Seahawks fans have waited 11 years for this.
After endless replays of the goal-line pass by Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson being picked off by New England defensive back Malcolm Butler in the final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX, the rematch is set.
The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in Super Bowl LX.
This iteration of the Seahawks is led by Coach of the Year finalist Mike Macdonald and his championship-caliber defense, as well as Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold. The Patriots are led by quarterback Drake Maye, an MVP finalist in only his second NFL season, and coach Mike Vrabel, who, like Macdonald, is a Coach of the Year finalist after leading one of the great team turnarounds in recent history.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets emotional after Seahawks defeat Rams to advance to Super Bowl LX ❤️
Here’s what you should know about how the conference champions match up:
Patriots’ offense vs. Seahawks’ defense
This matchup pits an elite offense against an elite defense. The Patriots ended the regular season ranked second in scoring, while the Seahawks gave up the fewest points in the NFL. Something will have to give.
The passing game battle is a must-watch. New England posted the fourth-best passing offense during the regular season, with Maye leading the NFL in yards per attempt (8.0) and completion rate (71.9%). Seattle ranked 10th in pass defense during the regular season, but it’s 1-2 in games in which it gave up 250-plus net passing yards, with the only win coming in overtime (Week 16, Los Angeles Rams).
Drake Maye hasn’t lit up the stat sheet in the playoffs, but he’s headed to the Super Bowl. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Pats put up more than 250 net passing yards nine times in 2025, going 8-1 in those games. So Maye has a great opportunity in front of him.
But ball security was an issue for the second-year quarterback early in the postseason. He had five turnovers (two interceptions, three lost fumbles) in New England’s first two playoff games. The Seahawks, who ranked sixth in takeaways during the regular season, forced three turnovers in the divisional round against San Francisco.
Seahawks’ offense vs. Patriots’ defense
The Patriots are going to have their hands full with the Seahawks’ offense, which can beat you in a multitude of ways.
Seattle flexed its run game dominance in the divisional round against the Niners — 175 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns — but its passing attack can get going at any moment with Darnold and superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards during the regular season.
The Patriots could put star cornerback Christian Gonzalez on Smith-Njigba exclusively, forcing other Seahawks receivers to beat them. And outside the former Ohio State standout, Seattle didn’t have a receiver reach 600 yards for the season. That could put the onus on its run game, which is without No. 2 running back and leading touchdown scorer Zach Charbonnet due to a knee injury.
New England tied for the ninth-highest pressure rate in 2025, but ranked 16th in total pressures, 20th in sack rate and tied for 22nd in sacks. That could spell trouble against Darnold, who completed 72.6% of his passes for 3,261 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions and a 109.4 passer rating when he didn’t face pressure this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
How does it play out?
Yes, Darnold has had turnover issues. He committed a turnover via an interception or a strip-sack fumble on 7.2% of his pressured dropbacks during the regular season — six interceptions and five fumbles lost — the highest rate in the NFL, per NGS.
Darnold’s play in the NFC championship game, his play to get Seattle to this point, shows that he’s ready for the big moment. That’s not something we couldn’t have said just a year ago, when he crumbled down the stretch for a 14-win Vikings team.
After a terrific regular season, Drake Maye hasn’t been nearly as sharp in these playoffs. And quarterback play could be the difference for the Lombardi Trophy, as both defenses are elite.
Score prediction: Patriots 25, Seahawks 22
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