The Patriots and Seahawks both won their respective conference championship games, earning them a spot in Super Bowl LX. The last time the two faced off in the Super Bowl, it was Tom Brady and Russell Wilson. Now, the tables turn to Drake Maye and Sam Darnold, who will battle it out in Santa Clara on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Seattle is the favorite as they took down MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford and the Rams at home on Sunday. Darnold and the Seahawks have had their struggles this season, just like the Patriots; however, they have played in a stronger division and a stronger NFC conference. Darnold also has star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba to throw to. On Sunday, he hauled in 10 receptions for 153 yards with a touchdown to add to his already impressive season. They also leaned heavily on Kenneth Walker as he took over the first-string running back duties following an injury to Zach Charbonnet in the divisional round. The Seahawks can beat teams in multiple ways on offense as they have a balanced attack with both the run and the pass. However, New England has an above-average defense. As for Seattle’s defense, they gave up 27 points on Sunday night. However, they have proven to be one of the NFL’s best this year and should give the Patriots offense multiple different looks to hopefully slow down Maye.
New England enters Super Bowl LX coming off three straight wins in the playoffs, with their defense proving to be the catalyst in all three wins. They demolished the Chargers in the wildcard 16-3 as they let up just 207 total yards to Justin Herbert, one of the league’s premier young quarterbacks. In the divisional round, they leveled up even more as C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in a 28-16 win at home. In the conference championship, the defense won the game for the Patriots as the offense mustered just 10 points in a snow game. New England allowed just seven points in the victory as they proved that they are a Super Bowl ready team. In three games this post season, the New England defense, on average, has given up just 8.7 points per game, forced five interceptions and had three forced fumble recoveries, all while allowing about 70 rush yards per game. Their offense is also led by Maye, who will most likely be second in MVP voting. He has had a slow start to his first postseason; however, he has been there in the big moments as he has shown off his running ability this postseason.
Fans will also see a premier matchup between Corner and Wide Receiver as the Patriots are expected to have Christian Gonzalez, one of the most underrated on the game, follow Smith-Njigba all game. Darnold will also be appearing in his first Super Bowl; however, he has looked like a star as he had the best game of his career versus LA. The key to the game is the Patriots’ defense, which has been lights out, and if they can continue their strong play, they will give Drake Maye and the offense a path to win. If New England wins, it could be a case of history repeating itself as Malcom Butler delivers an interception on the goal line 10 years ago to seal a win. If Seattle can win, it will rewrite history and launch their franchise into a new age of winning.