Wow, the 2026 NFL playoffs have given us some wild moments and a few jaw-dropping upsets. Now we’re down to just two teams, all fighting for a ticket to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026.
The New England Patriots won against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks destroyed the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. Both games went down this weekend, and the winners punched their ticket to the big one.
Today’s conference championships packed a ton of drama. On the AFC side, you had the Patriots—Drake Maye at the helm with Mike Vrabel calling the shots—heading to Denver and took on a Broncos squad led by backup QB Jarrett Stidham.
Over in the NFC, it was a straight-up West Coast brawl. The Seahawks and Rams were meeting for the third time this year, and there was no love lost between these division rivals.
I’ll run through how each team clawed their way through the playoffs, break down the matchups and odds, and toss in my own take on who’s got the best shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. It all comes down to these two games—no pressure, right?
2026 Contenders, Recap of Conference Championships, and Paths to the Big Game
On Sunday, January 25th, the conference championships set the Bowl 60 stage: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Both teams executed when it mattered and earned their shot at the NFL’s ultimate prize.
Recap of AFC Championship: Patriots vs Broncos
The Patriots handled business in Denver, knocking off the Broncos to book their spot in Super Bowl 60. That crowd in Denver? Loud, but the Pats didn’t flinch.
Drake Maye kept his cool, driving the offense in the clutch. The Patriots’ pass rush hounded Jarrett Stidham all game, throwing Denver’s offense out of sync.
Mike Vrabel dialed up some crafty defensive looks. The Broncos just never found their rhythm.
Denver came in as big underdogs—Winning odds at +1300, if you can believe it. Their run was impressive, but New England’s experience and talent showed up when it counted.
Recap of NFC Championship: Seahawks vs Rams
The Seahawks took down the Rams at home, clinching the NFC Championship and a trip to the Big Game. Home-field advantage? Yeah, it mattered.
These teams split their regular-season games, so this was the ultimate tiebreaker. Sam Darnold led some gutsy drives, and Kenneth Walker III plus Jaxon Smith-Njigba brought the firepower.
Matthew Stafford tried to rally the Rams, and Puka Nacua made plays, but Seattle just played with more energy. Sean McVay’s Rams couldn’t quite match it on the road.
The Seahawks were favorites at +150 for the Bowl, with the Rams right behind at +220. Seattle’s crowd made the difference in this one—no question.
How Seahawks Reached it all
The Seahawks had to grind through the NFC playoffs—wild card, divisional round, and then hosting the championship. Nothing came easy.
Sam Darnold’s passing, paired with Kenneth Walker III’s running, made Seattle tough to defend. Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the go-to guy in big moments.
The defense stepped up, especially when the pressure mounted. Playing at home for the NFC title? That crowd gave them a serious jolt.
Seattle’s regular-season run set them up well. Splitting the series with the Rams showed they could hang with anyone in the division, and they proved it when it mattered most.
How Patriots Reached the finish line
The Patriots worked through the AFC playoffs, winning on the road in both the wild card and divisional rounds before heading to Denver for the championship. Nothing about their path was easy.
Drake Maye’s growth at quarterback gave New England a spark. Mike Vrabel’s defense kept offenses guessing and off-balance.
They came into the AFC title game with +250 odds—pretty solid. Beating the Broncos on their own turf showed this team’s got championship DNA.
The Patriots balanced attack—offense and defense—let them adapt game by game. Their pass rush rattled Stidham and made the difference in the AFC Championship.
Who Will Win? Matchup Analysis, Storylines, and Viewing Information
It’s Seahawks vs. Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026—a rematch of that crazy Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle opens as a 3.5-point favorite, boasting the league’s top defense, but the Patriots’ offense is suddenly electric with second-year QB Drake Maye.
Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots: Key Matchups and Predictions
Honestly, this one feels like a defensive slugfest waiting to happen. Seattle’s D allowed just 17.2 points per game and hasn’t let anyone rush for 100 yards in 27 straight games. Mike MacDonald’s group even held the 49ers to six points in the divisional round, forcing three turnovers and three turnovers on downs.
New England fires back with Drake Maye, who led the league in completion percentage (72%), passer rating (113.5), and Total QBR (77.1). Their passing attack ranks first in EPA per play—so it’s elite air vs. elite ground defense. Something’s gotta give.
Sam Darnold? He’s a bit of a wildcard. He made the Pro Bowl but led the league with 20 turnovers. Lately, though, he’s kept it clean over the past three playoff games. He’s nursing an oblique injury, so mobility could be a concern.
The spread is SEA -3.5, over/under at 46.5. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Seattle a 59% shot to win by about 3.4 points. Vegas and the models both lean Seahawks, but who really knows?
Super Bowl MVP Candidates and Impact Players
If the Patriots win, Drake Maye’s gotta be the MVP favorite. He’d join a tiny club—just the fifth QB to win a Super Bowl in his second year. He’s dangerous with his legs too; remember that 37-yard scramble in the wild card and the 28-yarder that set up the AFC title game’s winning kick?
For Seattle, Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the receivers with 24 catches for 335 yards out of the slot. If he can get loose against New England’s quarters coverage, watch out. Rashid Shaheed adds another deep threat—his 51-yard grab in the NFC Championship was a highlight.
On the ground, Rhamondre Stevenson has been a workhorse for New England with 58 touches and 280 yards in three playoff games. Kenneth Walker III is Seattle’s bell cow, though they lost Zach Charbonnet to an ACL tear, which stings.
Defensively, Seattle’s secondary has been lights-out. If someone forces a couple turnovers, don’t be shocked if a defensive player snags MVP in a low-scoring game.
Broadcast Details, Halftime Show, and How to Watch
Super Bowl LX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 8, 2026, with NBC on the call. If you’re a cord-cutter or just want to stream, Peacock’s got you covered.
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is hosting for the second time—it last held Super Bowl 50 back in 2016. Tickets? Still out there on official NFL sites and the usual resale spots.
NBC will flood the airwaves with pregame shows for hours before kickoff. The halftime show lineup? Still a mystery for now, but you know they’ll bring out something huge.
What to Expect at Levi’s Stadium and Storylines to Watch
This is the ninth time in NFL history that we get a Super Bowl rematch. New England, by the way, has now played in four of these—more than anyone else.
The memory of Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception in Super Bowl XLIX? Yeah, that play still haunts (or delights) fans, even after all these years.
The Patriots finally clawed their way back to the championship after a six-year drought. It’s their first shot at glory since the end of the Belichick-Brady era.
Mike Vrabel took over as head coach and pulled off a wild turnaround. He turned a team that went 4-13 last year into division champs—pretty wild, honestly.
They’re now just the sixth squad ever to make the Super Bowl after winning five or fewer games the year before. That’s not something you see every season.
Seattle had their own journey. They won the NFC West and snagged the No. 1 seed, all in Mike MacDonald’s second season.
Sam Darnold joined Tom Brady in a pretty exclusive club—he’s one of only two quarterbacks to put together back-to-back 14-win seasons. But let’s be real, people are still debating if his defense did most of the heavy lifting down the stretch.
Ball security is about to take center stage. Maye coughed up the ball six times in his first two playoff games (lost three of those), and Darnold led the league with 20 regular-season turnovers.
Honestly, it feels like whichever quarterback manages to hang onto the football could swing this whole thing. Buckle up, because this one’s going to get messy.
