A dominant, gutsy offence collides with a sharp, suffocating defence. The matchup between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will test the best of the best on both sides of the field.
This season, the Patriots tormented opponents with glamorous play designs and seemingly unstoppable execution. Meanwhile, the Seahawks frustrated offences with a smothering defence that made advancing the ball feel like an impossible task.
Both teams finished the regular season with identical 14–3 records. Surprisingly, each found more success away from home than in their own stadiums. Seattle went 6–2 at Lumen Field but posted an impressive 8–1 road record.
New England, meanwhile, suffered all three of its losses at home and remained perfect on the road. Undeniably, each team is comfortable playing in a foreign environment.
The Super Bowl game takes place at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks will have their shot at redemption and a completion of a full circle. Seattle kicked off the season with a loss against the 49ers at their home field.
That’s how it started. Now, the Seahawks can have their “how it ends” moment. The question is simple, yet massive: can Seattle’s formidable defence outlast New England’s relentless offence?
Seattle achieved a rare defensive trifecta this season. By nearly every major metric, the Seahawks fielded the league’s best defence. They allowed just 292 total points in the regular season—the fewest in the NFL - an average of only 17.2 points per game.
They also led the league in Estimated Points Added (EPA) allowed. EPA is an advanced statistic that evaluates each play individually, measuring how much it increases or decreases a team’s expected points. Leading the NFL in defensive EPA means consistently executing high-level defensive plays snap after snap.
The last stat line Seattle conquered this year was defence-adjusted value over average (DVOA). Another complicated category that fans don’t need to concern themselves about – however, it proves the Seahawks’ defensive dominance. DVOA measures how effective a team is on every play relative to league average, adjusted for situation and opponent.
Once again, Seattle stood alone at the top. They also allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the league. The NFC champions have an elite defence - there’s no doubt about it.
The Seahawks’ defence didn’t just produce results - it produced highlights. Big hits, tight coverage, and timely stops became weekly staples.
Now, here’s the catch. Seattle’s schedule didn’t feature teams that exactly excelled on offence. In total offensive ranking, the Titans are second-to-last in the league. New Orleans averaged 18 points per game – one of only six teams this season that scored less than 20 points each game on average.
Several opponents ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring, including Pittsburgh and Carolina. Others - Tampa Bay, Arizona, Houston, Washington, and Atlanta - fell squarely in the bottom half offensively.
Seattle faced the league’s top offence, the Los Angeles Rams, three times. In those games, the Rams scored 37, 27, and 19 points - numbers that exceeded Seattle’s season average of points allowed. Still, it would be foolish to suggest the Seahawks can only dominate weak offences.
They held a well-balanced Jaguars attack to just 12 points, and they completely smothered San Francisco, a team that averaged 25.7 points per game, holding the 49ers to 13, 3, and 6 points across three meetings.
But despite having an outstanding year on the defensive end, Seattle is going to face the toughest challenge yet. The Patriots boast one of the most electric, dynamic offences in football, led by MVP candidate Drake Maye.
New England ranks third in total scoring, second in points per game, and second in rushing yards. They also led the league in completion percentage at an astonishing 71.9 percent.
Maye has done a tremendous job throwing the ball, but it’s also his top-tier speed that leaves opponents stunned. No quarterback scrambled more than Maye this year. And the rising superstar playmaker believes the Patriots haven’t reached their peak just yet.
“I think we still haven’t played our best football yet in these playoffs, and I’m looking forward to seeing that and hopefully having that click in the Super Bowl,” said Maye. “That’d be pretty cool.”
Maye has been playing fearlessly. He doesn’t shy away from pressure moments, and he doesn’t hesitate to take the matter into his own hands. With his high-level processing skills, he thrives at making great decisions leading to unpredictable outcomes. He outshines defensive strategies.
Does the legendary franchise have one of the top offences this season? Of course. But just like the Seahawks, the Patriots benefited from a favourable schedule.
The Patriots faced only two playoff teams during the regular season - the Bills and Steelers - and many of their opponents ranked in the bottom half defensively. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and the Jets all finished among the league’s bottom ten defences.
Still, New England proved it could succeed against elite competition. In the Divisional Round, the Patriots faced Houston, a defence that posted numbers strikingly similar to Seattle’s. Despite Houston’s league-leading pass defence and second-lowest points allowed per game, New England found a way.
On Sunday, each team’s biggest strength will be put to a major test. Can Drake Maye outsmart the stifling defensive line? Or is defence once again going to win a championship? The world has already seen a glimpse of this scenario.
The two teams met in the Super Bowl in 2015. Seattle entered the game with the top-ranked defence, while New England was led by Tom Brady. Two elite opposites were trying to outplay each other.
With a minute remaining in the championship, Seattle was down four points. But they drove all the way to the Patriots’ five-yard line and had four chances to steal the lead back and win the game.
On the next play, Marshawn Lynch, arguably one of the best running backs to ever play in the NFL, gained four yards. The Seahawks were one yard away from the title. From celebrating covered in confetti. From beating the dynastic Patriots.
Instead, everybody saw a plot twist that nobody saw coming. The obvious and expected call was a run play, but the Seahawks decided to pass the ball. They thought they were thinking outside the box – doing something the defence wouldn’t expect.
But Patriots’ cornerback Malcolm Butler was thinking outside the box, too. On fourth-and-goal and 29 seconds left, Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass intended for the end zone. The pick sealed New England’s victory, while the read went down as one of the greatest plays in NFL history.
“I really couldn't feel anything because it happened so fast, but I ain't never seen a group of grown men cry like that after I caught that ball,” Butler said. “They just piled on top of me, they were crying and (saying), ‘Oh, I can't believe you did it.’”
11 years ago, it was unexpectedly the Patriots’ defence that delivered the championship. In 2026, each team’s strengths remain the same. But this time, the Seahawks will work for a different outcome. Seattle seeks redemption. New England seeks repetition. The two opposites collide.
