TC Martin

Patriots vs. Seahawks in Repeat Super Bowl

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There’s been turnover at the top of the NFL hierarchy this season, but there will some familiarity in this year's Super Bowl.  

 

The team names in Super Bowl XV will look eerily similar to 2015 when Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a narrow 28-24 victory over Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. That game will always be remembered for the decision by Seattle Offensive Coordinator, Darrell Bevell to call a pass play with 26 seconds to go with the ball on the 1-yard line.  Instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch who had 102 yards rushing in the game, Wilson threw the interception and Malcolm Buter became a hero for the Patriots. 

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Only one person from that New England team returns and he happens to be the head coach. Mike Vrabel.  Vrabel was a player in that Super Bowl and now is in his first year with the Patriots and is one of the main reasons this team is where they are today.  He took a team who won four games last season and guided this young group to wins in 16 of their last 17 games. 

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The New England defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game, putting them back in the Super Bowl much quicker than expected. The Patriots have been solid on sides of the ball. With second-year quarterback Drake Maye, a potential MVP finalist, leading the offense behind play caller Josh McDaniel the Pats have a top five offense and defense. 

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Seattle outlasted the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game to secure their fourth Super Bowl appearance.  Though Seattle had the NFL’s best scoring defense this season, they showed it could win a shootout as well. It's the second time the last six weeks they had over 30 points against the Rams.  The conference’s top seed are just as hot as New England as they have won nine in a row and 13 of 14. 

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​Though the Patriots had their legitimacy as a contender questioned after facing the easiest schedule in the NFL during the regular season (a .391 combined opponent win percentage), they erased any doubts with their postseason run. They started with a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round and had a 28-16 takedown of the Houston Texans in the divisional round before going to Denver and hanging on in a defensive battle.

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The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the regular season but also scored the third most.  Quarterback Sam Darnold’s career revival continued, as he completed 68 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the regular season. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 119 catches for a league-high 1,793 yards along with 10 touchdowns. Darnold has yet to throw a postseason interception.

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Both teams are technically sound and physical on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league this season after ranking 22nd in 2024. They’ve given up an average of nine points per playoff outing while Seattle ranked third against the run during the regular season, sixth in takeaways (25) and seventh in sacks (47).

 

The team that shows the most poise and makes the fewest mistakes should come out on top but the team that applies the most pressure and plays the best defense will ultimately win this Super Bowl showdown.​​​