The New England Patriots are knocking on the door of NFL history. With a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, they’d claim their seventh Lombardi Trophy-breaking their tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers and standing alone atop the all-time leaderboard.
But this won’t be a walk down memory lane. It’s a battle against a Seahawks squad that’s not just favored in Vegas by 4.5 points, but has earned that edge by grinding through a tougher schedule and coming out the other side looking battle-tested.
On paper, these teams are neck and neck. Offensively and defensively, the numbers stack up pretty evenly.
But context matters. Seattle’s resume includes wins against some of the league’s top-tier competition, and that’s where the edge starts to show.
So if New England is going to pull off the upset, they’ll need more than just a clean game-they’ll need to win the right matchups.
And here's the twist: as much as you might expect rookie quarterback Drake Maye to be the X-factor, he’s not. Not in this one.
Maye’s postseason has been anything but smooth. He’s fumbled six times in two playoff games and thrown two picks.
The Patriots have managed to win in spite of those struggles, not because of anything spectacular from their young signal-caller. That tells us something: this team’s identity, especially in the postseason, has been forged on the other side of the ball.
The real difference-maker for New England heading into this Super Bowl? It’s the defense-and more specifically, it’s Milton Williams.
Let’s rewind to the offseason. The Patriots went to work in free agency, and they didn’t hold back.
They brought in Robert Spillane, who ended up leading the team in tackles. They added edge rusher Harold Landry III and cornerback Carlton Davis III-both savvy, veteran pickups.
But the crown jewel of that haul? That’s Williams.
Fresh off a Super Bowl performance where he sacked Patrick Mahomes twice in a dominant win with the Eagles, Williams came to New England with championship pedigree and a reputation for wrecking games. And while his pass-rushing chops are well known, it’s his impact in the run game that’s quietly been the heartbeat of this Patriots defense.
At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, Williams is built like a defensive tackle but moves like an edge rusher. He’s got the size to set the edge and the agility to knife through blocks. He might not always be the one making the tackle, but his disruption in the backfield often forces running backs to hesitate or bounce plays outside-right into the arms of waiting defenders.
That’s going to be critical against Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III, who’s expected to carry the load with Zach Charbonnet out for the season. Walker is a home-run hitter with game-breaking speed, but he’s also a risk-taker.
He’ll reverse field in a heartbeat, which can lead to highlight-reel gains-or big-time losses. If Williams can keep penetrating and forcing Walker to dance behind the line of scrimmage, the Patriots will be in business.
And the numbers back it up. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, New England’s run defense ranked top five in the league.
Then came Week 11 against the Jets, when Williams went down with an ankle injury. Over the next five games, the Patriots’ run defense fell off a cliff-allowing 166 rushing yards per game against the Bengals, Giants, Bills, Ravens, and Jets.
But when Williams returned in Week 18 against the Dolphins, everything changed.
Since his return, the Patriots have allowed just 69 rushing yards per game-the best mark in the league over that span. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a direct result of Williams getting back on the field and anchoring the edge.
So when the lights are brightest on Sunday, keep an eye on No. 93.
If the Patriots are going to hoist that seventh Lombardi, it won’t be because Drake Maye suddenly turned into Tom Brady overnight. It’ll be because Milton Williams did what he’s done all year: blow up plays, set the tone, and give New England a fighting chance.
If you’re not hearing his name during the broadcast, it probably means the Seahawks are running wild-and the Patriots’ shot at history is slipping away.