With Super Bowl Sunday only two weeks away, here is a quick look at the essentials of this year’s matchup.

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Both teams have played incredibly well this season, boasting exceptional offenses and defenses, which makes for an exciting championship. 

The Super Bowl is held annually between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference champions. The winner of the matchup will be crowned as world champions and receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

The Patriots, the AFC champions this year, are experiencing their most successful season since the Tom Brady-led dynasty. Commanded by first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have managed a complete turnaround from last year’s 4-13 losing season. 

Similarly, the Seahawks, the NFC champions this year, have smashed most expectations placed on them in just their second year under head coach Mike Macdonald.

One such surprise is the Seahawks quarterback, Sam Darnold. Originally drafted by the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold has struggled most of his career, bouncing from one team to another. It was not until last year, while playing for the Minnesota Vikings, that Darnold showed his full potential on the field, leading them to the playoffs. 

Despite this resurgence, the Vikings did not want Darnold as their quarterback this season because J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ 2024 first-round pick, returned from injury, so Darnold headed west to Seattle. The change in scenery did not slow Darnold down, who has continued to play on point.  

Darnold has not been the only surprise at the quarterback position. Second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has blossomed into one of the best players this season, even being nominated for 2025 MVP. 

After being drafted third overall last season by the Patriots, Maye has dramatically improved his play this year. Although he struggled to pass in the blizzard conditions of the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos, Maye has still shown that he can put the team on his back when needed, as his three-touchdown performance against the Houston Texans two weeks ago proves.

The Patriots are not a one-star show; their defense has also been elite this year. The Patriots held their opponents to a measly 8.7 points per game in the playoffs. Such a strong defense will put a lot of pressure on Darnold in the biggest game of his career. 

Maye will be under similar pressure, as the Seahawks’ defense has been suffocating. In just the playoffs alone, the Seahawks have four takeaways. The suspense of this defensive battle resembles the last time these two teams met on the big stage. 

Eleven years ago, the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl 49. The game was infamous for the Seahawks’ one-yard line mistake: They threw the ball instead of running it with their All-Pro bruiser running back, Marshawn Lynch. This decision ended catastrophically, as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception to undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler to end the game.   

Whether history repeats itself or the Seahawks achieve redemption, Super Bowl 60 is shaping up to be a legendary matchup. You can watch this historical matchup with your friends or family next Sunday, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m.