Super Bowl LX set: Seahawks and Patriots advance after dramatic conference championship wins
Seattle and New England punched their tickets to Super Bowl LX with contrasting victories: the Seahawks survived a 31-27 shootout over the Rams, while the Patriots leaned on defense to edge the Broncos 10-7 in snowy conditions. The matchup revives a familiar pairing from 11 years ago, but with new quarterbacks and coaches now defining both franchises.
Seattle outlasts Los Angeles in NFC thriller
The Seattle Seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl after a high-scoring 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. Quarterback Sam Darnold delivered one of the biggest performances of his career, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Seattle’s passing game repeatedly found space, and the Seahawks’ offense answered nearly every Rams surge with points of its own.
A key swing came late, when Los Angeles drove deep and faced a do-or-die fourth down in the red zone. Seattle’s defense got the stop, preventing the Rams from taking the lead and allowing the Seahawks to close out the game. The result sends Seattle to its first Super Bowl appearance in more than a decade and caps a season defined by Darnold’s turnaround and the team’s ability to win tight games.
New England survives Denver in a defensive AFC fight
In the AFC Championship, the New England Patriots advanced with a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in challenging, snowy conditions. With points at a premium, New England relied on a conservative approach and timely defense to hold off Denver. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye scored the Patriots’ lone touchdown on a short run and helped manage key moments late as the team protected the lead.
The Patriots’ defense delivered the difference, forcing mistakes and preventing Denver from converting late drives into points. The win marks a return to the league’s biggest stage for New England, now led by a new head coach and a roster built around defense and efficiency rather than the wide-open style of past eras.
A rematch with new faces and new stakes
Super Bowl LX is now set: Seahawks vs. Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. While the pairing echoes a famous meeting from 11 years ago, the storylines are different in 2026. Seattle arrives behind Darnold’s resurgence and a defense capable of game-defining stops, while New England arrives on a formula of disciplined offense and suffocating defense.
With the conference titles decided, attention shifts to preparation, health, and matchups. Seattle will look to keep its explosive passing attack rolling, while New England will aim to turn the Super Bowl into a field-position game and force mistakes. Both teams now have two weeks to refine their approach for the season’s final test.