Super Bowl LX takes place on Sunday, February 8, from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The New England Patriots represent the AFC in the game, while the Seattle Seahawks come out of the NFC. The 2026 Super Bowl is a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX from 2015. The Patriots, behind Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, downed the Pete Carroll coached Seahawks, who had Russell Wilson under center. Brady won the Super Bowl MVP that year.
Super Bowl LX marks the first time the Patriots have played in the NFL championship game since 2019, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 13-3. As for Seattle, the winners of the 2014 Super Bowl (43-6 over the Denver Broncos), have not played in the big game since losing to the Pats in 2015.
The New England Patriots finished the 2025 NFL season in first place in the AFC East with a 14-3 record. The team went 14-1 after a 1-2 start to finish the year. The Pats, led by MVP candidate quarterback Drake Maye, defeated the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos to make it to Super Bowl LX.
The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2025 NFL season as the top team in the NFC with a 14-3 record. Seattle wrapped up the year on a seven-game winning streak and has not lost since Week 11, when the Rams defeated them 21-19 on the road. The Seahawks’ run through the playoffs saw them defeat the 49ers and the Rams.
The New England Patriots had a huge turnaround from last season. The Pats finished the 2024 NFL season with a 4-13 record, finishing in last place in the AFC East and missing the playoffs. This year, New England went 14-3 behind first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year QB Drake Maye. On Sunday, we find out if the team can win its seventh Super Bowl title.
Heading into the playoffs, the New England offense was second in points scored (28.8), fourth in passing yards (250.5), and sixth in rushing yards (128.9). The team’s rushing yards have held steady in the playoffs, but the passing and points stats have dropped, and that’s because the Patriots have faced top-level defenses in the postseason. Which, speaking of defense, that’s one of the reasons New England is in the Super Bowl this year, ranking first in the playoffs in total yards (209.7), third in passing yards (138.3), first in rushing yards (71.3), and first in points (8.7).
Maye has been running well in the playoffs. The New England QB is second on the team in rushing with 141 yards on 24 carries, with the team’s only rushing touchdown. His ability to be a threat with his arm and legs is important for the Pats. On the downside, Maye has been sacked five times in each playoff game this year.
The big concern for the Patriots is points on offense. The club has averaged just 18 points per game in the playoffs, which is alarmingly low.
Turnovers could play a role on Sunday as the Pats are plus three and the Seahawks are plus four. It’s no surprise that holding onto the ball is important.
The worry for the Seattle Seahawks heading into Super Bowl LX is the health of quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold injured his oblique in practice, but he has led the team to two playoff wins and a berth in the Super Bowl. The bad news is that injury is still lingering and limiting Darnold in practice. However, Seahawks’ bettors must remember that Darnold didn’t practice much heading into the NFC championship game, and he still finished with 346 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Darnold is coming off one his best career games against the Rams.
While Darnold might be limited, he has not been sacked as often as Maye, being sacked five times in the team’s two playoff games. With that in mind, the Seattle offensive line needs to protect Darnold, while the defense needs to put as much pressure as possible on Maye.
There are also some worries on the rushing side of the ball with Seattle since Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the win over the 49ers. However, the team fared decently against the Rams, with Kenneth Walker III gaining 62 of the team’s 75 ground yards.
Seattle enters the Super Bowl first in the NFL playoffs in points per game, scoring an average of 36 points in its two playoff contests, while the defense is third in points against, giving up 16.5. If there is a concern for Seattle as a team, it is defensive yardage surrendered. They have given up 246.5 yards per game in the playoffs in the air and 111 on the ground.
If the New England defense can put pressure on Seattle QB Darnold, the Pats have a chance to pull off the upset in Super Bowl LX. However, Darnold has been above average in the playoffs and has limited his mistakes. The Seahawks’ coaching staff knows how to gameplan for Darnold. I don’t expect that to change on Sunday.
The betting odds make a Patriots pick to win attractive, but the betting picks is that the Seahawks will beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.