I follow the NFL passionately, and if you had told me at the beginning of the season that the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks would be facing off in Super Bowl LX (60), I would have laughed in your face.
Well, as I write this on Feb. 4, four days away from the Super Bowl, on Sunday, the whole nation will be watching a Super Bowl XLIX (49) rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. How did both teams get here?
I’ll start with the New England Patriots, who are led by first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel coached the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023. Vrabel was very successful in Tennessee, as he recorded a 54-45 record while in Nashville. The Titans reached as far as the AFC Championship game back in 2019, Vrabel’s second year at the helm. They lost that game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
That season was considered a major success and a step forward for the Titans. Vrabel was considered one of the best coaches in the NFL at the time. Eventually, at the end of the 2023 season, Vrabel was let go by the Titans, and the NFL world was shocked. Vrabel was obviously disappointed with the firing and wanted another chance to be a head coach.
He was a hot name on the market in 2024 but decided to wait for the right opportunity. That opportunity came after the 2024 season, as the Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after just one season, one where the team finished with a 4-13 record. Vrabel, having formerly played for the Patriots and won three Super Bowls as a player, jumped on this opportunity. Vrabel led the Patriots to a 14-3 record, and they are back in the Super Bowl.
The most appealing part of the job, though, was the young quarterback in place for the Patriots, Drake Maye. Maye, in his first season in 2024, showed flashes of promise. But in 2025, Maye took an unprecedented leap and became one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He threw for 4,394 yards and had an NFL-best 72 percent completion percentage. Maye was the best quarterback in the NFL at pushing the ball downfield while also being insanely efficient.
As a team, the Patriots averaged 28.8 points per game, which ranked second-best in the NFL. This Patriots offense was elite during the regular season, but it has been their defense that has carried them through this postseason. Through three playoff games, the Patriots are allowing 8.7 points per game. That’s right, just 8.7 points. They are also giving up just 209.7 yards per game. Both of those numbers rank as the best among all teams in the postseason.
The Patriots defense is peaking at the right time, and with being led by an MVP-level quarterback in Drake Maye, the Patriots are scary. Unfortunately for them, the Seahawks might be scarier.
In his second year in Seattle, head coach Mike Macdonald has his team in the Super Bowl, and they have more than a chance of winning it. Where did Mike Macdonald come from? Before taking the Seahawks job in 2024, Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.
Macdonald is most remembered for the Ravens defense he led in 2023, which was historically good. In 2023, the Ravens defense became the first defense in NFL history to lead the league in scoring defense (16.5 points allowed per game), sacks (60) and takeaways (31). Macdonald was known for his great defensive play calling, and he has now brought that to the Seahawks as well.
In 2025, the Seahawks defense allowed only 17.2 points per game, the best in the NFL. They are a well-rounded defense at all levels but are most notably led by All-Pro linebacker Ernest Jones IV. Jones led the team in tackles with 126, and he had five interceptions throughout the regular season. The Seahawks are known for their defense, and deservingly so. They are outstanding, but the offense may be just as good.
During the regular season, the Seahawks scored 28.4 points per game, which ranked third-highest in the NFL. They are led by Sam Darnold, a quarterback who has bounced around since being drafted in 2018 by the New York Jets. Most recently, Darnold was the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 season. Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Despite leading them to 14 wins, the Vikings let Darnold go in free agency in favor of J.J. McCarthy.
Darnold landed with Seattle in free agency on a three-year, $100.5 million contract, and the rest is history. Darnold has done it again. He led the Seahawks to a 14-win season, and instead of losing in the wildcard round last year like he did with Minnesota, he is in the Super Bowl.
The key piece for the Seahawks’ offensive success this season, outside of Darnold, has been superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, most often called JSN. JSN led the league in receiving yards with 1,793 and is known for his elite route-running ability. JSN is the engine of the Seahawks’ offensive attack, and it is very difficult to guard him one-on-one.
Despite having a really good passing attack, the Seahawks’ running game is a big part of what they do. They run the ball more than 50 percent of the time, and that helps greatly in setting up the passing game.
The leading rusher for the Seahawks was Kenneth Walker III, and he is probably the most dangerous offensive weapon outside of JSN. Another dangerous piece they have is Rashid Shaheed. He returns punts and kickoffs for the Seahawks and has three touchdowns on returns, including the postseason. The Seahawks are well-rounded and are an elite team on both sides of the ball.
Now let’s talk about predictions for the game. I had a chance to talk to 18-year-old Brookdale student from Manalapan Anthony Yanick about the big game. “I’m very excited for this year’s Super Bowl,” Yanick said. “I’m very intrigued to see how Sam Darnold and Drake Maye will perform on the biggest stage. But in the end, I do think Seattle’s defense will be too dominant for Maye and the Patriots. I have the Seahawks winning 24-20.”
I have the Seahawks winning as well. Yes, the Patriots defense has been amazing in this playoff run, but they are now facing the best offense they have seen yet. The Seahawks are scoring 36.0 points per game in these playoffs, and I expect their offense to continue to click on all cylinders in this one.
Though the Patriots offense has been lackluster in the postseason up until this point, I expect a bounce-back game from them. Since they had two weeks to prepare for this game, I expect Drake Maye and the Patriots offense to look more like the offense that propelled them to 14 wins in the regular season.
I think Drake Maye will play his best game of the playoffs on Sunday, but I just don’t think that will be enough. The Patriots will have a tough time stopping Seattle’s passing game, and the Seahawks defense will come up with one big stop late. My score prediction is Seattle 27, New England 24.
