For the second time in 11 years, the Seattle Seahawks will match up with the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
While Tom Brady won’t lead the Patriots out of the tunnel and the Legion of Boom no longer anchors the Seahawks’ secondary — as was the case in Super Bowl XLIX — this year’s matchup features two talented teams built to win from top to bottom.
Ahead of the 2025 NFL season, neither team was considered a contender. Analysts routinely left them out of playoff conversations, and any optimism surrounding their outlooks was dismissed as a “hot take.”
As the wins piled up, fans still viewed them as fun but unserious fairytales — until they kept winning. The talk has shifted.
The “longshots,” told it wasn’t quite their time, each posted 14–3 records, stacked playoff victories and now hold their respective conference championship trophies.
On Sunday afternoon, the Patriots were the last team standing in a stingy defensive slugfest, edging the Denver Broncos 10–7.
Drake Maye, New England’s MVP‑candidate quarterback, never found a passing rhythm — and it only got tougher as heavy snow and gusting winds blanketed the grass at Mile High Stadium — but he made enough plays with his legs to help the Patriots survive.
New England’s real hero, as has been the case throughout the postseason, was its defense.
The unit held the Broncos to just 181 yards of offense and seven points. Their 8.7 points allowed per game would rank as the second‑best playoff run in NFL history. Three sacks, multiple forced turnovers and a shutout after Denver’s opening drive took the pressure off their young quarterback and punched their ticket to the big game.
Soon after, the Seahawks topped the Los Angeles Rams 31–27 in a modern shootout between two of the league’s best teams.
Former castaway quarterback Sam Darnold further proved his success is far from fluky, throwing for 346 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.
“He’s the same guy every day, no matter the circumstance,” Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald said. “He’s an ultimate competitor, he’s a phenomenal leader, and he just keeps fighting.”
Darnold’s favorite target, breakout wide receiver Jaxon Smith‑Njigba, continued to shine with 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the 27 points allowed, Seattle’s defense played a defining role in its path to the Super Bowl. On a night when Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford orchestrated a star‑studded offense with rhythmic precision, a middling defense might have surrendered 40 or 50 points. Instead, Seattle calmly absorbed momentum swings and delivered a fourth‑down stop with the game on the line, holding on until the clock hit zero.
On Feb. 8, the humble giants will meet in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif.
New England had won just 16 games over the previous three seasons combined — now they seek their 18th of this one. The Patriots are looking to kick‑start their third dynasty of the 21st century, ushering in a new era under first‑year head coach Mike Vrabel and Maye, who is set to become the second‑youngest quarterback ever to start a Super Bowl.
“It’s a new team; it’s a new era,” Maye said. “I respect and appreciate what the Patriots dynasty did… but we changed the narrative and look forward to bringing our best football.”
Seattle, meanwhile, will try to stake its claim as “next up,” seeking revenge for the heartbreaking loss in their last postseason meeting, one of the most iconic Super Bowls in league history.
In what many believed would be a transition year, the Seahawks now have the chance to exorcise old demons and hoist their second Lombardi Trophy.
Two teams told to wait their turn refused to listen. For New England, it’s a chance to prove the dynasty never truly died — only evolved. For Seattle, it’s an opportunity to rewrite its history and claim a place among the league’s elite.
Two teams dismissed as afterthoughts now stand one win — Super Bowl LX — from immortality.