Super Bowl LX: 5 Storylines to Watch as Patriots, Seahawks Land in the Bay
The stage is set in San Jose as the Patriots and Seahawks touch down for Super Bowl LX. The countdown to kickoff has officially begun, and with it comes a week packed with practices, press conferences, and pressure.
While the teams prepare behind closed doors, a few key storylines are already starting to take shape. Here are five things to keep an eye on as we head into Super Bowl week.
1. Drake Maye’s Right Shoulder: A Big Question for a Big Game
Let’s start with the most important body part in the building: Drake Maye’s right shoulder.
The Patriots’ rookie quarterback didn’t throw during the team’s final practice in Foxboro, officially due to an illness. But the bigger concern is the shoulder injury he picked up during the AFC Championship Game. Head coach Mike Vrabel said Maye would’ve practiced if not for the illness, but Tuesday’s practice in the Bay Area will be the true litmus test.
Maye says he doesn’t expect the shoulder to impact his performance - and he’ll need to be right. Because if he’s even a little off, New England’s chances of pulling off an upset against the NFL’s top-ranked defense take a serious hit.
Seattle’s defense doesn’t give quarterbacks much room for error. Maye’s arm, and his ability to stay poised under pressure, could be the difference between a championship and a long offseason.
2. Robert Spillane’s Ankle: A Key Piece of the Patriots Defense in Doubt
While Maye has at least been on the field, Robert Spillane hasn’t been seen at practice at all.
The Patriots’ defensive captain and starting inside linebacker is battling an ankle injury suffered in the AFC title game. Spillane isn’t just a tone-setter - he’s one of the team’s most reliable defenders, a guy who can thump against the run, hold his own in coverage, and keep the defense organized pre-snap.
If he can’t go, New England will turn to veteran backup Jack Gibbens. The communication won’t drop off, but Gibbens isn’t Spillane in coverage, and you can bet the Seahawks will test that. Spillane’s status could quietly become one of the biggest X-factors in this game.
3. Sam Darnold’s “Ghosts”: A Super Bowl Haunting or Redemption?
It’s one of the most infamous soundbites in recent NFL memory.
Back in 2019, while mic’d up during a Monday night blowout loss to the Patriots, then-Jets QB Sam Darnold uttered the words: “I’m seeing ghosts.” It’s followed him ever since.
Fast forward to now: Darnold is no longer that rattled young quarterback. He led the Vikings to the playoffs last year, and now he’s guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. But the ghosts - and the questions - are back this week, thanks to the opponent.
This Patriots team has none of the same players or coaches from that night, but the media spotlight won’t let Darnold forget. He was asked about it again last week and responded with a smirk: “I almost forgot about it. So, thanks.”
If he delivers on Sunday, it’ll go a long way toward burying that moment for good. Until then, it lingers - a narrative waiting to be flipped.
4. Super Bowl Nostalgia: Butler’s Pick, Dynasty Echoes, and Vrabel’s Focus
You can’t bring the Patriots and Seahawks together in a Super Bowl without invoking that play.
Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception in Super Bowl XLIX remains one of the most iconic moments in NFL history. And with the same helmets on the field this week, expect plenty of replays, retrospectives, and “what ifs” from that unforgettable finish.
But beyond the nostalgia, there’s a new narrative forming: could this Patriots team be at the start of something big?
Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel have shown flashes of becoming one of the league’s next great coach-QB duos. The recent playoff wins - gritty, defensive, and even snowy - have reminded fans of the old dynasty days. But Vrabel isn’t buying into the comparisons.
Two weeks ago, he made it clear he’s focused on the present, not the past. He even declined to show the team a highlight of Ben Watson’s legendary hustle play from a previous Patriots playoff run, saying, “We try to glorify our guys’ efforts right now.”
That mindset has served them well so far. But if they win Sunday, the dynasty talk is only going to get louder.
5. The Super Bowl Surprise: What’s the Twist This Time?
Every Super Bowl week seems to come with a curveball.
Maybe it’s a surprise injury, a controversial quote, or an off-field distraction that suddenly dominates the headlines. This year, there’s already some potential intrigue on the horizon: reports suggest the Seahawks could be put up for sale after the game.
Will that impact the team’s focus? Probably not. But it’s the kind of storyline that could bubble up as the week goes on.
And if not that, there’s always the chance someone says something that lights a fire under the other team. Vrabel runs a tight ship with media access, but it only takes one slip, one soundbite, to shift the tone of the week.
So keep your ears open. The Super Bowl always finds a way to surprise us.
Bottom Line: The Patriots and Seahawks have landed, and the countdown to Super Bowl LX is officially on. From quarterback health to defensive injuries, redemption arcs to throwback highlights, there’s no shortage of drama already in play. And with a full week of practices, pressers, and prime-time coverage ahead, you can bet there’s more to come.