The matchup for Super Bowl 60 has been set. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will meet up at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 following the AFC and NFC championship games. It will be a rematch of Super Bowl 49 won by the Patriots, 28-24, in 2015.
New England (14-3) is in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019. Seattle (14-3) is making its first trip to the Big Game since that 4-point loss against the Patriots in Glendale, Arizona.
The Patriots outlasted the top-seeded Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday. Conditions impacted the matchup leading to a 10-7 win for second-seeded New England. Defensive back Christian Gonzalez stepped in front of a pass intended for Marvin Mims Jr. sealing the victory with an interception.
The evening matchup between NFC West foes Seattle and Los Angeles brought more excitement than the snowy afternoon game. The Rams and Seahawks know each other well, and it came down to the wire at Lumen Field.
The NFC championship matchup was the third meeting of the year between the two teams, and it did not disappoint. Both teams capitalized on miscues but it was Seattle that did enough to earn a 31-27 victory. Matthew Stafford and the Rams did not go down quietly, however.
It ended on a completion from Stafford to Puka Nacua for 21 yards before time expired.
Seattle and New England will now meet in Santa Clara with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.
Late Interception Secures AFC Championship Win For Patriots
The weather in Denver did not cooperate in the AFC championship. The temperature dipped to 26 degrees at kickoff at Empower Field at Mile High and only fell from then. The wind and snow picked up as the Broncos and Patriots battled.
It led to a lack of offense for both teams throughout the day. They combined for just 387 total yards in the wintry conditions. Patriots QB Drake Maye did his best to move the offense but finished with just 86 yards passing and 10 completions. The NFL MVP finalist went 10 for 21 through the air and was sacked 5 times in the game.
Maye accounted for New England’s lone touchdown on the day with a 6-yard run in the second quarter to tie the game, 7-7.
Prior to Gonzalez’s interception, the biggest play of the game took place on special teams. Defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III, who was activated from the practice squad Saturday, tipped a Wil Lutz field goal try.
The 45-yard attempt sailed wide left after the former New York Jet got his hand on the kick at the line of scrimmage. The block came with 4:42 to play. A punt followed for New England on the ensuing drive but Gonzalez ended the Denver threat with his interception.
Jarrett Stidham heaved the deep pass to Mims on second-and-9 from the Denver 33. It was a miscue for the Broncos backup quarterback who made his first start since the 2023 season Sunday. Stidham stepped in for Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the divisional round.
He finished the game with 133 yards passing plus a 6-yard touchdown to Courtland Sutton with 10:19 to play in the first quarter.
Vrabel’s Turnaround Leads To Super Bowl Berth For New England
The New England victory Sunday marks the latest milestone in an impressive turnaround for the franchise. Mike Vrabel, who won three titles as a player with the Patriots, guided the team to a Super Bowl in his first season as head coach. It comes after New England went 4-13 in the 2024 season.
Vrabel would be the first coach to win a title as both a player and coach for the same franchise if New England deliver in Super Bowl 60.
Maye is an MVP candidate but the defense has been a guiding force in the postseason for Vrabel, a former linebacker. New England has allowed just 26 points so far in three playoff matchups.
Darnold Key In Helping Seattle Reach Super Bowl 60
Sam Darnold has had quite the career arc in the NFL. The Seattle quarterback is in his first season with the team after reigniting his career in Minnesota last season. The former first-round pick was traded away from the New York Jets to Carolina in 2021.
Darnold eventually landed as a backup in San Francisco after two seasons with the Panthers. His career year with the Vikings in 2024 led to a new deal with the Seahawks when Minnesota opted not to re-sign Darnold.
Now, the eighth-year quarterback will lead Seattle into the Super Bowl after only earning his first playoff win last week.
Sunday’s NFC championship was ultimately decided in frantic third quarter that featured four touchdowns for the two teams. The key game-changing moment in that quarter took place on the opening drive. A sack of Darnold by Los Angeles linebacker Jared Verse forced a punt from Seattle.
Return man Xavier Smith misjudged the punt and tripped allowing the Seahawks to recover at the Los Angeles 17-yard line. Darnold hit Jake Bobo for a touchdown on the next play to put Seattle up 24-13 with 12:02 to play in the third.
The Rams were able to score twice before the end of the third quarter. Stafford capped a 75-yard drive with 2-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams to make it a 24-20 game with 9:41 in the third. Following a Darnold TD to Cooper Kupp, Stafford led an 87-yard drive for Los Angeles. The drive ended with a 34-yard touchdown from Stafford to receiver Puka Nacua in what would be the last score of the game.
Darnold finished his day with 346 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. He completed 25 of his 36 pass attempts in the NFC championship.
Running back Kenneth Walker III opened the scoring with a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. He carried the load with Zach Charbonnet sidelined and finished with 19 rushes and 62 yards on the ground.
Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba shined for Seattle once again and contributed with 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. His 14-yard touchdown grab with 20 seconds left in the first half helped Seattle regain a 17-13 lead. The Seahawks would never trail again en route to securing their fourth Super Bowl appearance.
Seahawks, Patriots Set For SB XLIX Rematch
The last time Seattle was in a Super Bowl, it ended with a big decision that was is still being discussed. It also happened to take place against the Patriots. That matchup at the end of the 2014 season finished with the Seahawks being a yard short of a second consecutive Super Bowl win.
It featured a double-digit fourth quarter comeback for the Tom Brady-led Patriots. A ridiculous juggling catch by Jermaine Kearse eventually led to a highly scrutinized decision. The Seahawks opted to allow Russell Wilson to pass on second-and-goal from 1 instead of hand off to Marshawn Lynch.
The decision by then-offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell still gets talked about 11 years later.
Times have changed for both teams. Mike Macdonald has revitalized the Seahawks while Vrabel has New England back in a Super Bowl for the first time since 2018. The Patriots have been the team of the century with six Super Bowl wins.
Yet, the post-Brady era has come with its struggles.
New England and Seattle will not get their chance to reach the top of the mountain in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium. Super Bowl LX will kick off at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC.
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