The 2025-2026 National Football League (NFL) playoffs showcased defensive slugfests and high-scoring shootouts, culminating in a showdown between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams proved their dominance in the regular season, having the same record of 14 wins and three loses. The game concluded with a 29-13 Seahawks victory in which Seattle dominated, leading the entire game after their opening drive.

Fans of both squads at Bishop’s have shared their thoughts, predictions, and hopes on the contest: here’s how their ideas played out. Super Bowl LX was played at Levi Stadium in San Francisco, and the atmosphere heading into the game was electric with over 70,000 people in attendance. 

The emotions of fans were at an all-time high leading up to gameday. Dominic Carlson (‘26), a diehard Seahawks devotee, said simply, “I’m confident [the Seahawks will win].” Charlie Ahn (‘26), a Patriots fan, explained, “I’m really excited. It’s going to be interesting to see how the game goes, but I think the Pats will get the win.” Unfortunately for Charlie, Sunday proved Dominic right.

The Seahawks entered Sunday predicted to win by 4.5 points in a game described by History Teacher and Patriots fan, Dr. Jeffrey Geoghegan, as “a defining game for both New England and Seattle. And [there are] so many impact players on both sides.” He predicted, “the stage is set for a great game!” 

However, the game failed to live up to the expectations, and Dr. Geoghegan admitted, “it certainly wasn’t the exciting game people were hoping for.” He added, “I’m happy for the Seahawks. Especially Sam Darnold.” Regarding the Patriots, he said, “I think the team has a bright future.” 

That outlook is largely centered on quarterback Drake Maye, who made his first Super Bowl appearance in only his second season in the NFL. He has emerged as a candidate for Most Valuable Player (MVP), improving his statistics from last year significantly. According to ESPN, he tallied 15 touchdowns in his rookie year, but he also recorded 10 interceptions. This season, Maye jumped to 31 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. 

In contrast, quarterback Sam Darnold played in his first Super Bowl at 28 years old. His career began poorly with the New York Jets, forcing him to switch teams four times.

Last season, Darnold had a breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings, boasting 35 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Dr. Geoghegan explained, “Sam Darnold’s back-to-back incredible seasons with two different franchises is a great storyline, especially for a quarterback who, in his earlier career, struggled to establish himself as an elite player.”

The quarterback matchup was also critical to the game. Bishop’s Varsity Football Defensive Coordinator, Coach Kohl Simonds compared the athletes, saying, “If you told me I had to win one game tomorrow, like a Super Bowl, I’d probably take Darnold just because, at this point in his career, there’s very little that he hasn’t seen.” Dominic echoed this, saying, “Even though Drake Maye is a clutch player, I have to take [Sam Darnold] and the ‘hawks.”

However, Coach Simonds added, “If you told me I had to start a franchise tomorrow, I think the obvious choice is Maye.”

Charlie still had faith in Maye for the big game. “Darnold is a great quarterback,” he admitted, “but if you look at their stats this year, Maye is pretty much better in every[category].”

Although Darnold tallied 4,048 passing yards and a 67.7 completion percentage this season, Maye edged him out in both categories, racking up 4,394 yards through the air and a 72 percent completion. ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) system measures a quarterback’s contribution to winning, with a score of 50 being the average. On the QBR scale, Darnold scored 55.7, while Maye scored 77.1. 

Before the game, Dr. Geoghegan said, “Drake Maye as a young quarterback has been nothing short of amazing this year.” Charlie added, “I think that Drake Maye’s gonna do really well [in the Super Bowl] because we haven’t seen him in the playoffs play a real game without it being freezing.” He was alluding to the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game, in which both teams totaled just 219 passing yards in blizzard-like conditions.

Dr. Geoghegan concluded, “Whether he is the next Tom Brady, or whether there will ever be another Tom Brady, is yet to be seen.”

The fact that this was a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX also drew the interest of fans. In the same game 11 years ago, the Patriots famously edged out the Seahawks 28 to 24 after a goal-line interception thrown by quarterback Russell Wilson to cornerback Malcom Butler in the final seconds. Coach Simonds said prior to the contest, “It’d be awesome if [Super Bowl LX] ended in a similar fashion.” However, the Seahawks had other plans, shutting out the Patriots in the first half. 

Since the 2014-2015 season, both teams have rebuilt their roster and coaching staff. Superstars on both sides of the ball, including Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski for the Patriots and Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch for the Seahawks, have all moved on to other teams or retired. 

Neither unit was experienced in the postseason before this year’s playoffs. Coach Simonds highlighted coaches Mike Vrabel of the Patriots and Mike McDonald of the Seahawks. Prior to this season, Vrabel had coached five playoff games, going just 2-3, while McDonald appeared in zero. He explained, “I think either [the game] is going to be really sloppy early on and the nerves will be high, or it’s going to be boring early on because neither team is going to want to make the first mistake.” 

Both teams played conservatively with zero attempted fourth down conversions, but the nerves were apparent. Drake Maye recorded three turnovers, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once. His offensive line failed to protect him, allowing six sacks, just one away from the Super Bowl record of seven sacks. The Seahawks remained more poised, recording zero turnovers and just one sack in the 60 minutes of play.

Coach Simond’s prediction for “a defensive matchup” played out on game day. He also correctly stated, “I would take Seattle’s defense. Seattle’s defense is incredibly fast, from the line all the way up to the secondary. I think all 11 guys on the field are some of the quickest at their position across the league.” 

Dominic added, “Nick Emmanwori on the defensive side for Seattle [will have a big impact on the game].” Emmanwori, a Seahawks Safety, has logged four passes defended and eight tackles in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Seahawks allowed only six points to the San Francisco 49ers, showcasing their defensive prowess. 

Charlie favored the Patriots’ defense, noting, “The Patriots haven’t lost a game this season with their two best defensive players.” 

The athletes Charlie highlighted were cornerback Christian Gonzales and defensive end Milton Williams. Gonzalez had racked up 15 total tackles and one interception in the playoffs before the Super Bowl. Defensive end Milton Williams had also been a game wrecker, recording five tackles and two sacks in the postseason. The Patriots had only given up a total of 26 points in the playoffs, with an average of 8.7 points per game.

With both teams boasting strong defenses, the run game was one of the X factors in the game. Dominic predicted Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III would be one of the most important players in the Super Bowl. According to ESPN, Walker had 178 rushing yards and four touchdowns across the Seahawks’ first two playoff games. He was proven right, with Walker winning the Super Bowl MVP after recording 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, and 26 receiving yards on two receptions. 

The Patriots were looking to run the ball early, forcing the defense to focus on stopping the ground game. That would make it easier for them to throw the ball later in the game. Coach Simmonds explained that, “If [the Patriots] can establish the run, [Drake Maye’s] going to have a much easier time as opposed to if they didn’t. If Seattle comes out and can stop the Patriots’ run game early, it’s gonna put a lot on the plate of a Drake Maye.”

“I’d be interested to see how well the Patriots’ running backs hold up against Seattle’s defense,” noted Coach Simmonds. The Seahawks have the tenth-best rushing defense in the league, while the Patriots hold the sixth-best rushing offense in the league, splitting carries between Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. 

“[The Patriots] might just run the ball a lot. I think TreVeyon Henderson is primed for a big game,” said Charlie. However, the Seahawks defense proved to be too stifling for New England’s running back duo, allowing just 42 rushing yards between the two.

Another superstar that many anticipated would play a key role in the outcome is Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. “If you ask me to pick a player who’ll have the biggest impact, I think Jaxon’s the easy one to pick,” said Coach Simmonds. The stats back up his statement, as Smith-Njigba had 12 touchdowns and 1,965 receiving yards with an average of 14.9 yards per catch in the regular and postseason this year combined. 

However, his success was not guaranteed, as he was matched up against Christian Gonzalez. “What I’m really excited for is to watch Jaxon Smith-Njigba match up with Christian Gonzalez.” Charlie remarked, “It’ll be a battle between the best cornerback in the NFL and one of the best wide receivers.”

Smith-Njigba finished with just 27 receiving yards on four receptions with ten targets. A large factor in his underwhelming night was Christian Gonzalez, who covered him on 15 routes, allowing only one reception on four targets for 16 yards. 

For the Seahawks, coming out on top marked their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XLVIII in the 2013-2014 season. Dominic explained that the Seahawks win, “meant a lot,” and added, “Go Hawks!”

Although the Patriot’s goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy again failed to take place, Charlie was still positive for the team’s future. “We have a very young quarterback with a great rookie class, and just the fact that they made it this far is impressive,” explained Charlie. “I’m very excited for the next five or 10 years for the Patriots,” he added.

Almost 125 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LX. The game was highlighted by a defensive masterclass from Seattle, allowing just 13 points with six sacks and two interceptions.

Some fans, who were hoping for a tight contest, were left disappointed by the dominance of the Seahawks. David Beamer (‘28) agreed with Dr. Geoghegan, “I think the Super Bowl was fine. It was kind of a boring game, to be honest.” Looking forward to next season, both teams hope to continue their success and play again on the game’s biggest stage.