The stage is set for Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara. The NFL playoff bracket has narrowed the field from 14 teams competing to two.
The New England Patriots will meet the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl in a battle to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
Will the Seahawks soar to new heights in Santa Clara in two weeks or will the Patriots make history and win an NFL-best seventh Super Bowl? New England and Seattle are bound to deliver a classic; some NFL fans will scramble to figure out who comes out on top.
Super Bowl picks: Patriots vs. Seahawks predictions
Ayrton Ostly, NFL writer: Seahawks 28, Patriots 17
Seattle proved its mettle on the big stage against a tough opponent in Los Angeles on an off day for its defense (479 total yards allowed). New England is well-coached with a top quarterback, but it just doesn’t have the firepower on either side of the ball to hold up against what the Seahawks have assembled. Sam Darnold came out on top against Chris Shula. Time for him to prove doubters wrong again on the biggest stage.
Jacob Camenker, NFL writer: Seahawks 24, Patriots 17
Mike Vrabel deserves a lot of credit for guiding the Patriots to the Super Bowl, but it will be incredibly hard for them to keep their run going against the Seahawks’ stalwart defense.
Seattle ranked No. 2 in defensive EPA per play during the 2025 NFL season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, second to only the Houston Texans. Mike Macdonald’s defense is a strong, attacking unit that marries excellent coverage to a fearsome, multi-faceted pass rush.
The latter unit figures to give the Patriots the most trouble, as their offensive line has struggled to hold up in front of Drake Maye. The second-year quarterback has been sacked five times in each of the team’s three playoff games thus far, which has hampered his ability to consistently make downfield passing plays.
The Patriots have been able to win games despite this, leaning on their elite defense to limit opponents to a playoff-best 8.7 points per game. Achieving similar results against the Seahawks could allow Vrabel’s squad to keep the game close and potentially win a defensive battle – just like the team did in its 13-3 Super Bowl 53 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
However, if Sam Darnold, Kenneth Walker and Jaxon Smith-Njigba can continue to perform well after averaging 36 points per game over their first two playoff games, it may be hard for Maye and Co. to keep pace against an elite defense.
Jack McKessy, NFL writer: Seahawks 31, Patriots 20
In two postseason appearances so far this season, the Seattle Seahawks have looked absolutely dominant in every phase of the game. Quarterback Sam Darnold will be coming off one of the best games of his career in the biggest game of his career to lead the offense once again after back-to-back 30+ point outings to begin the playoffs. Seattle’s defense also just held the Rams, one of the NFL’s best offenses, to fewer than 30 points and a 2-for-10 conversion rate on third- and fourth-down attempts.
The Patriots and head coach Mike Vrabel deserve their flowers for the incredible turnaround they pulled off this year, going 14-3 and winning an AFC title coming off back-to-back four-win seasons. But to get to this point, New England’s defense benefited from performances among the career worsts from opposing quarterbacks Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud, then an injury to Broncos starter Bo Nix in the divisional round. Meanwhile, the lights have appeared bright for quarterback Drake Maye, who has had a shaky postseason after an MVP-caliber regular season.
Seattle looks poised to capitalize on the Patriots’ flaws, while New England can’t just rely on Darnold turning back into a pumpkin after his outstanding NFC championship game outing.
Nick Brinkerhoff, NFL writer: Seahawks 34, Patriots 17
It might be officially known as the NFC championship game, but it was actually Super Bowl 60 when the Seahawks defeated the Rams. Seattle’s matchup against New England will now be a two-week-long coronation for the new champions of the league, who shouldn’t have to break a sweat to knock off the AFC champion Patriots, who barely beat the Chargers, Texans and Broncos en route to Santa Clara.
Sam Darnold has looked unstoppable running the offense in the postseason and the Seahawks’ defense can make even the most electric offenses look mediocre. Strong in all three phases, they are simply better than a Patriots team that is ahead of schedule – as evidenced further by Drake Maye’s struggles thus far. Seattle gets its revenge for Super Bowl 49, winning the franchise’s second Lombardi in convincing fashion.
Tom Viera, NFL writer/editor: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
What an incredible feat by Drake Maye and the upstart Patriots to reach the Super Bowl. They deserve their flowers, but the Patriots’ offense struggled to score touchdowns this season, finishing 22nd in red zone efficiency. There’s been plenty of chatter about New England’s schedule and that will come to bear in the Big Game.
The Super Bowl will be just the second game of the season for the Patriots west of the Mississippi River. Yup, that’s how favorable it’s been.
Seattle’s defense has been the best unit all season, ranking first in defensive DVOA according to FTN. The Patriots’ offensive line has struggled, allowing 15 sacks across their three playoff games. The Seahawks finished the regular season with the sixth-fewest yards allowed per game (285.6) and were the best scoring defense (17.1 PPG allowed).
The Patriots might be able to slow down Kenneth Walker and the run game with a healthy Milton Williams, as their defense ranks fourth in EPA per rush when he plays. However, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is having an outstanding season and proved it again in the NFC title game. He’s a game-changer, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak uses him in various ways that will make it tough for the Patriots’ top cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, to shadow him.
Unfortunately, for Maye and any other quarterback who plays for New England in the future, they will be in the shadow of Tom Brady. The next dynasty in Foxborough might be on the horizon, but it’s not their turn to lift the Lombardi Trophy. Seattle will control this game – beginning to end – and avenge their Super Bowl defeat just over a decade later.
How to watch Super Bowl 2026
NBC owns the rights to broadcast Super Bowl 60 this year. The game will be available to stream on either Fubo (which offers a free trial) and Peacock.
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 8
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming: Fubo, Peacock
- Location: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California