Super Bowl LX preview: Drake Maye isn’t Dan Marino and Seahawks will make Patriots wait to recreate dynasty

After 17 regular-season games and three playoff rounds, we are finally here.

Sam Darnold is better than Matthew Stafford, while Drake Maye survived a blizzard in Denver and is one win away from entering Tom Brady territory.

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But who’s winning Super Bowl LX — also known as the rematch of XLIX?

talkSPORT has been ranking all 32 NFL teams weekly and now only two franchises remain.

Only one squad can win Super Bowl LX, and a world champion will be crowned on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Will it be the Seattle Seahawks and Darnold’s surreal NFL makeover or Maye and the almost unbeatable New England Patriots?

Let’s start at the top and work toward a final score prediction for Super Bowl LX.

Quarterback

Drake Maye threw for 86 yards in the AFC Championship and made the Super Bowl.

That’s how good the revived Patriots have been during the 2025 season.

Of course, Maye will take the field in Super Bowl LX in a more pass-friendly environment – as long as the former No. 3 overall pick doesn’t soak in any negativity from the affects electromotive force.

Maye has the MVP edge over Darnold and will be the hot name during Super Bowl week.

But Darnold has thrown for 470 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs, without being picked off.

He also now has two weeks of rest to help a lingering oblique injury heal. 

As long as Seattle’s QB doesn’t revert to his Jets self, the Seahawks will have the better field general in Super Bowl LX. 

Advantage: Seahawks

Head coach

Mike Vrabel, 50, has already won NFL Coach of the Year.

Mike Macdonald, 38, could be leading the Ravens, if Baltimore had better internal planning.

On February 8, two of the best coaches in the NFL will stand on opposite sidelines – and both are still on the rise in the league.

Macdonald has reconstructed the Seahawks in his image, while Vrabel has leaned on his Patriots past to completely turn around New England’s record.

This Super Bowl battle will come down to critical in-game decisions. 

Advantage: Even

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Offense

The Patriots only trailed the Rams in average scoring this season.

The Seahawks only trailed the Patriots.

These are two of the top offenses in the NFL, while Maye has a scrambling ability to break free from a crowded pocket and create momentum-changing first downs.

The only downside for the Pats is that Maye suffered 47 sacks, which was 20 more than Darnold’s total.

Add in Seattle possessing Jaxon Smith-Njigba, one of the best wide receivers in the sport, and the Seahawks producing 72 points in their two playoff wins, and this is another category that tips toward Seattle.  

Advantage: Seahawks 

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Defense

Seattle held the edge during the regular season, then held San Francisco to just seven points in the Divisional Round.

New England had the fourth-best scoring defense in the league (18.8) from September through early January, then held its three playoff opponents to an average of 8.6 points.

The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t even score eight points apiece against the Pats.

Vrabel and Macdonald could make this a defensive showdown that fails to top 40 points combined.

But it’s another category that slightly favors Seattle.

Advantage: Seahawks 

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X-factor

Jason Myers for the win?

New England has one of the best punt return games in the league, thanks to speedy Marcus Jones.

Seattle should be smart enough to kick away from a returner who broke off two touchdowns in 2025.

Myers excels from short and long range, while Andy Borregales is still proving himself to Patriots fans used to Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski.

Advantage: Seahawks 

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The big game

It’s crazy to think that Sam Darnold is four quarters away from winning the Super Bowl.

But the Seahawks were the kings of a loaded NFC West and Seattle has only improved this season.

Eleven years after the Patriots got lucky at the goal line, Darnold gets revenge for Seahawks fans – and makes the Jets look even worse. 

Prediction: Seahawks 20-13