Super Bowl LX Is Set: Seahawks and Patriots Prove There’s More Than One Way to Build a Contender
Eleven years after their unforgettable clash in Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots and Seahawks are set to run it back on the NFL’s biggest stage. But if you predicted this matchup before the season?
You might want to buy a lottery ticket. Because this wasn’t supposed to happen - not this year, not with these rosters.
Let’s start with New England. Just two seasons removed from a four-win campaign, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, and they’ve done it with a rookie head coach, a second-year quarterback, and one of the softest postseason schedules we’ve seen in recent memory. But hey, you play who’s in front of you - and the Patriots have taken care of business.
Seattle’s path, meanwhile, has been anything but conventional. No last-place schedule to prop them up.
No wunderkind head coach drawing up the latest offensive wizardry. No quarterback on a rookie deal lighting up the stat sheet.
Just smart team-building, a defense that flies around like it’s 2013 all over again, and a front office that’s quietly been stacking wins off the field.
Seattle’s Defensive Blueprint: No Stars, No Problem
The Seahawks didn’t stumble into this Super Bowl. They built their way here, brick by brick - and it started on defense.
Seattle led the league in fewest points allowed this season, and they did it without a roster full of household names. Outside of standout corner Devon Witherspoon, this isn’t a defense built on flashy first-rounders or big-ticket free agents. It’s built on smart drafting, savvy trades, and a scheme that lets young talent thrive.
All seven of the Seahawks’ leading tacklers are 26 or younger. That’s not just a fun stat - it’s a sign of a defense built to last.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV, acquired in a 2024 trade with the Titans, has been a revelation in the middle. Byron Murphy and Nick Emmanwori, both early-round draft picks, have stepped up in a big way.
And the later-round gems? Tyrice Knight, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen are all making major contributions.
The only veterans anchoring this group are Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence - and both are still playing at a Pro Bowl level. It’s a perfect blend of youth and experience, with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald dialing up schemes that let these guys play fast and free.
Offense Built Around Playmakers - Not Just the Quarterback
On offense, the Seahawks aren’t reinventing the wheel - they’re just executing at a high level.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a true WR1, giving the passing game a dynamic threat who can win at all three levels. In the backfield, Kenneth Walker III continues to be a home-run threat every time he touches the ball, and while Zach Charbonnet is out for the remainder of the playoffs, his physical running style helped set the tone earlier in the year.
And then there’s Sam Darnold. The former top draft pick has found a second life in Seattle - not as a savior, but as a stabilizer.
He doesn’t need to carry the team. He just needs to avoid costly mistakes and keep the offense on schedule.
And so far? He’s done exactly that.
Seattle’s approach stands in contrast to teams that pin their hopes on a quarterback to do it all. They didn’t need Darnold to be Superman.
They needed him to be steady. And he’s delivered.
A Lesson for the League - Especially Washington
The Seahawks’ rise should be a wake-up call for teams stuck in the middle - especially the Washington Commanders.
Seattle didn’t tank. They didn’t blow it all up.
They didn’t chase the next big-name coach or mortgage the future for a splashy trade. They built through the draft, added the right veterans, and trusted their young core to grow together.
And now they’re in the Super Bowl.
It’s a reminder that in the NFL, you don’t have to hit rock bottom to climb to the top. You just need to draft well, develop talent, and make smart decisions. That’s how you turn a middling team into a contender - not by chasing shortcuts, but by doing the hard work of building a complete roster.
As Super Bowl LX approaches, both the Patriots and Seahawks are proof that there’s more than one way to get to the mountaintop. But if you’re a team like Washington, watching from home, Seattle’s blueprint might be the one worth copying.