Seahawks
Superbowl LX’s biggest storyline is the revenge game scenario for resurgent former New York Jets Sam Darnold, who has transformed into a top 10 quarterback.
Prior to this season, such a statement would seem ludicrous. First, it assumes the Seahawks would reach the Superbowl, far from a lock after they missed the playoffs in 2024 in a stacked NFC. Second, Darnold threw away a lot of the goodwill accumulated from a solid year with Minnesota in 2024 when he took nine sacks in the Vikings’ first round playoff loss.
However, Darnold’s 2025 stats put him among the best in the league.
The eighth-year pro ranked fifth in passing yards and seventh in touchdowns. He also placed seventh in completion percentage and 11th in passer rating while averaging 8.5 yard per passing attempt, showing that the first-year Seahawk is doing more than just accumulating numbers.
Darnold has kept that production up in the postseason. Over three games, he’s completed 69.8% of his passes and hasn’t been intercepted. Darnold has only taken a combined five sacks over that span.
Much of Darnold’s path to the Superbowl is true for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye as well.
There’s no doubt that Maye is a better quarterback than Darnold. The MVP finalist threw for the fourth most yards and third most touchdowns in the NFL, while securing the highest completion percentage and passer rating in the league at 113.5.
Where the two QBs’ routes diverge is in their playoff performance.
Maye has eclipsed a passer rating over 100 just once this postseason. His Wild Card Round passer rating against the Los Angeles Chargers of 86.6 would have placed him in the same echelon as Spencer Rattler and Geno Smith during the regular season.
In the Championship Round against the Denver Broncos, his 58.8 passer rating would have left him below Shedeur Sanders and J.J. McCarthy and just ahead of Brady Cook.
While weather has certainly factored into the sharp decline, Maye has been closer to a liability than a contributor this postseason.
Maye’s performance dip has come against three teams who were all top 11 in team sacks in 2025. The Seahawks came in at eight with 47, the same mark as Patriots Divisional Round opponent, the Houston Texans.
After taking more than four sacks on only three occasions during the regular season, Maye has taken five sacks in each playoff game. Like many, Maye struggles when facing increased pressure. One of the Patriots’ only losses came in week three against the Pittsburg Steelers, a game in which Maye took five sacks.
For the Patriots, it isn’t as easy as neutralizing one player. The Seahawks had three players reach a team-high seven sacks. Seventeen different players recorded at least a half sack.
If the Patriots offensive line holds up, there’s a chance Maye recaptures his regular season form.
If that isn’t the case, and Darnold maintains his season-long consistency, a two-score win for a Seahawks team with far more momentum seems likely.
Patriots
Most may label them as underdogs, although this year’s revamped Patriots should not be overlooked in this year’s Super Bowl.
This year’s Patriots do have what it takes to win it all, and it all starts up front with their massive D-Line that anchors the defense. This defense has been spectacular for New England and will need to continue their great play if they want to slow down Seattle’s balanced attack.
They will also need to push quarterback Sam Darnold into making some bad throws similar to his time with the Jets, where the Patriots owned him. Jaxson Smith Njigba will also be a feature for New England’s defense, as we will get to see Christian Gonzales follow him around all game. This might be one of the best pairings that we have seen between a cornerback and a wide receiver in a long time.
Offensively, New England is led by Drake Maye, and he will be the key to New England winning it all.
Maye has been exceptional in the playoffs, especially when using his legs, and his arm has been on the back burner as he has had shoulder issues following the AFC Championship game. Maye will also need to lean on veteran Stefon Diggs in the red zone and crucial third-down situations.
Regardless of what happens with Seattle, New England is the underdog, but fans should not worry about the squad winning on Sunday, especially with a coach like Mike Vrabel leading the team.