Seahawks clearly cut out for Super Bowl champions Jordan Gibreal, February 3, 2026

After the Seattle Seahawks 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams and the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Broncos on championship weekend, the Super Bowl matchup is set. The last time these two teams met in the big game was in 2015 when the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28-24. Despite both teams earning their way to this stage, Seattle enters this matchup as the more complete team, built to win in multiple ways and better positioned to claim the Lombardi trophy.

The state of both franchises has drastically changed since then, with both teams parting ways with eventual Hall of Fame coaches and undergoing rebuilds. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is in his second season, while Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is in his eighth season in the NFL and first with Seattle. This makes for a captivating quarterback battle as both are fairly new to their team. While both quarterbacks enter the matchup with limited time in their current systems, Seattle’s offensive stability gives them a noticeable edge. Darnold benefits from a more established supporting cast and a system designed to maximize his efficiency rather than force production, which allows the Seahawks to stay balanced. 

Darnold’s experience, as well as having statistically one of the best wide receivers in the league in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, gives him a large advantage. The Seahawks also added former Los Angeles Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp in the offseason. Though Kupp has not performed as he did in 2021, he’s managed to be a reliable second option for the Seahawks in the playoffs. Standout running back Kenneth Walker III  is another offensive threat to look for on the Seahawks, as he’s scored four touchdowns in the last two games he’s played. While Drake Maye has a star wide receiver of his own in Stefon Diggs, the 11th-year wideout has not been impactful in the endzone this season, catching just four touchdowns and averaging a career low 6.6 yards per game in the playoffs. Maye’s second option is former Louisiana State University standout Kayshon Boutte, who’s leading the team in receiving in the playoffs with 147 yards and averaging 18.4 YPG. 

The Seahawks’ and Patriots’ defenses are stellar as they are both top eight defenses in the league. While the Patriots defense held a lower passing yards per game total with 3512, the Seahawks held teams to fewer passing touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and fewer rushing yards. Adding to that, the Seahawks forced the same number of fumbles as the Patriots despite having played one less game. Though the Patriots racked up an incredible five interceptions, with four coming from quarterback C.J. Stroud, it only yielded seven points. New England’s inability to convert off turnovers will be a struggle, especially against a team that can win games despite turnovers.

 This matchup may be a complete mystery, but when evaluating both teams, the difference between the two comes down to how sustainable their paths to points truly are. The Seahawks’ success relies on consistency and execution rather than a single play or moment, while the Patriots’ success comes from finding ways to capitalize on luck. Seattle’s style of play, regardless of the opponent, gives them the clear advantage.