Levy culinary, bar and serving team members will be working with 40 executive chefs behind the scenes. (Keep that in mind when you grouse about the prices.)
Here are some highlights:
Gilroy Garlic Steak Frites: A seared, sliced California hanger steak will be served au poivre atop hand-cut fries with crispy Gilroy garlic and pink peppercorns. Where: Sections 109 and 315, and in the East Field Club.
Dungeness Crab “Potachos”: Hand-cut Kennebec potato chips are layered with local crab — thankfully, the Bay Area’s beloved Dungeness season started in time — and then covered in a Petaluma white cheddar fondue sauce. Where: Sections 104, 124 and 306, and in the East Field Club.
“Super Shucker” Hog Island Oyster Sampler: This platter will feature a half-dozen oysters sourced from Hog Island’s Marin County farm in Marshall, and served with Hogwash mignonette, lemon and hot sauce. Where: Bud Light Club.
A dozen more special menu items will be available, along with the favorites — many from local restaurants — that the 49er faithful have been served all season.
The cocktail menu is wildly creative too. To commemorate the trip to the Bay Area for out-of-towners, there’s the “Karl the Fog” Misty Spritz. Because fans may not have seen much of Karl in S.F. during this sunny week, this misty mixture of Tanqueray Gin. elderflower liqueur, club soda and fresh lemon juice may have to suffice. Where: 400 East Club.
On the bright side is the Santa Clara Sunrise, which is Astral Blanco tequila with fresh orange juice and cherry juice. Where: East Field Club, Bud Light Club and 400 East Club.
Find more food, drink options at https://levisstadium.com.
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Linda Zavoral
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Teyana Taylor, François Arnaud, Queen Latifah, and More Celebrate Thom Browne in San Francisco
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There were hundreds of parties Friday as the Bay Area gears up for Super Bowl LX. But the biggest stars of the moment—including Teyana Taylor and her children—convened at the GQ Bowl, where they got a first look at designer Thom Browne’s fall 2026 collection.
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Eve Batey
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Who’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026? Here’s a full list of performers.
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On the heels of his historic night at the Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny is set to take the stage for the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday, as the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks meet in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
The hugely popular Puerto Rican rapper and singer says he’ll bring “a lot of my culture” to the big game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Who is performing in the Super Bowl halftime show for 2026?
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced in September that Bad Bunny will be this year’s halftime show headliner.
The 31-year-old superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, won two top awards at the Grammys last Sunday — Best Música Urbana Album and Album of the Year for his record “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” — the first time an all Spanish-language album earned the night’s biggest award.
“To be honest, I don’t know how I’m feeling. There’s a lot. I’m still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that,” Bad Bunny said at a Thursday news conference hosted by Apple Music, which is sponsoring the halftime show.
“I’m excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than even me — my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me,” he said. “This moment, the culture — that’s what makes these shows special.”
He was tight-lipped about what the performance would entail or if there would be any other artists joining him onstage.
“It’s going to be a huge party,” Bad Bunny said. “I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.”
Chris Graythen / Getty Images
The halftime show will also feature interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme doing Puerto Rican Sign Language.
Bad Bunny will be the first native Spanish speaker to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, and his selection prompted criticism from some, including President Trump. Another wave of backlash cropped up when Bad Bunny said “ICE out” during one of his Grammy acceptance speeches last week.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly defended and stood by the selection.
“I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching,” Goodell said in October.
“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”
Asked about Bad Bunny’s comments at the Grammy Awards, Goodell told reporters, “Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him.”
“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and that this platform is used to unite people, and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that,” he said. “And I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
Matt Winkelmeyer
Who is singing the national anthem at the 2026 Super Bowl?
Charlie Puth will take on national anthem duties at the Super Bowl this year. The 34-year-old singer has called the national anthem “one of the most beautiful pieces of music,” but has also said it is “the hardest to sing.”
The New Jersey native started out posting videos of himself singing on YouTube, but his career has since blossomed, and he’s released four albums and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Full list of Super Bowl performers for 2026
- Green Day — The Bay Area-based punk rockers will perform at the Super Bowl opening ceremony.
- Charlie Puth — Puth is singing “The Star Spangled Banner” before the game.
- Brandi Carlile — The 11-time Grammy-winner will sing “America the Beautiful.”
- Coco Jones — The Grammy-winning singer will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black national anthem.
- Bad Bunny — The Puerto Rican superstar is headlining the halftime show.
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Country star Gavin Adcock backs Kid Rock’s patriotic alternative to Super Bowl halftime show
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Country singer Gavin Adcock is standing firmly with Kid Rock and Turning Point USA as the conservative group rolls out its own “alternative” Super Bowl halftime show — offering fans a choice outside the NFL’s official entertainment.
When Fox News Digital asked about Turning Point USA hosting a competing halftime event featuring Kid Rock and other country performers, Adcock made his support clear.
“Yeah, I mean, I support whatever they want to do. I’m going to be at the game. I’m going to have to watch the other Super Bowl halftime. But I love Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, all those people. So, everybody’s going to have a good time wherever they’re at,” Adcock said.
KID ROCK SAYS TPUSA’S ALTERNATE HALFTIME SHOW IS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE JESUS AND AMERICA
Country musician Gavin Adcock throws support behind conservative Super Bowl option. (Amy E. Price/Getty Images)
The alternative show comes as backlash continues to swirl around the NFL’s halftime programming – Bad Bunny, who has been critical of both President Donald Trump and ICE, will be headlining the official halftime show.
Kid Rock has framed the Turning Point USA event as an option for people who “love America, love football, love good music, love Jesus.”
WATCH: GAVIN ADCOCK BACKS KID ROCK, TURNING POINT USA’S ALTERNATIVE SUPER BOWL SHOW
Adcock, who transitioned into music after an athletic career, said the collision of sports and entertainment during Super Bowl weekend feels natural.
“I think it’s awesome. I was an athlete at one point in my life until 2021. I fell right into music. So a lot of people in music came from athletic backgrounds. And that’s how they got their hard work and climbed,” he told Fox News Digital.
HOW TO WATCH THE TURNING POINT USA ALTERNATE HALFTIME SHOW
Gavin Adcock attends the Madden Bowl presented by EA SPORTS™ at Super Bowl LX on Feb. 6, 2026, in San Francisco, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for EA Sports)
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The country singer kicked off Super Bowl weekend at EA Sports Presents Madden Bowl, a flagship fan event tied to Super Bowl LX week on Friday at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Kid Rock is slated to headline the alternative event, which will also feature Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
As Super Bowl festivities take over California, Adcock is using the moment to expand his audience.
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“I’ve just never played in California too much. I’ve hit one tour over here and just spread my music to a bunch of people that maybe never heard it before — having a few drinks, having a good time and watching the Super Bowl.”
Turning Point USA hosts a competing halftime event as backlash grows over the NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The “Run Your Mouth” crooner added this weekend also marked a milestone for the country singer — his first Super Bowl appearance.
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“Well, this is my first Super Bowl I’m ever going to, and I’m blessed to get some high-dollar tickets and I hope the Seahawks beat the Patriots a–.”
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Super Bowl LX excitement at Tewksbury’s Building Blocks Preschool
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What a touchdown of a day! Building Blocks Preschool in Tewksbury turned into the ultimate Patriots fan zone Friday, with kiddos decked out in red, white, and blue wearing their favorite Patriots attire. From football tosses to goalpost challenges, every classroom was buzzing with team energy.
The school even sent some serious Boston love westward with an epic balloon-o-gram — talk about spreading team spirit across the country! Building Blocks’ A-MAYE-ZING families brought in their favorite game-day snacks that made the celebration extra special.
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Can Maryland Gov. Wes Moore keep up his hot streak picking football games? – WTOP News
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In the lead-up to Super Bowl Sunday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is breaking down how he believes the big football match will play out.
In gambling parlance, when someone wins a lot, they are said to be on a heater. For Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, he’s been on an extended heater picking NFL and College Football Playoff games for WTOP the last several weeks.
Moore has missed only two games total, an achievement for anyone, much less a non-professional prognosticator.
So, is it luck or skill? For the governor, it’s a bit of both.
“Anyone who says it is all skill, is not telling the truth,” Moore told WTOP Friday. “Anyone who says it’s all luck is not telling the truth. It’s a combination of both.”
What’s the secret sauce?
“I study this stuff. I follow this stuff,” Moore said. “Who’s hot and who’s healthy and you always look at things like injury reports. …There are definitely analytics that I will put into it.”
“I always bet on gamers when it comes to playoff time and I think that’s worked pretty well,” he added.
Breaking down the big game
The attention this weekend turns to Sunday’s Super Bowl game, which pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.
Weighing into the last NFL game of the season, Moore said he found the Patriots to “maybe be the most interesting story” in the league, before noting the team hasn’t exactly “played the same level of competition during the year that Seattle has had to play.”
“I thought the Super Bowl champion was going to run through the NFC,” Moore said. “I just thought the NFC was producing better teams.”
The governor does believe the Seahawks defense team will be the difference in this game, explaining that the Patriots “are running into a buzz saw, and I think that buzz saw is the Seattle Seahawks.”
“This defense is so creative and so good,” Moore said. “Huge credit goes to their head coach.”
Mike Macdonald served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens between 2022 and 2023 after serving several season on the team’s defense staff. He was announced as the new head coach for the Seattle Seahawks in January 2024.
“We got a chance to see him up close, just how good he is,” Moore said of Macdonald’s time with the Ravens. “And if you watched how Baltimore’s defense fell off when he went to Seattle, that wasn’t because of a talent issue. That was because of a defensive coordinator issue.”
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, who is playing for his fifth team in the last six years, is also quieting his doubters with his second-straight stellar season. “Darnold is doing his job and Darnold, you know, has a real chip on his shoulder,” Moore said.
Seattle is favored by oddsmakers by around four and a half points. But, the governor said, “I think it’s probably going to be closer to 10 … I don’t think this game is going to be close.”
Moore’s Super Bowl spread
With his big prediction out of the way, the governor addressed more important matters, like the menu for his Super Bowl party.
“We’re Marylanders,” he said. “We’re going to be traditionalists.”
“So we’re going to have some crab cakes. We’ll have the chicken wings and all that kind of stuff for everybody else, but, make no mistake … the real MVP is going to be some crab cakes.”
And, yes, the Old Line State’s favorite seasoning will be involved. “Old Bay everything,” Moore said.
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Ciara Wells
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Bad Bunny lyrics to know before his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show
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When Bad Bunny takes center stage for the 2026 Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, he’ll be the first artist with a primarily Spanish-language repertoire to do so.
These are some of his most impactful lyrics, in Spanish and English, as the Puerto Rican artist prepares to make music history.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más beso’ y abrazo’ las vece’ que pude
Ey, ojalá que los mío’ nunca se mudenI should have taken more photos when I had you
I should have given you more kisses and hugs the times that I could
Hopefully my loved ones will never movePerhaps the most popular song of his most recent album — which won the Grammy for Album of the Year — “DtMF” captures the nostalgia and longing to make more out of everyday moments, a sentiment that many immigrants describe as a consequence of being away from home.
NUEVAYoL
Ey, ey, ey, 4 de julio, 4th de July
Ando con mi primo, borracho, rulay
Los mío’ en El Bronx saben la que hay
Con la nota en high por Washington HeightsOn the Fourth of July,
I am with my cousin, drunk, relaxing,
with mine in The Bronx,
you know what there is,
with the note on high in Washington Heights.While sampling “El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico,” a more than half-century-old salsa orchestra, Bad Bunny brings to life the joy of Puerto Ricans in the mainland, highlighting the diaspora’s time under the New York sun.
LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii
Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa
Quieren el barrio mío y que abuelita se vaya
No, no suelte’ la bandera ni olvide’ el lelolai
Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a HawáiThey want to take the river from me, and the beach too
They want my neighborhood and for my grandma to leave
Do not surrender the flag, or forget the lelolai
Because I do not want them to do to you what happened in HawaiiBad Bunny calls out gentrification in the island, an ongoing trend fueled by tax incentives that have raised property taxes and excluded Puerto Ricans from some of their most prominent lands, drawing a comparison to gentrification in Hawaii.
Una Velita
Ey, ‘tá empezando a llover, otra vez va a pasar
Por ahí viene tormenta, viene temporal
‘Tá empezando a llover, otra vez va a pasar
Por ahí viene tormеnta, ¿quién nos va a salvar?It’s starting to rain, it will happen again
Here comes a storm, a rough weather spell
It’s starting to rain, it will happen again
Here comes a storm, who will save us?In a 2024 reflection on Hurricane Maria, which leveled parts of Puerto Rico and left many without power for months, Bad Bunny denounces the government’s role in the chaos that ensued after the Category 4 storm swept through the island.
VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR
Vo’a llevarte pa’ PR, mami, pa’ que vea’ cómo es que se perrea
Tráete a tu amiga si te gusta la idea
Dile que esta noche vamo’ a janguear
Que rico la vamo’ a pasar
Aquí nadie se va a casar
Pero tú te va’ a querer quedarI am going to take you to PR (Puerto Rico), honey, so you can see how to perrea
Bring your friend if you like the idea
Tell her that tonight we are going to hang out
We are going to have a good time
Here no one is going to get married
But you are going to want to stay.Many of Bad Bunny’s songs center around women and love. In “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” the singer highlights a reggaeton dance that grew in the Caribbean, known as perreo.
Similar to twerking, it has been criticized for being hypersexual and inappropriate, according to Petra Rivera-Rideau, an associate professor of American studies at Wellesley College, who co-authored “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.” Rivera-Rideau points to perreo as an example of resistance during the 2019 anti-corruption protests in Puerto Rico.
BAILE INoLVIDABLE
No, no te puedo olvidar
No, no te puedo borrar
Tú me enseñaste a querer
Me enseñaste a bailarNo, no I can’t forget you
No, no I can’t erase you
You taught me how to love
You taught me to danceApple Music debuted a video of Bad Bunny dancing to “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” or “Unforgettable Dance,” featuring a wide range of people. In the video, the 31-year-old artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, dances beneath a flamboyán, a tropical tree with bright red flowers from Madagascar that has become a beloved symbol in Puerto Rico, with a myriad of people — a firefighter, women of all ages and people of all ethnicities.
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Super Bowl crowds boost Bay Area businesses, but some feel left out
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Super Bowl festivities drew a huge crowd in the South Bay on Friday night with the Big Game Block Party with Kehlani. While the big game will be played at Levi’s Stadium, some businesses in the South Bay say they’re only getting a small slice of the economic pie.
Nick Nestingen and his friends flew down from Seattle to watch their Seahawks play in Super Bowl 60. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but a costly one.
“It’s a lifelong dream to do this,” Nestigen said. “I remember earlier this year thinking about how I wanted to watch the Seahawks play in the Super Bowl. This was before they were looking as good as they were. I was like ya, maybe in ten years. For it to happen this year is amazing.”
Nestingen says he got a slight deal on the tickets, but he’s doing what he can to save a few dollars here and there.
“We’re still paying $4,000 for our seats,” he said. “Then I have relatives in the area, so I got free lodging. Then we have some friends who are putting us up for the weekend of the Super Bowl so we got to save a lot of money.”
But whether these fans are from out of town or from the Bay Area, they’re spending money. Something Abram Chandler with 6th Street Burgers has been looking forward to. He says Fridays are typically busy but nothing like this.
“Our Fridays are really good but possibly double what’s going on,” Chandler said.
This is a big week for many Bay Area businesses hoping to cash in on the Super Bowl crowd. Chandler just wishes there were more big game events in the South Bay.
“From looking at all the maps and events going on in San Francisco, I feel like there are 20 to 30 different things happening in a day, “Chandler said. “With all the jets flying in and all the athletes. We’re not getting too much of that in San Jose. So, I would say give us half of that at least.”
Zaileen Janmohamed, the CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee, was on the red carpet in San Francisco Thursday night. She talked about the planning that went into making sure the entire region scored big this week.
“It’s something that we were really intentional about early on to make sure that the entirety of the Bay was included,” Janmohamed said. “It’s not difficult but it’s something that has to be coordinated really well.”
The Super Bowl is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bay Area. Patriots fan Skyler Winkel says he’s enjoying all the festivities, but going to the actual game is not an option.
“Nose bleeds are like $7000,” Winkel said. “It’s out of my range even though it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s too much, though.”
Fans say no matter who wins or loses, this experience is worth every penny. It would just be a little sweeter if their team wins.
“I can’t wait to take a picture with my Seahawks jersey with the Seahawks logo painted on the field and just wave and say thanks for hosting,” Nestingen said.
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Andrea Nakano
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Kehlani headlines pre-Super Bowl San Jose block party featuring Bay Area artists
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Super Bowl LX weekend has arrived in the Bay Area, including in San Jose, where the city is kicking off the weekend with some major performances.
“The Big Game Weekend Block Party” on Friday night was headlined by Oakland R&B artist Kehlani, who is fresh off her first two Grammy wins. The opening acts that preceded her included many Bay Area DJs, singers, musicians, and rappers.
Salena Nguyen, who is known as ‘Salenie’ when she DJs, performed alongside Geo, a Bay Area harpist. The two have been collaborating recently and also plan to perform on Sunday at the Super Bowl Game Day experience at Levi’s Stadium.
“I think the culture that is brewing and has been here forever is having a surge right now,” Nguyen said of Bay Area music culture.
“I’m getting chills as we say this, there’s like a surge of energy and something is happening, I can’t explain it,” she continued.
Artist Fijiana, who grew up in Richmond, also performed at the block party.
She was thrilled to be included in this show.
“I was like, ‘Of course!’ This is a dream, this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed for,” she said.
For the people visiting the Bay Area from out-of-town this weekend, Fijiana said, “I just hope that they really take in Bay Culture, that we are so diverse, especially in the climate of this country right now.”
Fijiana closed out her set with the song ‘Welcome to the Bay,’which she says is her ode to the Bay Area.
All of the people attending the show who spoke with NBC Bay Area were Bay Area residents, excited to see some local talent. Many showed up specifically to watch Kehlani perform.
“I’ve been a fan of Kehlani’s since she first started off,” explained Vinny Maxwell of Pittsburg, who didn’t want to miss this chance to see the star.
Organizers said around 8,000 attendees were expected at this show.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan noted that this level of activity wasn’t happening in downtown San Jose when the Super Bowl came to Santa Clara 10 years ago. He said the activity downtown from events like this is very welcome.
“This is just exactly what we were hoping for, people coming downtown, rediscovering their downtown,” Mahan said.
Another block party is scheduled for Saturday in downtown San Jose, featuring DJ Dom Dolla.
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Alyssa Goard
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Super Bowl fans warned to keep drones at home with flights banned over big game
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As fans from around the country descend on California to watch the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl, officials are telling them to leave their drones at home.
The police chief in Santa Clara, where this year’s big game will be played, said authorities are prepared to shoot down a drone, if necessary.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, can be easily purchased online and are increasingly popular with hobbyist drone pilots, including sports fans who want to film their favorite events.
But the risks posed by drones are real, whether a hobbyist drone malfunctions and falls into the stands or a bad actor uses a drone to drop something into the stadium.
Retired Army Col. Bill Edwards, who runs counter-drone training at Washington, D.C.-based tech company ENSCO, expects people will try to fly drones at the big game.
“We have to expect it at every major event that’s happening in the country,” Edwards said in an interview.
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
To get ahead of the issue, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ban on all drone flights over the Super Bowl, which has been classified by the federal government as a top special event that merits extensive interagency support.
The FAA says it is collaborating with the FBI to detect, track and assess unauthorized drone activity, and drone operators who fly them in restricted airspace without authorization face fines of up to $75,000, confiscation of their drone and federal criminal charges.
Law enforcement agencies working on Super Bowl security use layers of responses and mitigation efforts for drones.
“Everything from ground intercept teams to contact the pilot on the ground to redirecting it, landing it or even shooting it down depending on the circumstances,” Santa Clara Police Chief Cory Morgan said.
Technological advancements to drones made overseas during the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East pose new challenges to law enforcement.
Edwards, who trains such police departments as the New York Police Department on drone threat mitigation, points to fiber-optic drones that can evade detection by radar systems as a particular concern.
“It’s promulgating the technology’s capability 20 years into the future — now,” he said. He also said, “The threat level has increased a hundredfold.”
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Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show: Here’s some things to expect and what they mean
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NEW YORK — There are stages, and then there is the Super Bowl halftime show.
On Sunday, fresh off his historic win at the Grammys for his love letter to Puerto Rico, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Bad Bunny will once again surprise audiences with a performance that is gearing up to be a landmark moment for Latino culture.
But what can you expect from his set?
What can viewers expect from Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance?
What we know
Apple Music’s Zane Lowe mentioned that Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance is 13 minutes long during an interview with the superstar on Thursday. Historically, they run 12 to 15 minutes.
In the same conversation, Bad Bunny offered few specifics about what viewers will see Sunday.
“It’s going to be a huge party,” he said, playfully dodging questions about surprise guests and other details. “What people can expect from me … I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.”
Beyond that: A minute-and-a-half long trailer for the halftime show posted last month set a jovial tone for his performance. In it, Bad Bunny approaches a Flamboyan tree — more on that below — and presses play on his single “Baile Inolvidable” (“Unforgettable Dance”).
The song is modern salsa, performed with students from the Escuela Libre de Música San Juan. It is a featured single from “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” an album that marries folkloric tradition in local Borinquen genres like bomba, plena, salsa and música jíbara with contemporary styles like reggaeton, trap and pop.
In the clip, Bad Bunny sways as he’s joined by different dancers across genders, races and ages: Those include a traditional salsa dancer in a red dress, a firefighter, a cowboy and a viejito wearing a pava (“viejito” is an affectionate term for an older man and a “pava” is a kind of straw hat). It’s representative of the superstar’s international appeal; he is currently the most-streamed artist globally on Spotify.
Will Bad Bunny perform entirely in Spanish?
All of Bad Bunny’s music is recorded in Spanish, so it seems like a safe bet. Were he to include English into his set, it would likely appear in a spoken interjection — or it would be featured in text.
In October, Bad Bunny hosted “Saturday Night Live” and said a few sentences in Spanish during his opening monologue. When he concluded, he joked in English, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn,” a reference to the Super Bowl and his critics.
On Thursday, he joked that fans didn’t actually need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set — but they should be prepared to dance.
What symbols can we expect?
There’s no way to know for sure, but here are a few educated guesses.
Puerto Rican flags: In his song “La Mudanza,” Bad Bunny sings, “Aquí mataron gente por sacar la bandera / Por eso es que ahora yo la llevo donde quiera.” In English: “Here they killed people for showing the flag / That’s why I bring it everywhere I want now.” It appears to be a reference to Law 53 of 1948, better known as the Gag Law, a ruling by the Puerto Rican Legislative Assembly which attempted to suppress the independence movement on the island and criminalized displaying the Puerto Rican flag. It was repealed in 1952. It is also one of many reasons Puerto Ricans are known for waving their flag with pride for their island.
It is almost certain the flag of Puerto Rico will appear in some form on the Super Bowl stage. But its colors are worth noting. If it is shown in red, white and blue, that is the current flag of Puerto Rico and has been since 1952. If there are flags that feature light blue, that is reflective of the Puerto Rican independence movement. A black and white version of the flag has become synonymous with Puerto Rican struggle and resiliency. And if there is a flag that more closely resembles the Dominican Republic’s flag, that is the flag of the Puerto Rican mountain town Lares. It was used in the Grito de Lares, the first short revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico in the 19th century.
Puerto Rican expressions: There may be a few Puerto Rican expressions uttered on stage, beyond just those found in Bad Bunny’s music. That could be anything from “Wepa!” which is used in moments of excitement, not unlike exclaiming “Wow!.” It grew in popularity after the release of Alfonso Vélez’s 1974 salsa song “El Jolgorio (Wepa Wepa Wepa).” Or “Acho, PR es otra cosa,” a phrase that became a fan chant during Bad Bunny’s performance of “Voy a llevarte pa’ PR” during his residency. It translates to “Damn, PR is something else.”
Casita: At Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico last summer, he performed across two stages. One was built to resemble a casita (“little house”), for the pari de marquesina, a house party. These structures are synonymous with Puerto Rico and the Caribbean at large.
Pavas: A symbol that is likely familiar to Bad Bunny fans everywhere, a pava is a straw hat traditionally worn by jíbaros, or Puerto Rican rural farmers. It has become a symbol of pride for the island. The singer even wore a leather version of the hat on the red carpet at the 2025 Met Gala.
Flamboyan tree: The second of the two stages at Bad Bunny’s residency focused on showcasing the island’s natural beauty with its flamboyan and plantain trees. The former are a common feature in Puerto Rican art for its flowers, most commonly seen in brilliant red, orange and yellow hues. The image of the tree evokes Puerto Rico almost as immediately as the sound of its national nocturnal residents, el coquí (a frog with a distinctive sing-song-y call heard only at night.)
El Sapo Concho: Not to be mistaken with el coquí, el sapo concho is the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad that Bad Bunny has used an animated version of in his visuals for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”
Traditional Puerto Rican instruments: Because much of Bad Bunny’s music pulls from bomba and plena, it is likely that a few of those traditional instruments will be on stage. Look out for a cuatro (a small, four-stringed guitar), güiro/güira (a percussive instrument made of a hollow gourd), palitos (also a percussive instrument resembling two long, wood sticks), cencerro (cow bell) and maracas. For the bomba songs, specifically, there may be a barriel (a barrel) and for plena, a pandereta (tambourine.)
Will there be special guests during the halftime show?
It is impossible to predict, but it would be surprising if Bad Bunny wasn’t joined by other performers — particularly other giants of Latin music, and probably, other Puerto Rican performers. The band Chuwi joined Benito for every night of his San Juan residency; it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them on stage for their collaboration, “Weltita.”
Other potential guests, if the residency is a framework to follow, could include Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Young Miko, Wisin y Yandel, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Alfonso Vélez. But the list goes on and on.
Will it be a political performance?
That is in the eye of the beholder. But there is historical precedent for it at the Super Bowl. In 2020, the NFL asked Jennifer Lopez to cut a segment featuring children in cages during her halftime performance, a critique of U.S. immigration policies. She refused. (Bad Bunny was actually a guest performer during that halftime show, which was headlined by Lopez and Shakira.)
Last year, Kendrick Lamar’s set was an artful confrontation of American history and racial dynamics through metaphor, as the actor Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, complained of a performance that was “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” and reminded Lamar to “play the game.”
Bad Bunny has never steered clear of political messaging. He has criticized President Donald Trump on everything from his hurricane response in his native Puerto Rico to his treatment of immigrants. At the Grammys Sunday, he said “ICE out” while accepting his first televised award of the night. His latest tour skipped the continental U.S.; in an interview he said it was at least partially inspired by concerns that his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.
Trump, a Republican, has said he doesn’t plan to attend this year’s game, unlike last year, and he has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.”
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Maria Sherman
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Watch Super Bowl LX ads: 10 must‑see commercials
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The cost of a Super Bowl commercial has officially entered jaw-dropping territory. For Super Bowl LX, some 30-second ad slots have reportedly sold for as much as $10 million.
That figure marks a new high for the Big Game. Even the average price this year sits closer to $8 million. As a result, Super Bowl airtime has become one of the most valuable buys in advertising, especially for brands chasing massive live audiences.
Back in 1967, when the first Super Bowl aired, commercial placements were modest and easy to overlook. Since then, the Super Bowl has grown into a cultural event where advertisers compete for attention and relevance. Today, commercials are no longer treated as interruptions. Instead, they are appointment viewing. With audiences expected to once again approach historic highs, brands are betting that the right creative moment can justify even an eight-figure price tag.
Based on what brands are putting on screen this year, that investment shows up in different ways. For example, Super Bowl LX ads span a wide range of styles. Some lean into self-aware humor and celebrity chaos. Others focus on quieter, more emotional storytelling and wellness messages.
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Ben Affleck and the art of Super Bowl self-parody
Dunkin’ is once again leaning all the way into self-aware absurdity, and Ben Affleck is clearly having a blast. In “Golden Cringe,” Affleck returns for his fourth straight Super Bowl run with Dunkin’ Donuts, this time pitching a VHS-era “gold mine” to two mystery figures named “Jen and Matt” — setting off a celebrity guessing game about whether familiar faces like Jennifer Lopez and Matt Damon might return.
The teaser plays like a chaotic brainstorm you were never supposed to see, and Affleck’s long-running joke that his Dunkin’ obsession predates fame, studios and good ideas. Affleck even riffs on how other stores once “kicked him out,” underscoring his obsession with the brand while teasing that this could be the “pinnacle of all our careers.”
When one keg becomes the main character
Bud Light keeps it simple and lets the moment spiral. In Keg, NFL legend Peyton Manning, comedian Shane Gillis and Grammy winner Post Malone stand together as Manning casually holds a glass of Bud Light. Post Malone scans the scene and asks the question everyone at a party eventually asks: “Is there enough for everyone?” Manning points off into the distance and replies, “Oh, right there,” just as a guy hauling a keg completely loses control. The keg breaks free and starts rolling down a canyon, sending all three tumbling after it as Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You swells dramatically in the background. After the chaos settles, Manning stands up, places his Bud Light down and looks around before delivering the understated line, “Heck of a wedding, huh?”
The ceremony somehow continues. Gillis turns to the bride and offers a polite, “Hey, it’s a great ceremony,” then pivots to the camera and deadpans, “I give it a week.” The ad lands by letting the contrast do the work. Sentimental music, runaway kegs and brutally honest humor collide, making Bud Light’s Super Bowl moment feel effortless, absurd and perfectly timed.
A sci-fi legend tackles fiber head-on
Kellogg’s leans into nostalgia and cheeky humor with Will Shat, starring William Shatner as Raisin Bran’s unlikely “bran ambassador.” The spot opens in space as an alert flashes that America is low on fiber. Shatner answers the call in classic deadpan style, declaring that “duty calls” before announcing he is here to bring fiber to the masses with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. The ad then becomes a fast-moving tour of everyday life. Shatner pops up in a sports bar and a living room, calmly delivering bathroom-adjacent puns while everyone around him looks stunned.
He declares, “It’s fiber time,” then eyes a nearby dog and asks, “Is that dog a shih tzu?” The joke lands again when the pup’s collar reveals a “Will” dog tag. The chaos peaks at a football tailgate, where Shatner climbs onto a car, mutters that he is “too old for this,” and crashes down onto a table stacked with Raisin Bran boxes.
Football reimagined as a diner menu
Uber Eats plays it straight in “Diner Menu,” starring Parker Posey and Matthew McConaughey as two people calmly unraveling what they believe is an obvious truth. Sitting together, Posey starts laying out her case, rattling off food-coded phrases like “pancake blocks” and “hash marks,” treating football terminology like menu items. McConaughey nods and admits he could eat that “every morning and twice on Sunday.” Their conclusion feels inevitable. Football, according to them, is basically a diner menu.
McConaughey takes the theory a step further with a piece of football trivia. Barry Sanders played for Detroit for 10 years. What color was his jersey? Blue. Posey answers, “Blueberry,” McConaughey responds by letting out a shriek and casually popping a blueberry into his mouth. Parker then immediately admits, “That was a bit of a reach,” with Matthew adding, “Football is totally selling food.”
A Super Bowl teaser built on kindness and community
Rocket and Redfin take a softer approach to Super Bowl advertising with a black-and-white teaser featuring Lady Gaga. The spot reimagines “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” – the iconic theme from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – setting the tone for a larger campaign focused on home, belonging and community. Instead of spectacle, the teaser leans on simplicity, emotion and a familiar melody that immediately signals warmth. Gaga’s understated performance anchors the message. Known for championing individuality and kindness, she brings a quiet sincerity to the song that feels personal rather than performative.
A deli singalong powered by mayo
Hellmann’s turns lunchtime into a full-blown musical in “Meal Diamond,” starring Andy Samberg as a parody crooner inspired by Neil Diamond. Set inside a crowded deli, the ad kicks off as Samberg launches into “Sweet Sandwich Time,” a mayo-fueled anthem that quickly pulls everyone behind the counter and in line into the performance. What starts as a routine lunch rush spirals into controlled chaos, with generous streams of Hellmann’s mayonnaise getting squeezed onto every sandwich by Samberg as he says, “This is how I make friends” and sings, “I’ll squirt you while I am walking by.”
Among the stunned customers is Elle Fanning, who plays the straight face to Samberg’s improv-heavy energy. She looks on and tells him, “You are incredible.” Samberg fires back without missing a beat, “Incredibly lonely.” If the goal is to get viewers humming and craving extra mayo on their sandwiches, Meal Diamond hits every note.
Grocery preferences go full Europop
Instacart’s “Bananas” spot leans into over-the-top ’80s Europop energy with Ben Stiller and Benson Boone as a retro disco-pop duo battling it out on a glittering stage. Directed by Spike Jonze, the 30-second commercial highlights Instacart’s new “Preference Picker” tool by turning grocery pickiness into performance art. Stiller and Boone harmonize about choosing bananas just the way you like them, using the app’s feature. As the duet escalates, Boone shows off with a dramatic mid-song backflip, prompting Stiller’s character to try and match him.
That attempt ends with Stiller crashing spectacularly into the drum kit on stage, underscoring the absurd rivalry and keeping the energy chaotic and fun. The spot closes with Ben falling off the stage and the tagline “Bananas just how you like,” a playful nod to the new Preference Picker, which helps Instacart customers choose banana ripeness and other grocery details with precision.
BUDWEISER UNVEILS PATRIOTIC NEW SUPER BOWL AD HONORING ‘DEEP-ROOTED AMERICAN HERITAGE’
A ski lesson with Super Bowl stakes
Michelob ULTRA makes its Super Bowl debut with “The ULTRA Instructor,” starring Kurt Russell and Lewis Pullman in a spot that blends winter sports intensity with laid-back beer humor. The 60-second commercial casts Russell as a legendary ski instructor training Pullman’s character to unlock a competitive edge, where bragging rights and rounds of ULTRA are on the line. The training montage leans into Russell’s coaching persona, complete with a playful callback to his role as Herb Brooks in Miracle. As Pullman sharpens his skis and pushes through drills, Russell delivers the familiar command, “Again,” turning a friendly ski session into a mock high-stakes competition.
The contrast between elite-level motivation and low-pressure rewards keeps the tone light while tapping into sports nostalgia. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the spot also features Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and NHL champion T.J. Oshie, reinforcing Michelob ULTRA’s connection to Team USA and the Winter Olympics. By merging Super Bowl spectacle with Olympic energy, Michelob ULTRA positions itself as the beer for competition, camaraderie and winning moments on and off the slopes.
A health message takes the Super Bowl stage
Ro makes its Super Bowl debut with “Healthier on Ro,” starring Serena Williams in a rare healthcare-focused Big Game spot. This time, the direct-to-patient company uses the moment to talk about GLP-1 medications in a broader way. Instead of framing them as a quick fix for weight loss, the ad positions them as a tool for overall health.
In the commercial, Williams speaks candidly about her own experience using GLP-1s through Ro. Over the past year, she says she has lost 34 pounds. As a result, she has eased stress on her knees and stabilized her blood sugar. She also points to improvements in her cholesterol levels and overall heart health.
More importantly, Williams focuses on how the program fits into her life. “I feel better now than I have in years,” she says. The message stays centered on feeling stronger and more like herself, rather than chasing a number on the scale. For Ro, the ad marks a major step. It brings healthcare and GLP-1 conversations into a space usually dominated by snacks, beer and cars. Airing during Super Bowl LX, the spot reflects how wellness brands are increasingly using the Big Game to normalize treatment, reduce stigma and reach a mainstream audience through personal stories.
Pepsi flips the cola wars in a polar-powered spot
Pepsi takes a playful jab at soda rivalries with “The Choice,” a 30-second commercial directed by Taika Waititi that brings the classic Pepsi Challenge to life. At the center of the ad is a cola-loving polar bear, a nod to the iconic mascot long associated with Coca-Cola, who sits down for a blind taste test between Pepsi Zero Sugar and Coke Zero Sugar. When taste alone determines the winner, he surprisingly picks Pepsi, exposing a phenomenon Pepsi refers to as the “Pepsi Paradox,” where people prefer Pepsi once brand labels and bias disappear.
Set to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free,” the bear’s initial shock turns into a whimsical journey of self-discovery, complete with a humorous therapist cameo by Waititi himself and a concert-style celebration that evokes a memorable kiss-cam moment, with the tagline, “You deserve taste.” The ad leans into Pepsi’s decades-long cola rivalry by turning an age-old debate into a lighthearted story about taste and identity, challenging viewers to rethink which cola they’d choose when all labels are removed.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Super Bowl commercials have always reflected the moment we are living in. In 2026, that moment feels louder, stranger, more emotional and far more expensive. For example, some beer ads lean into chaos and humor. Meanwhile, food brands embrace full-on absurdity. At the same time, healthcare companies are stepping onto football’s biggest stage. Still, the common thread among them is ambition. At $10 million per slot, brands are not just buying airtime. Instead, they are buying a chance to be remembered. Some commercials will land iconic moments. Others will fade by halftime. In the end, one thing is clear. The Super Bowl is no longer just a game with ads. It is an advertising event that happens to include football.
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With Super Bowl ads now costing $10 million for 30 seconds, which commercials actually feel worth the price? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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How officials are watching for illegal drones flying over Super Bowl
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Security teams have been preparing for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for months. But drones can pose another security concern. CBS News’ Anna Shecter has more.
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Perry: Five under-the-radar players who could decide Super Bowl 60
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SAN FRANCISCO — In the Super Bowl, some of the most critical contributions come from some of the game’s lesser-known names. Happens every year.
Look no further than the last time the Patriots and Seahawks met with a Lombardi Trophy on the line and how undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler burst onto the scene.
A personnel grouping featuring Dwayne Allen, Rex Burkhead and James Develin helped the Patriots win their last Super Bowl over the Rams. Players like JR Redmond, Malcolm Mitchell and Randall Gay hold spots near and dear to the hearts of Patriots fans for their contributions to championship-winning teams.
Who might be some of those unheralded names that have a say in the winner of Super Bowl 60?
Glad you asked. We came up with five. Some of these names are certainly more well-known than those listed above, but their specific roles in this specific matchup is flying
Anfernee Jennings, Linebacker, Patriots
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Anfernee Jennings sets the edge as well as any Patriots defensive player.
Seattle ran outside the tackles on 57 percent of its hand-offs during the regular season, per NextGen Stats, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. That number has shot up to 64.4 percent in the postseason with Kenneth Walker III getting the vast majority of the work and Zach Charbonnet out injured.
If one of the keys in this game is to pressure Sam Darnold in obvious passing situations, the Patriots first need to stop the run on early downs, which means building sturdy edges to handle Walker’s bounce-outside-the-tackles attempts. Jennings has been arguably this team’s best set-the-edge defender.
Viewed as a bit of a scheme misfit early in the season, Jennings has played at least 30 snaps in four of New England’s last five games.
“He has a professionalism that he’s shown throughout this entire season,” Vrabel said ahead of the AFC Championship Game. “(I) appreciate it. Appreciate him taking advantage of his opportunities, playing physical, playing on special teams, finding a role.”
Anthony Bradford, Guard, Seahawks
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Patriots defensive linemen must win their 1-on-1 matchups against Anthony Bradford.
Bradford could be a factor if and when the Patriots are able to bully the Seahawks offense on early downs and force them into obvious drop-back passing situations.
In pass-protection, he’s been a liability. He ranked 89th out of 90 qualifying interior offensive linemen in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade. In his last five games, he’s allowed 14 pressures, including four quarterback hits and two sacks. Against the Rams in the NFC title game, he gave up a half-dozen pressures and picked up a penalty.
For Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, there should be opportunities there for splash plays.
“It don’t matter who they got,” Williams said. “It’s on us. We gotta dominate one-on-one matchups.”
Jared Wilson, Guard, Patriots
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Jared Wilson has had a very strong rookie season.
One of the reasons the Seahawks defense is arguably the best in football is because of their ability to stop the run with just four down linemen. That allows them to play with nickel personnel, which gives them enough speed on the field to thwart opposing passing attacks.
“They play with great technique, they play with great effort,” Vrabel said of the Seattle defensive line. “They’re talented. Different skill sets. Look at [Byron] Murphy [II] and he has one skill set. You look at Leonard Williams, different skill set. Both play square. They play with their hands. The edge guys set sometimes vertical edges, sometimes they mix in some movement. They don’t get moved off the line of scrimmage. If you don’t move the line of scrimmage, it’s going to be hard to run the football.”
That’s where Wilson comes in. He’ll be needed not only to protect Drake Maye against a stunt-heavy front called by head coach Mike Macdonald, but he’ll also have to try to grind out space in the running game for the Patriots to have a shot at softening up their secondary.
Success on the ground could force Seattle to drop another body closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving one-on-one coverage on the outside for Maye’s wideouts.
“You want to force their hand,” Wilson said. “If you can force them into a situation that they don’t want to be in, that’s always a good thing. Whatever front is out there, call the play, and let’s run it.”
Eric Saubert, Tight End, Seahawks
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Eric Saubert has been an underrated tight end this season.
The Seahawks used their 12-personnel packages on 28.3 percent of snaps this season, and they were the second-most efficient offense in football when using those two-tight-end sets with an EPA-per-play figure of 0.38. AJ Barner is their top option at the position, but Saubert, who played 38 snaps in the NFC Championship Game, is next in line.
How will the Patriots handle Seattle’s potency when deploying multiple tight ends? If linebacker Robert Spillane is healthy (ankle), then they may answer “12” from Seattle with their five-defensive-back nickel defense. According to NextGen Stats, in the 16 games Spillane played this year, the Patriots matched multi-tight-end sets with nickel on 45.5 percent of snaps. In the four games he’s been hurt, that number fell to 28.6 percent.
Why is that key? The Seahawks have an explosive play rate of 31 percent when using 12 personnel against base defense, according to The Athletic. Against nickel defense, that number falls all the way to around 10 percent.
If Spillane is healthy enough for the Patriots to play nickel defense with Barner and Saubert in the game, the numbers suggest they’ll have a much better chance at limiting Seattle’s ability to generate explosive plays.
Thayer Munford Jr., Offensive Tackle, Patriots
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Thayer Munford Jr. has seen his snap count rise recently.
Late in the season, the Patriots turned to their “Jumbo” packages more than they had all year. Munford — a reserve offensive tackle who enters the game typically as an oversized tight end (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) — played 10 or more snaps in six of his team’s last seven games.
Against the No. 1 run defense in football when it comes to EPA per play allowed, the Patriots may want Munford’s extra muscle to help them grind out tough yards on the ground. Since Week 15 (including playoffs), with six linemen on the field, the Patriots lead the NFL with 80 rushing attempts and seven touchdowns. They’ve also ripped off an impressive 6.1 yards per attempt.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, saw just 15 rushing attempts with an extra offensive lineman on the field this season. But in that small sample, they were excellent, allowing just 1.9 yards per carry.
The Patriots may want to try their luck with Munford on the field anyway. Getting him on the field could encourage the Seahawks to use something other than their nickel package defensively. Standout rookie safety Nick Emmanwori — whose twitchy 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame allows the Seahawks to live in nickel and handle both the run and the pass — suffered an ankle injury in practice this week that could alter Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s plan against heavier offensive packages.
If Seattle isn’t fully itself on that side of the ball, buttressing the line with a little more bulk — and then either running or using play-action passes — could pay dividends for New England.
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Phil Perry
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Road closures in Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Jose as Super Bowl LX nears
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As Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots approaches, multiple road closures are in place near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and for game-related events in San Francisco and San Jose.
In San Francisco
Closures are in effect near Moscone Center, where the Super Bowl experience is taking place. Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets is closed 24 hours. Meanwhile Mission Street between 3rd and 5th streets and 4th Street between Market and Folsom streets are closed daily from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m.
The closures around Moscone Center are in effect through Tuesday.
Other closures in San Francisco include 19th Street between 3rd and Tennessee Streets in the city’s Dogpatch neighborhood for the NFL Culture Club at the Pearl through Saturday. Meanwhile, closures and detours are in place near the Palace of Fine Arts for the NFL Honors on Thursday night and the Studio 60 concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.
Near City Hall, Grove Street in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is closed through Monday due to a series of concerts at the venue. Additional closures on Grove next to City Hall, along with Polk Street between McAllister and Hayes streets are in place on Saturday due to a private event.
Other street closures are planned near Grace Cathedral for an event on Friday and the Taste of the NFL at The Hibernia at Jones and McAllister streets on Saturday.
In San Jose
San Carlos Street between Almaden Boulevard and Market Street in downtown will be closed in both directions through Monday. Lane closures between San Carlos and San Salvador streets are also in place. Officials said access to the Hilton Hotel and the San Jose McEnery Convention Center will be maintained.
Outside of downtown, Humboldt Street will be closed between South 7th and South 10th street for 2-4 hours through Saturday, as the Seahawks conduct practice at San Jose State University’s fields.
In Santa Clara / Levi’s Stadium
Tasman Drive between Calle Del Sol and Great America Parkway has been closed since Jan. 28. The road, which passes in front of the stadium, will be closed through Friday, Feb. 13.
Officials have announced multiple detours around the closure. For local traffic, drivers and cyclists can bypass the closure by using Great America Way, Great America Parkway, Lafayette Street, Calle De Luna and Calle Del Sol.
A regional detour is also in place, using Highways 101, 237, Montague Expressway, Lawrence Expressway and North 1st Street.
For pedestrians, sidewalk access on Tasman Drive will also be closed around the stadium. Officials suggested taking VTA Light Rail between the Great America and Lick Mill stations to get around the closure, as other pedestrian detours are significantly longer.
The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail in front of the stadium is also closed to pedestrians and cyclists, which remains in effect through Tuesday.
On Sunday, Great America Parkway between Patrick Henry Drive and Bunker Hill Lane will also be closed.
Meanwhile, the closure on Tasman Drive on game day will be expanded to Old Ironsides Drive and Lick Mill Boulevard. Ahead of the game, pedestrian access on Tasman between Convention Center and Calle Del Sol will be limited to credentialed staff and Super Bowl ticketholders.
Additional information about the closures can be found on the Bay Area Host Committee website.
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Tim Fang
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