There you have it — Super Bowl 60 is now set with the Seattle Seahawks ready to take on the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. It's going to be a fascinating Super Bowl matchup between these two, given that New England has been doubted for most of this season, while Seattle has been a top dog for much of the year — though not without a twinge of Sam Darnold-related doubt. But despite what people may have thought, it's these two teams now ready to battle for a Lombardi Trophy.
Of course, the Patriots and Seahawks are also two teams trying to recapture some Super Bowl glory and magic from the 2010s. And in case you didn't know, these two franchises definitely have some history when it comes to the big game.
Yes, the Patriots and Seahawks played in the Super Bowl before — a memorable one, at that
The Patriots and Seahawks faced off in Super Bowl XLIX back on Feb. 1, 2015 to crown a champion after the 2014-15 season. The two met up at University of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium) in Glendale, AZ and played one of the most thrilling Super Bowl matchups of the century.
Of course, the Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl is both infamous and unforgettable because of one play: The Malcolm Butler interception. Seattle had given up a 24-14 lead over the Patriots that they held entering the fourth quarter, but had one final chance at a game-winning drive, getting the ball down to the 1-yard line after a Marshawn Lynch run on first-and-goal. And it felt like Beast Mode was destined to punch it in, give the Seahawks the thrilling win and their second straight Lombardi Trophy.
Instead, with a call that's still questioned mercilessly to this day, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll put the ball in Russell Wilson's hands to try and throw for the game-winning touchdown. He drew up a quick slant to Tyler Lockett off of a pick play. However, Seattle's play design got blown up and Butler was able to break on the ball right at the goal-line, beating Lockett to the ball and securing the interception, and thus the Patriots victory.
To this day, Carroll and the Seahawks not handing the ball off to Lynch is (deservedly) called into question, and it cost Seattle a legitimate chance at history with back-to-back Super Bowl wins right in front of them.
Full list of Patriots Super Bowl appearances and results
Super Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
Super Bowl XX (1985-86) | Chicago Bears | Loss, 46-10 |
Super Bowl XXXI (1996-97) | Green Bay Packers | Loss, 35-21 |
Super Bowl XXXVI (2001-02) | St. Louis Rams | Win, 20-17 |
Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003-04) | Carolina Panthers | Win, 32-29 |
Super Bowl XXXIX (2004-05) | Philadelphia Eagles | Win, 24-21 |
Super Bowl XLII (2007-08) | New York Giants | Loss, 17-14 |
Super Bowl XLVI (2011-12) | New York Giants | Loss, 21-17 |
Super Bowl XLIX (2014-15) | Seattle Seahawks | Win, 28-24 |
Super Bowl LI (2016-17) | Atlanta Falcons | Win, 34-28 (OT) |
Super Bowl LII (2017-18) | Philadelphia Eagles | Loss, 41-33 |
Super Bowl LIII (2018-19) | Los Angeles Rams | Win, 13-3 |
Super Bowl LX (2025-26) | Seattle Seahawks | TBD |
The Patriots hold the NFL record for most Super Bowl appearances of all-time, with the game against the Seahawks breaking their own mark and setting the new one at 12. Of the previous 11 appearances, New England has won six of them, all of which came with the legendary Tom Brady at the helm. Maye will obviously be trying to start a new chapter in that when he takes on Seattle.
Of course, with all of the Super Bowl history for the Patriots and the Brady era specifically, some of the most memorable in the 59 years of this game being played included New England. The Seattle matchup and the Butler interception is certainly included in that.
Beyond that unreal game-winning play, though, who could forget about the 28-3 comeback against the Falcons, perhaps the greatest comeback in sports history. There's also even Brady's first win, when he seemingly put an end to the St. Louis Rams burgeoning dynasty to create his own legacy.
There are even memorable ones for the Patriots in the losses. Both defeats at the hands of the Giants will live on forever, given how substantial underdogs New York was in both meetings. And who could forget Nick Foles overcoming New England as the Eagles' backup quarterback to give Philly its first Lombardi Trophy as well?
Put simply, when you think about Super Bowl records or the greatest games ever played, the Patriots are all over those lists.
Full list of Seahawks Super Bowl appearances and results
Super Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
Super Bowl XL (2005-06) | Pittsburgh Steelers | Loss, 21-10 |
Super Bowl XLVIII (2013-14) | Denver Broncos | Win, 43-8 |
Super Bowl XLIX (2014-15) | New England Patriots | Loss, 28-24 |
Super Bowl LX (2025-26) | New England Patriots | TBD |
Obviously, Seattle doesn't have the same storied history as the Patriots do when it comes to the Super Bowl, but they certainly had a heck of a run. From 2005-15, they represented the NFC three times. Though they only won one ring in that run, it did happen to come in one of the more memorable games of all-time, even if it wasn't all that entertaining.
The Seahawks' triumph over the Peyton Manning Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII is one of the most lopsided games we've seen in Super Bowl history. It was pure, unbridled dominance from Seattle from start-to-finish in that matchup, on both sides of the ball. One could argue that, in the 21st century, there hasn't been that thorough of a beatdown in the Super Bowl ever.
Of course, the previous meeting with the Patriots, which was also their last Super Bowl appearance, qualifies in that capacity as well. But it is interesting as a sort of footnote that, with Seattle now set to play for a Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history, half of those games will have now been played against New England.