Jason Myers of the Seahawks sets a record with five field goals

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Super Bowl Spotlight Shifted to the Unexpected Star

It seems the buzz around the Super Bowl focused on the wrong New York connection all along.

While Sam Darnold, a former Jets draft pick, grabbed headlines with his comeback story and former Giants players like Leonard Williams and Julian Love attracted plenty of attention during the week, it was actually Jason Myers—relatively unknown—who shone brightly in the first three quarters. He kicked four field goals, bringing in the first 12 points of the game.

Darnold did throw a touchdown and Love made a crucial interception that helped clinch the Seahawks’ 29-13 victory over the Patriots on Sunday.

Kenneth Walker III did a lot of the hard work, yet Myers was impressive too, nailing field goals from 33, 39, 41, and 41 yards. This put the Seahawks ahead 12-0 and eased the tension after Darnold missed an early chance near the red zone, giving the team some breathing room.

In the fourth quarter, Myers added a PAT and another field goal from 26 yards out, setting a new record for the most field goals by a kicker in a Super Bowl. It’s interesting, though—this is a man with names linked to horror, yet he delivered in a big way when it counted.

Myers had a brief tenure with the Jets in 2018, turning from an overlooked player into a Pro Bowler after successfully completing 33 of 36 attempts that season, including a record-breaking seven field goals in one game.

After securing that fourth field goal, he also broke the Seahawks’ single-season scoring record.

Despite being released by the Seahawks earlier after a training camp competition with Sebastian Janikowski, Myers expressed no ill feelings—he just wanted to be back in his comfort zone.

In the years since, he has transformed into one of the NFL’s most consistent kickers, boasting an impressive 86.2 percent success rate over seven seasons, which includes a league-leading 85.4 percent on 48 attempts this season.

It was probably fitting that Myers was the main scorer that week, especially as Adam Vinatieri, known for his postseason success, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Vinatieri, a former Patriot and one of the few pure kickers honored, was scheduled to be recognized shortly after the first quarter.