New England Patriots
The Seahawks boast the third-ranked offense in factors per sport and restricted opponents to a league-best 17.2 factors per sport.
The New England Patriots will tackle a well-recognized foe in Tremendous Bowl LX.
After punching their ticket to Santa Clara with a 10-7 win over the Broncos in the AFC title game, New England needed to wait a bit longer to see who they may face at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The Patriots acquired their reply Sunday evening, because the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 31-27, within the NFC championship sport to earn their shot on the Lombardi Trophy.
Seattle has received 9 video games in a row and 13 of its final 14 video games getting into Tremendous Bowl LX.
The Seahawks will stand as New England’s hardest take a look at of the season, with Seattle going into the Tremendous Bowl as the highest seed within the NFC with each an imposing protection and explosive offense.
Right here’s 5 issues to learn about New England’s opponent in Tremendous Bowl LX.
This isn’t the primary time the Patriots have battled Seattle within the Tremendous Bowl
The collective cardiac wellbeing of each Patriots and Seahawks followers is perhaps in jeopardy in a couple of weeks if Tremendous Bowl LX follows an analogous script because the final time New England and Seattle met within the large sport.
New England outlasted the “Legion of Increase” Seahawks straight away traditional in Tremendous Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015 — giving Tom Brady and the Patriots their fourth Tremendous Bowl title and first because the 2004 season.
It was a conflict of the titans at College of Phoenix Stadium, with Brady overcoming a 10-point deficit in opposition to the Seahawks’ vaunted protection within the second half to take a 28-24 lead with simply 2:02 left in regulation.
A miraculous 33-yard circus catch from Jermaine Kearse — who bobbled the ball earlier than snagging it whereas on his again — put Seattle on New England’s 5-yard line with 1:05 to go.
However, after Dont’a Hightower stopped Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line, Russell Wilson’s ill-advised determination to throw into the tip zone resulted in one of many biggest performs in NFL historical past — with Malcolm Butler selecting off Wilson to clinch the dramatic win for New England.
Seattle boasts an elite protection
This Seahawks protection is probably not anchored by former franchise stalwarts like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner, and Kam Chancellor.
However New England — who has already overcome three elite defenses within the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos en path to Tremendous Bowl LX — can have one other powerful take a look at in opposition to Mike Macdonald’s protection in Santa Clara.
Seattle’s protection led all groups in factors allowed per sport (17.2) through the common season, and had been sixth within the league in yards allowed per sport (295.2). A number of that success has been rooted in a stingy run protection, which allowed a median of 91.9 yards on the bottom (third in NFL) to opponents this season.
Granted, the three groups that the Patriots beat within the AFC playoffs within the Texans (1st), Broncos (2nd), and Chargers (fifth) all fared higher than the Seahawks in yards allowed per sport. However, Seattle’s protection can throw lots at even the stoutest offensive models.
Whereas few groups have generated chunk yardage on the bottom in opposition to Seattle, the Seahawks have additionally doled out loads of injury by getting after the quarterback.
Solely six groups posted extra sacks than Seattle’s 47.0 in 17 common season video games, with the Seahawks — very similar to the Texans — producing loads of stress with out dialing up blitzes.
As noted by NFL Network’s Nick Shook, Seattle boasts the fourth-highest stress price (38.9 p.c of dropbacks) within the NFL regardless of blitzing on the eighth-lowest frequency (23.1 p.c of snaps).
Drake Maye and the Patriots might want to keep away from drive-ending sacks and defend the soccer, which could possibly be a problem provided that Seattle’s low blitz price means Devon Witherspoon and Seattle’s secondary can take away a number of receiving choices.
Limiting turnovers must be paramount for New England, as Seattle ranked sixth in takeaways this season.
Sam Darnold instructions an explosive offense
The Seahawks’ protection just isn’t the one purpose why they soared to the highest of the NFC standings this season.
Seattle additionally ranked third within the NFL in factors per sport (28.4), with journeyman QB Sam Darnold commanding an offensive unit that has loads of home-run hitters throughout their roster.
Darnold — the previous No. 3 choose within the 2018 NFL Draft by the Jets — has revitalized his profession in recent times, main the Vikings to a 14-win season in 2024 earlier than placing collectively one other sturdy 12 months in Seattle.
He accomplished 67.7 p.c of his passes for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns throughout common season play — and has been even higher within the postseason.
Towards the Rams on Sunday evening, Darnold accomplished 25-of-36 throws for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and a 127.8 passer ranking.
Darnold’s 122.4 postseason passer ranking getting into the Tremendous Bowl ranks because the fourth-highest in NFL historical past — with Matt Ryan (2016) main the best way at 132.6.
Even with out working again Zach Charbonnet (torn ACL), Seattle additionally has a harmful run sport with Kenneth Walker main the cost. Walker solely averaged 3.3 yards per carry in opposition to the Rams, however went off for 116 yards and three touchdowns in a divisional-round win over the 49ers.
Seattle has the highest huge receiver within the NFL
Seattle’s offense has orchestrated explosive performs at a formidable price this season. According to PFF, Seattle generated the sixth-most explosive performs within the NFL this season, with Darnold sporting the very best completion share within the NFL on deep cross makes an attempt (56.6%).
A number of Darnold’s success has been rooted in a breakout season from 2025 PFWA Offensive Participant of the Yr Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who reeled in 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns through the common season. Getting into Sunday, Smith-Njigba led all gamers with 16 catches of 20-plus yards.
In a Tremendous Bowl showdown that includes a number of key matchups, no head-to-head showdown is perhaps as compelling as Christian Gonzalez receiving the lion’s share of reps in opposition to Smith-Njigba.
If an All-Professional nook like Gonzalez can gradual dow or restrict Smith-Njigba, it bodes properly for New England’s probabilities of grounding Seattle’s high-flying offense.
New England has a number of areas it might exploit in opposition to Seattle
As daunting as New England’s upcoming matchup is perhaps, the Patriots nonetheless have a couple of methods that may land punches in opposition to the Seahawks, particularly relating to a New England protection that has surrendered just 26 points through three playoff games.
Darnold has been spectacular this postseason, however he has been susceptible to turnovers throughout regular-season motion. He threw the third-most interceptions within the league (14) to go together with the second-most fumbles (six).
As Shook famous, 11 of Darnold’s 20 giveaways have below stress (six interceptions, 5 fumbles misplaced) in 2025, whereas 7.2 p.c of his dropbacks below stress resulted in a giveaway.
If New England’s cross rushers and defensive linemen like Okay’Lavon Chaisson and Milton Williams can wreak havoc, Darnold might cough up the soccer.
Seattle’s success on offense can be rooted in its working sport, which averaged 144 dashing yards per sport over its final 10 matchups getting into Sunday’s NFC title sport.
However, New England’s protection has been stingy in opposition to the run all 12 months, rating sixth within the league in dashing yards allowed per sport (101.7). In three postseason video games, opponents generated simply 71.3 internet dashing yards per contest in opposition to New England.
As long as New England can restrict injury within the run sport and Gonzalez can decelerate Smith-Njigba, the Patriots “big dogs” up front might make life depressing for Darnold in hopes of flipping the sector through a couple of pricey turnovers.
In fact, that very same method should maintain true for Maye and the Patriots offense — who’ve been knocked for six fumbles (three misplaced) by way of three playoff video games.
Join the At present e-newsletter
Get all the things it’s essential know to begin your day, delivered proper to your inbox each morning.
