The week every football fan has been waiting for is finally here. It's Super Bowl week!
On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will square off in Super Bowl LX. It is a rematch from 11 years ago when the Patriots escaped with the Lombardi Trophy, 28-24. That was the famed Malcolm Butler interception game, which left fans clamoring for Marshawn Lynch.
Like that Seattle team, the 2025 edition of the Seahawks boasts an elite defense. They led the NFL in points allowed per game at 17.1. Their secondary played out of its mind, mostly smothering opposing passing games. They also possess one of the better pass rushes in the league this season.
Meanwhile, their Super Bowl opponent has a quarterback who gets sacked at a very high rate.
Including the playoffs, Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye has been sacked 62 times. That is the most in the NFL. If you want to just take the regular season into account, he was sacked 47 times, fourth most in the league.
The Patriots' offensive line has been a question for several years. That led to the team drafting left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The rookie lineman had an up-and-down season. Right tackle Morgan Moses is questionable to play with a knee injury. Granted, he has been playing through that injury for some time now. But if he is not 100%, that puts that much more pressure on Campbell to hold up on the other side.
So, here is how Campbell and the Seahawks' pass rush can determine a winner of Super Bowl LX.
Will Campbell, Seahawks Pass Rush key to Super Bowl
This season, the Seahawks finished the regular season tied for seventh with 47 sacks. They have four different players that each recorded at least six sacks, namely Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Demarcus Lawrence, and Uchenna Nwosu.
You can bet dollars to donuts they will be licking their chops at practice this week.
Not only has Maye been sacked and hit a lot, he also turns the ball over.
The Patriots' quarterback fumbled twice and threw an interception against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round. One week later, Maye threw another interception while fumbling four more times. Of the six fumbles, five came on strip sacks. Four of those were on the blind side, which is where Campbell will be.
If he struggles to protect Maye, it could be a long night for the Patriots.
If Seahawks' Pass Rush Can't Get Home, They Get Got
For most of the season, Seattle's defense applied consistent pressure. The offseason addition of Lawrence, along with the emergence of Nwosu and Murphy, saw to that.
But there were a few instances this year that they didn't get home. In those games, the back end was exposed.
In Seattle's 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield was sacked just once. His line gave him excellent protection, and he tossed for nearly 400 yards. Later in the season, the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford torched the Seahawks secondary. Not coincidentally, he was not sacked at all.
A few weeks later in the NFC Championship, Seattle only got him once. He tossed for another 374.
The Patriots have better skill-position players than most people realize. Stefon Diggs is long in the tooth, but can still make plays. Kayshon Boutte is an excellent deep threat. Mack Hollins is a big, red-zone target. And Hunter Henry is one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the league.
So, if Maye has time to throw, it stands to reason the Patriots will put up some points. With how well their defense is playing, that alone could be enough for New England to hoist another championship trophy.
