Sports Staff Super Bowl LX Predictions

Written by Reagan Silbar, Mia Beaubien and Connor Fields

Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara might be the most unexpected matchup of the last decade.

Before the 2025 NFL season, it would have been impossible to predict that the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots would become the NFC and AFC champions, respectively. In 2024, Seattle finished with a 10-7 record despite having almost an entirely new roster and a first-year head coach. Meanwhile, New England ended 2024 with a 3-14 record and a first-year head coach, Jerod Mayo, who was fired after just one season.

But fast-forward to the 2025 season: Seattle secured the NFC No. 1 seed and won the toughest division in football in Sam Darnold’s first season with the team, while New England edged out the previously dominant Buffalo Bills to claim the AFC East, making the Super Bowl despite allegations of an “easy schedule” over the past 21 weeks. Now, with each team earning a week of rest and claiming the top spot in its conference until next year’s Super Bowl, the only things that matter are the players, coaches, and roster matchups that America will watch on Feb. 8.

Here are The Gavel staff’s predictions for how Super Bowl LX will unfold:

Reagan

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Score: 27-13

Mike Macdonald has entirely reshaped the Seahawks’ identity, especially on defense, making it hard not to compare “The Dark Side” to the Legion of Boom. While New England has also completely turned things around in what should have been a rebuilding year, I just don’t see a scenario where the Patriots’ offense can match up against Nick Emmanwori, Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon, and the rest of the Seahawks’ defense. Although Sam Darnold has a reputation for performing well in big games, he has played superbly throughout the playoffs. There are also enough offensive weapons, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, and even lesser-known guys like AJ Barner, who all contribute. They might have enough defensive prowess alone to give Seattle its second Lombardi. The Seahawks hold an edge in nearly every position, with the possible exceptions of offensive line and quarterback. Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez are both stars, and New England has quieted some skeptics, but the difference in strength of schedule suggests Seattle is far more battle-hardened.

Connor

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Score: 27-23

If you ignore the preseason perceptions about this Seattle team and look purely at the metrics, they are one of the greatest teams in recent memory. By Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), a metric that accounts for the toughness of opponents, Seattle is not only the No. 1 team this year (New England is ranked seventh), but also the best team by DVOA in more than a decade. The duo of Sam Darnold and Jaxson Smith-Njigba spearheads a potent, efficient passing attack, and Mike Macdonald has transformed this Seattle defense into a tenacious unit that finished the year as the No. 1 scoring defense. Preventing this game from becoming a blowout will depend on Drake Maye, particularly because Seattle has yet to face a quarterback with the combination of mobility and arm talent Maye possesses. I also trust the front seven, namely the defensive tackle duo Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, to slow down Kenneth Walker and get enough pressure on Darnold, preventing a repeat of his game against the Rams in the NFC championship. Nevertheless, a late scoring drive led by Maye will keep the game close, but Seattle’s talent and coaching will prevail. Jaxson Smith- Njigba will win Super Bowl MVP with a statline of 11 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown.

Mia

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Score: 28-20

New England’s highly favorable regular-season schedule and Drake Maye’s offensive line that has allowed 15 sacks in the postseason will not be able to handle the Seahawks’ defense or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has been practically uncoverable. The Seahawks are the better team and will remain so on Sunday. The Patriots will have to restart their dynasty another year.