Super Bowl 60: Patriots and Seahawks Face Off in Open NFL Race
The NFL's 2025 season has emerged as one of the most competitive in recent years, culminating in a Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday to determine the league champions.
New England, a franchise with six Super Bowl titles, returns to the championship game for the first time since 2019, following the departures of iconic quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The revitalized Patriots have surged unexpectedly to reach Super Bowl 60 in California, marking their record-extending 12th appearance in the NFL's premier event.
The Seattle Seahawks have advanced to their fourth Super Bowl, their first since 2015 when the Patriots prevented them from securing consecutive championships. A British coach now has the opportunity to become the first overseas coach to win what is arguably the biggest game in world sport, having played a key role in restoring Seattle's status as title contenders.
The event will also feature a historic halftime show by a Latin superstar amid ongoing concerns about how U.S. immigration authorities manage the event, which has been the most-watched broadcast on American television for each of the past three years.
Patriots' Legacy and Recent Rebuild
Between 2002 and 2019, Brady and Belichick led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six and tying the record for most Super Bowl victories alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers. A victory at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara would give New England an outright record.
Last season, the Patriots finished with a disappointing 4-13 record under coach Jerod Mayo, who was subsequently replaced by Mike Vrabel, a former player who won the Super Bowl with New England. Vrabel, previously head coach of the Tennessee Titans, rebuilt the Patriots' roster, leading to a remarkable turnaround with a 14-3 record this season. This 10-win improvement ties for the largest single-season turnaround in NFL history, and the Patriots are the first team with such a turnaround to reach the Super Bowl.
Vrabel, aged 50, also has the chance to become the first individual to win a Super Bowl both as a player and as a head coach with the same franchise.
Quarterback Stories: Maye and Darnold
New England's quarterback, Drake Maye, grew up in North Carolina and attended the previous Super Bowl held at Levi's Stadium a decade ago. At 13, he watched the Carolina Panthers lose to the Denver Broncos. Now, Maye returns to Santa Clara as a leading candidate for this season's Most Valuable Player award.
Maye is the ninth second-year quarterback to reach the Super Bowl and aims to be the first to win since Russell Wilson led Seattle to victory in 2014. At 23, Maye will be the second youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl, following Dan Marino in 1985.
Seattle's quarterback, Sam Darnold, shares a similar draft pedigree, having been the third overall pick in 2018. His NFL journey has been a story of redemption. After struggling with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, Darnold spent the 2023 season as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers before being promoted to starter at Minnesota.
Darnold led the Vikings to the playoffs last season. With JJ McCarthy returning from injury, he joined Seattle in the offseason and has become only the second quarterback after Brady to achieve back-to-back 14-win seasons. At 28, Darnold is the first to accomplish this feat with different teams.
Season Records and Super Bowl Odds
New England, Seattle, and Denver all finished the regular season with a 14-3 record. Despite their rich history and having an MVP contender at quarterback, the Patriots enter the Super Bowl as underdogs for the first time since Brady's initial win in 2002.
Seattle is favored by bookmakers, having emerged from the highly competitive NFC West division to secure the NFC's top seed. They defeated divisional rivals San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams again in the playoffs.
Darnold has developed a formidable connection with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the league in receiving yards. Seattle's defense has been formidable, allowing the fewest points per game at 17.2.
The Seahawks' 2014 Super Bowl-winning team was renowned for its Legion of Boom defense. In the past two seasons, head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde, a British coach, have crafted a modern iteration nicknamed the Dark Side.
Halftime Show and Political Context
Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny will make history as the first solo male Latin artist to perform the halftime show, expected to perform entirely in Spanish. The 31-year-old artist has been Spotify's most streamed artist in four of the past six years. In addition to his music career, he is an actor, has hosted Saturday Night Live, and held the WWE 24/7 championship...
