One of the most competitive NFL seasons in recent memory leads to what should be a thrilling Super Bowl. The New England Patriots punched their ticket as the AFC representatives by narrowly defeating the Denver Broncos on the road in unfathomably bad conditions. The nightcap of a thrilling Conference Championship Sunday saw the Seattle Seahawks outlast the Los Angeles Rams in a shootout decided in the final moments of the fourth quarter.
Now with the matchup officially set, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming nuptials.
Who is playing in Super Bowl 60?
The Super Bowl matchup is a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and the Seahawks. That game was an absolute doozy, so if this game is even close to that one, we're in for a treat. It very well could be.
Neither of these teams was expected to get this far. Both of these quarterbacks were doubted. Yet, here they are. Drake Maye is not too inexperienced. Sam Darnold is not incapable of winning big games. Defensive-minded head coaches like Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald can get to Super Bowls.
Both of these teams went 14-3 in the regular season, tying them for the best record in the league. Based on that and how they've played in these playoffs, again, we're in for a great one.
Super Bowl 60 date and location
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 8
- Location: Levi's Stadium — Santa Clara, California
- Start Time (TV Channel): 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
The Super Bowl will take place two weeks from conference championship Sunday at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, with the Pro Bowl taking place in the week between. As annoying as it is for NFL fans to wait an extra week, ensuring that the players are as rested and healthy as they can be for the most important game of the year makes the long wait worthwhile.
An interesting wrinkle in this year's game is that it's set to take place at 6:30 p.m. ET, which is 3:30 p.m. in Santa Clara. The earlier start time locally could lead to brighter fields than you'd usually see in the Super Bowl. Last year's game, played in New Orleans in a domed stadium, did not have that sun.
New England Patriots path to the Super Bowl
Expectations for the Patriots were higher this season, with Drake Maye set to play in his first full season and the team having added high-end pieces like Stefon Diggs, Will Campbell and especially Mike Vrabel around him, but they've defied the odds every chance they've gotten. Even with the predicted improvement, nobody expected them to overtake the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC. They did so, winning the division by 2.0 games and tying the Broncos for the best record in the AFC.
Even with their fantastic regular season, how many people really picked them to make it all the way to the Super Bowl? The odds seemed stacked against them, given their inexperience and their lack of exposure to playoff teams in the regular season, but they won the AFC, and did so in impressive fashion.
They held the Los Angeles Chargers to just three points in a Wild Card Round victory. They forced five turnovers in a victory over the red-hot Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. Their most impressive win came when they held the No. 1-seeded Broncos to just seven points on the road in brutal conditions to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
It feels like Maye hasn't played close to his best football in the playoffs, yet the Patriots, led mostly by their defense, have a golden opportunity to win it all, passing the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Lombardi Trophies in NFL history in the process.
Seattle Seahawks path to the Super Bowl
Major changes were made in Seattle entering the year. GM John Schneider made several bold moves, like trading, instead of paying, D.K. Metcalf, parting with Geno Smith, and signing Sam Darnold. All three of those moves paid off handsomely, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba had an absurd year in Metcalf's absence, Smith had a rough year away from Seattle, and Darnold helped lead them to the Super Bowl in his first season with the Seahawks.
The Seahawks were overlooked entering the season. NFL fans knew this roster was talented, but in a division consisting of the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, and with Sam Darnold under center, not many believed they had this kind of run in them. Well, the Seahawks were the NFC's No. 1 seed and protected home-field en route to the Super Bowl.
What makes this Super Bowl run even sweeter is that they ran through the teams many thought were better than them entering the year. They demolished the 49ers in the Divisional Round after beating them two weeks prior to earn a first-round bye, and then proceeded to fend off a loaded Rams team with a trip to Santa Clara on the line.
Biggest Patriots vs. Seahawks matchups to watch in Super Bowl 60
Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Christian Gonzalez
Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year winner after posting a league-leading 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season. He wasn't needed much in Seattle's Divisional Round win, but he was a huge reason why Seattle defeated the Rams, racking up 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He can put up 100+ yards in his sleep, and that happening could be bad news for New England.
It'll likely be up to Christian Gonzalez, New England's No. 1 corner, to slow Smith-Njigba down. The Pats won't be able to shut him down completely, but containing him could be the difference between winning and losing. Gonzalez is an impressive young cornerback who came up with the AFC-sealing interception on Sunday, so he isn't incapable of having a strong showing. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Mike Vrabel vs. Mike Macdonald
Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald have led their respective teams for just three seasons combined, yet they're two of the best head coaches in the NFL. They have both been able to get the most out of their teams, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots' defense has been underrated all year, and has been particularly awesome in the playoffs. Macdonald's defense has gotten more recognition, but outside of Leonard Williams, it's not as if there are many expensive defensive players for him to work with.
This battle between two defensive-minded head coaches will be fascinating to watch, mostly because we haven't really seen this on a Super Bowl stage in recent memory. Six of the last seven Super Bowl-winning head coaches are offensive-minded, with Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest head coach ever, as the lone exception. That will change this year, and the head coach with the better showing is likely to come out on top.
Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold
Both Drake Maye and Sam Darnold are supremely talented, yet both can be mistake-prone. Darnold has had a mistake-free playoff run thus far, but he threw 14 interceptions and committed a league-leading 11 fumbles. Maye was better at protecting the ball in the regular season, but he's thrown two interceptions and committed six fumbles in the playoffs.
We know what they can do with the football, but the winner of this game could come down to which quarterback does a better job of protecting the football. Limiting turnovers will be key, and it should be fascinating to see which quarterback, neither of whom has played on the Super Bowl stage before, will do a better job.
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