The Patriots are not shying away from the underdog label in Super Bowl LX.
“Somebody has to [be],” coach Mike Vrabel said Monday during opening night festivities. “I don’t think we dislike it.”
But schematically, what will it take for the Patriots to actually topple the favored Seahawks in the fight for the Lombardi Trophy?
Here are three keys to victory for New England:
1. Drake Maye must use his legs
With 1:57 left in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots faced a third-and-5 and were looking to ice a grind-it-out 10-7 victory over the Broncos. Drake Maye faked a handoff to running back Rhamondre Stevenson on his right and then booted to his left. In the open field, the Patriots quarterback outraced Broncos outside linebacker Jonah Elliss to the sideline, where he secured the game-clinching conversion. It capped a 10-carry, 65-yard rushing performance.
Maye’s legs were pivotal in getting New England past Denver, and they will be just as vital in getting the Patriots their seventh Super Bowl title.
While he’s most lauded for his efficient throwing and deep-ball prowess, the MVP finalist is also one of the league’s most mobile quarterbacks. He led the league in scramble first downs (27) and ranked third in total scramble rush yards (423) during the regular season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Maye averaged 26.5 rushing yards per game for the year, but since Week 15, that’s up to 38.9 rushing yards per game (on 6.6 carries per contest). In the regular season, the Seahawks allowed 5.3 rushing yards per carry to opposing quarterbacks, the fourth-most in the league, per NGS. So that’s something for the Patriots to exploit.
The Patriots aren’t a heavy blitzing team — they blitzed on 26.6% of dropbacks in the regular season, which tied for 18th in the NFL — but it’s a viable option for slowing down the Seahawks quarterback, who played the best game of his career in the NFC Championship Game.
Darnold completed 62.5% of his passes when blitzed during the regular season, posting a 10-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 93.6 passer rating, per NGS. Not bad, sure, but certainly not as deadly when defenses sent four or fewer passer rushers at him. Under those circumstances, Darnold posted a 15-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 102.1 passer rating.
In the wild-card round last season, the Rams bounced Sam Darnold out of the playoffs when he played for Minnesota. In that game, the QB took nine sacks and threw an interception in a 27-9 L.A. rout. (Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images)
So blitzing at a higher rate than normal may provide New England with the best opportunity to get Darnold to cough up the ball, which he did at a high rate during the regular season. He had a league-high 7.2% turnover rate on pressured dropbacks in 2025, per NGS.
Patriots defensive backs Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones have all made a play on the ball on a higher percentage of their targets in the playoffs than in the regular season, according to Next Gen Stats. Gonzalez, Davis, Jones and safety Craig Woodson have four pass breakups apiece this postseason.
3. Use multiple running back sets
Playing Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson together in the backfield is a way for the Patriots to both shore up Drake Maye’s protection and put stress on the Seahawks’ vaunted defense.
New England has struggled to keep Maye upright in the playoffs. He’s been sacked 15 times this postseason (five times apiece in the wild card, divisional round and AFC title game), the most by any player to reach a Super Bowl since 1970, per Next Gen Stats.
Two running back sets would give Maye an extra chipper/blocker up front against Seattle’s strong pass rush and an outlet in the quick/short passing game to find a rhythm. That could bring up Maye’s passer efficiency, which is down significantly in the postseason.
The Patriots need running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson to help QB Drake Maye stay upright and work his magic in Super Bowl LX. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jumbo formations, with multiple running backs and tight ends, could be a great option for New England in short-yardage situations as well.
Stevenson and Henderson thrived in jumbo during the regular season, averaging 9.8 and 5.8 yards per carry on such rushes, respectively, per NGS. Of players with at least 20 carries in such formations in 2025, Stevenson ranked first in the NFL in yards per carry and Henderson ranked fourth. The Patriots had a league-high 10 touchdowns out of jumbo formation this season.
