Super Bowl 60: Patriots vs. Seahawks positional breakdown

With Zach Charbonnet suffering a torn ACL, Seattle will be forced to lean on Kenneth Walker III a ton in the run game. Not having their customary one-two punch will likely force the SEA offense to pivot more to a pass-focused attack, something that will throw the offense out of balance.

It has been a really strong season for Walker, having run for over 1,000 yards for only the second time in his career. While putting up the fewest rushing TDs (five) in his four-year career, Walker ceded a lot of goal-line work to Charbonnet, something that will work in his favor on Sunday.

The two-headed attack for the Patriots has been working all year, as rookie TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson have been splitting the workload. While frustrating for fantasy football, this two-headed attack has paved the way for an efficient ground game, with both backs racking up at least 160 total touches.

Stevenson has been the bellcow in the playoffs, earning 13-plus touches in all three postseason games. Henderson, the more explosive option of the two, will likely see a fair share of work in the Super Bowl, as this pairing stands out.

Wide Receivers: Seahawks

Having Jaxon Smith-Njigba earns Seattle a win in this category alone, as the former Ohio State star has been on a tear this year. Falling seven yards short of 1,800 receiving yards in the regular season, JSN scored 10 touchdowns and was heavily targeted by Darnold as his QB’s favorite target.

Smith-Njigba will have the tough task of matching up with either Christian Gonzalez or Carlton Davis, as the Patriots boast one of the best CB duos in the NFL. It will be on the shoulders of Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and Jake Bobo to soak up any remaining targets, rounding out SEA’s receiver group.

It is a bit of a bunch of misfit toys for the Patriots and their WR room, as Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, and Mack Hollins are the top options. None of these four players really stands out too much, although Diggs has looked good as Maye’s top target at WR. The advantage goes to the Seahawks here, as JSN is easily in his own echelon.

Tight End: Patriots

While the Seahawks hold the athletic advantage with AJ Barner, the Patriots earn the nod at tight end due to their depth chart having both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. The veteran tandem is better in both the receiving and run games, as both have the trust of Maye in the passing game.

Barner is all alone atop the depth chart for Seattle, with Eric Saubert and rookie Elijah Arroyo next up. Seattle has gotten Barner more involved this season as the team’s top TE, but he is still an unproven asset.

Offensive Line: Seahawks

Typically, the offensive line room has been one of the biggest issues for the Seahawks, but 2025 looks to finally be a step in the right direction. All five starters are 27 years old or younger, anchored by rookie left guard Grey Zabel, as they allowed the ninth-fewest sacks (32) this past season.

For the Patriots, it has not been a strong year for their OL group, as the injury to Will Campbell derailed any progress for this unit. The line allowed 63 sacks this year, the third-most sacks allowed across the league this past year. Seattle earns the nod here, as Darnold has been kept far cleaner this season.

Defense

Defensive Line: Patriots

The return of Milton Williams and the depth of their pass rush gives a slight nod to the Patriots on the defensive line, but it is a razor-thin margin. K’Lavon Chaisson, Anfernee Jennings, and Williams have combined for seven sacks this postseason, with Chaisson leading the way with three.

Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams lead the way for Seattle on one of the league’s best defensive line units, spearheading a strong defensive attack from head coach Mike Macdonald. However, low sack numbers overshadow how good they are at stopping the run, meaning that this unit will need to step it up a notch when in passing situations if they want to put pressure on Maye in the pocket.

Linebackers: Seahawks

Ernest Jones IV and Drake Thomas headline the LB room for the Seahawks, as this duo is far more agile than that of the Patriots. Jones and Thomas combined for 215 tackles and four sacks this season, all while ranking as two of the better LBs in pass coverage.

The Patriots are rolling out Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss as their main inside linebackers, two options that are solid against the run but lack a step or two in the passing game. If Walker is heavily incorporated into the passing game, you could see him earn favorable matchups against each NE LB when running routes.

Defensive Backs: Seahawks

In what is probably the tightest positional race of the entire matchup, the Patriots earn the slight advantage for their defensive backfield. Devon Witherspoon is SEA’s best defender and will match up with the best pass catcher for the Patriots, as he will look to limit one part of the passing attack.

Opposite Witherspoon is Riq Woolen, with Josh Jobe filling the role of CB3. At safety, Nick Emmanwori is one of the best young safeties in the NFL, and being tied to the hip of a defensive-minded HC like Macdonald, who helped develop Kyle Hamilton, is starting to pay dividends; Emmanwori is paired up with Julian Love and Coby Bryant to form one of the league’s best (and deepest) safety rooms.

For the Patriots, the best part of their defense is their cornerback room, as the trio of Gonzalez, Davis, and Marcus Jones isn’t topped by the Seahawks. Going three-deep at cornerback is a big-time luxury for New England, especially with how good Jones has looked; that depth also helps overcome their shortcomings at safety, as rookie Craig Woodson and veteran Jaylinn Hawkins have stepped into starting roles for the defense and have looked solid but unspectacular.

While the Patriots have a better CB group, the nod here goes to the Seahawks, who have a strong CB room themselves, combined with a stellar group of safeties. But an ankle injury suffered by Emmanwori could shift the strength of SEA’s defense, so something to keep an eye on.

Specialists: Seahawks

It’s a battle of the veterans versus the young folk, as the Seahawks have the better group of specialists at the end of the day. Kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson, and Shaheed returning kicks put this trio ahead of many others in the league, as the veteran know-how is what is needed on the biggest stage.

The Patriots are relying on rookie kicker Andy Borregales and three-year starter Bryce Baringer at punter, with Jones as their main returner. Borregales struggled in the snow globe in the AFC Championship game, missing two kicks from 40+ yards, something that could factor into how the Patriots operate when in field-goal range.

With both Shaheed and Jones returning two kicks for touchdowns this season, it will be fun to watch this duo do their best Devin Hester impressions. Shaheed gets the very slight nod here, but both options are premier returners in the NFL.

Coaching: Seahawks

With two defensive-minded head coaches leading their teams into the Super Bowl, it will be quite an interesting battle to see which offense can break through. With Macdonald and Mike Vrabel facing off as the first defensive-defensive HC matchup for the first time in nine years, a grind-it-out first half could be in order.

Macdonald is also looking to make NFL history, as a Seahawks win would make Macdonald the first head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as his team’s primary play caller on defense.

While Vrabel has the championship pedigree dating back to his days playing and coaching for the Patriots, it feels like this staff is just a step behind Seattle’s. Comparing Klink Kubiak to Josh McDaniels goes in favor of Kubiak, while comparing defensive staffs also benefits the Seahawks. This isn’t to say that the New England staff is out of its element by any means, but there isn’t anything flashy or substantial about them, which could burn them when the lights are the brightest.

Overall Grade: Patriots (3) vs. Seahawks (7)

Super Bowl 60 should be closer than this positional breakdown shows it to be, as even though the Seahawks earn the nod in more categories than the Patriots, both teams are in this game for a reason. A strong, hard-nosed game is on the menu to wrap up the season, as both teams are run the right way, have coaching staffs that are willing to do whatever it takes to earn a win, and boast a roster of super talented players that are set up to take that next step.