Familiar Logos, New Identities: Two Different Paths to Super Bowl LX

Kemony Thompson

27 Jan 2026 — 4 min read

Introduction

Congratulations to the 2026 Conference Champions: the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. What a year. As an Eagles fan, if you were to ask me at the start of the season who would be playing in Super Bowl LX, my answer would have been a Philly and KC trilogy. But the NFL is nothing if not unpredictable.

The Patriots and Seahawks have both had a hell of a season, but what makes this matchup so fascinating is how differently they got here. In New England, it was a complete culture shift—revamping the coaching staff with Mike Vrabel at the helm and Josh McDaniels returning to run the offense. They didn't just change the leadership; they surrounded their future in Drake Maye with high-level weapons like veteran Stefon Diggs and the breakout rookie TreVeyon Henderson.

Then you have Seattle, a team that mastered the art of the subtle, effective move. Trading DK Metcalf and letting DeMarcus Lawrence go were bold calls, but acquiring Sam Darnold at a cost-effective $33 million a year turned out to be a masterstroke. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba arriving as a premier #1 target and that new OC from Washington completely transforming the scheme, Seattle became a powerhouse. I’m not sure who else is in the running, but my vote for GM of the Year is locked in for John Schneider—the Seahawks had a historically game-changing offseason.

It’s no wonder these two teams are the ones left standing. One rebuilt from the ground up, the other perfected what was already there, and now they meet in Santa Clara for the Lombardi.

Section 2: Don't Take the Bait, But Don't Ignore It Either

Both of these teams put together incredible regular-season resumes. Drake Maye has cemented himself as a legitimate MVP candidate, while Sam Darnold earned a well-deserved second Pro Bowl nod, proving all his doubters wrong. However, the narrative coming into this game is a bit lopsided.

The "Recency Bias" Trap

If you only watched the last few weeks, you might think New England’s offense is "struggling." It’s true they’ve had some ugly moments—most notably the Texans game, where Maye had a hard time protecting the football. But a lot of fans are forgetting that despite those bumps, this was the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL.

While the Patriots were grinding out tough wins, Seattle was thriving. They have proven to be effective in every single phase of the game:

The Shaheed Factor: The addition of Rashid Shaheed was a total game-changer, giving them a special teams threat that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night.
Winning Any Way: They’ve shown they can win an offensive shootout, they can let the defense take over the game, and they can grind out the close ones.
The Achilles' Heel: If there is one thing that could haunt the Seahawks, it’s discipline. Their tendency to rack up penalties could be the deciding factor if they let the Patriots hang around.

The "Battle-Tested" Underdog

Seattle is the clear favorite here by a decent margin, largely because of how "clean" they looked in the playoffs. But there is a legitimate "but."

I’m not one to make excuses, but the weather in the AFC playoffs was a real factor. The Patriots have been playing in conditions that were far from ideal, which has made them battle-tested in a way Seattle hasn't been recently. During the regular season, that New England offense was elite. Now, with two weeks to prepare and a game being played in the perfect conditions of San Francisco, the "real" Patriots offense might just show up and pull the upset.

The Experience Edge

When you look at the rosters, there isn't much Super Bowl experience to go around—with the exception of Cooper Kupp, who is making his third appearance on the big stage. However, the sideline tells a different story. The New England coaching staff is seasoned. They know exactly what this pressure feels like and how to manage the two-week lead-up.

In a game where the margins are thin, that veteran coaching might be the edge Drake Maye needs to outmaneuver the Seahawks' "complete" machine.

Conclusion: The Overthinker’s Edge

I’ll admit it: I’m an overthinker. And looking at the numbers, this pick might not go in my favor. But I’m calling it now—I am taking the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX.

Maybe I’m just a sucker for an underdog story, but there is something about this New England run that feels different. It seems too easy to pick the Seahawks. On paper, they are the more "complete" team, but the Patriots are battle-tested through and through. Just look at the gauntlet they had to run:

Grinding out a win against a physical Chargers defense.
Surviving Houston's defense, where Drake Maye was getting beat up in the snow and rain.
Going on the road to face the Broncos, dealing with the altitude and brutal weather, and still coming out on top.

They didn’t just win; they survived.

Seattle has been great, but this feels like a trap. That five-point margin seems like it's begging people to bet on the "perfect" team. I know I might be wrong, but in a game with this much pressure, I’m betting on the experience of that coaching staff and a team that has already proven it can win when everything is going wrong.

Give me the Patriots in an upset.