New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks helmets with Super Bowl Vince Lombardi trophy. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Patriots, Seahawks battle for Super Bowl LX won’t be close

Originally posted on Inside The Star
By Richard Paolinelli | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 10:44 AM ET

It sure felt like Sunday’s NFC Championship Game was the actual Super Bowl LX, didn’t it?

The New England Patriots have caught every conceivable break this year, and they’ve needed every single one to get to the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks had to get past the Los Angeles Rams to win both the NFC West and the NFC championship. Seattle is clearly the better team.

The Patriots benefited from one of the softest schedules in recent memory.

They have caught more than their fair share of breaks, from injured opponents to generous calls from the officials, and boneheaded decisions by opposing coaches.

Yes, we’re looking right at you, Sean Payton. Bet you wish you had those three points you passed up on in the first quarter now, huh?

This will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, held in Glendale, Arizona, just 11 years ago.

The Patriots won that game 28–24 thanks to another boneheaded coaching decision. Really, Pete Carroll?

On the one-yard line with seconds to go, and you don’t give the ball to Marshawn Lynch there?

Something tells me the 2025 Seahawks won’t be making the same mistakes. And they have a monster defense that will make Drake Maye look like the wannabe Brady he is.

The Patriots will be playing in their 12^th Super Bowl and carrying a 6-5 record into the game.

The Seahawks will be playing in their fourth, all within the last 20 years. They are 1-2 with a championship on the line.

As an oh-by-the-way, DeMarcus Lawrence was judged by the Dallas Cowboys as not worth retaining in 2025.

He’ll be starting on the defensive line for Seattle in the Super Bowl.

How Super Bowl XL plays out

Snow won’t be an issue at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, when the game kicks off on Feb. 8. Hopefully, the NFL will assign its best officiating crew to this game.

Which should reduce the chances of bad calls handing one of the teams a win.

The Seahawks defense should have no issue handling Maye, who has shown he’s the second-best quarterback to Matthew Stafford in these playoffs.

As long as Sam Darnold stays healthy, unlike Bo Nix, and doesn’t transform into C.J. Stroud, Seattle’s offense should outscore the Patriots easily. That should be the difference in the end.

Because the Seahawks defense isn’t letting Drake Maye beat them.

So as long as its offense shows up and plays smart, unlike the offenses of Houston and Denver, this is an easy pick to make.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 17

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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