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Following 18 weeks of regular season action and a memorable slate of playoff fixtures, the list of potential Super Bowl winners is down to the final two. At the conclusion of Championship Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are the last teams standing.
In games played in starkly contrasting conditions, the Seahawks outlasted the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field, while the Patriots overcame a determined Broncos defence and a second-half blizzard in Denver. The showdown in Santa Clara on 8th February presents a rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl, when the Patriots won a thriller in Glendale, Arizona.
Defences on Top in Denver
With quarterback Bo Nix out following an injury sustained in the divisional round, the Broncos were heavily reliant on their defence as the Patriots and MVP contender Drake Maye came to town. To Denver’s credit, the defence rose to the task, but it wasn’t quite enough. Two key fourth-down plays just tilted the scales in New England’s favour, as the visitors toughed it out for a 10-7 victory.
Denver’s backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, began his NFL career in New England, having been selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Joining the Broncos in 2023, he could scarcely have faced a tougher challenge on his first start in two years. To his credit, Stidham started well, finding Marvin Mims with a 52-yard strike to set up a first and goal; he converted when finding Courtland Sutton in the back corner of the end zone. The first key fourth-down play then arrived in the second quarter, when Denver chose to run on fourth down rather than kicking a field goal to extend their lead to 10-0.
The Denver defence did an impressive job in the first half, restricting the Patriots to only 72 total yards and three first downs. However, New England found a way back into it with a big defensive play of their own. Backtracking under pressure, Stidham fumbled when hit by Christian Ellis, handing possession to New England at the Denver 10-yard line. Two plays later, the scores were tied. Spotting a gap up the centre, Maye raced in for what would prove to be the Patriots’ only touchdown of the game.
The Patriots’ decisive drive arrived on their first possession after the break. Driving to the Denver eight-yard line, the Patriots converted on fourth-down and one. While unable to find the end zone, a 23-yard field goal handed New England the lead for the first time.
Thereafter, swirling winds and a snowstorm turned the encounter into a war of attrition. With defences on top, both teams missed field goals before Jarrett Stidham was picked off with 2:18 left on the clock. One first down later, and the Patriots had booked a record-extending twelfth appearance in the Super Bowl.
Darnold Peaks at Just the Right Time
The offences found more joy in the NFC Championship game as Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks outgunned Matt Stafford and the LA Rams in a 31-27 classic. Stafford was effective in throwing for 374 yards and three touchdowns against a Seahawks defence which had conceded fewer regular-season points than any other side. However, the veteran QB was matched by Darnold, who continued his resurgence with a season-high 346 yards through the air and three touchdowns.
Darnold struck first when finding Kenneth Walker III up the middle for a 51-yard gain to set up the opening touchdown of the game. The teams then exchanged field goals before Stafford led an impressive 14-play 87-yard drive culminating in a nine-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. The Seahawks took a 17-13 lead into the break.
The pivotal moment came early in the third quarter when Xavier Smith muffed a Seattle punt to set up the Seahawks on the Rams’ 17-yard line. Wasting no time, Darnold found Jackson Bobo in the end zone to extend the lead to 24-13. Stafford responded with 75-yard and 77-yard touchdown drives, but Darnold kept his side’s noses in front with a 13-yard touchdown pass to former Ram, Cooper Kupp. It was 31-27 Seahawks at the start of the fourth quarter.
Having constructed two 70-yard-plus touchdown drives in the third quarter, Stafford looked set to do it again in the fourth. Eating up the clock with a 15-play drive lasting over seven minutes, Stafford took the Rams to the Seattle six-yard line. However, the Seahawks showed just why their defence is so highly rated – Devon Witherspoon breaking up a fourth-down pass into the end zone to keep the Rams off the scoreboard. No way back for LA from there, as Seattle hung on for the 31-27 win.
2015 Rematch Is On
Ending the season with a joint NFL-best 14-3 record, the Patriots and Seahawks have carried their regular-season form into the postseason. The Patriots held on to win 28-24 in 2015 in a game recognised as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. How will the story end at Super Bowl 60? Will the Sam Darnold tale of redemption end in ultimate glory, or can Drake Maye cement his MVP credentials with a Super Bowl ring? We will find out on Sunday, 8th February.