When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots square off today in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, it will be an opportunity for the Seahawks to avenge a single play that has haunted their fans for more than a decade.
It was 11 years ago that the two franchises were part of one of the most memorable games in NFL history. In the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLIX, with the Patriots clinging to a 28-24 lead and the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks knocking on the doorstep of a second straight title, Patriots corner Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the goal line to secure the Patriots’ fourth Super Bowl title.
The stunning moment marked a divergence of sorts for the two teams. The Seahawks, then led by coach Pete Carroll and the “Legion of Boom” defense, would fail to make another NFC title game until this season. The Patriots would go on to win two more Super Bowls with legendary coach-QB duo Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. But after Brady’s departure from the Patriots in 2020, Belichick struggled to sustain success.
Then, in January 2024, in a twist of fate, the Seahawks parted ways with Carroll just one day before the Patriots did the same with Belichick. It was the end of an era for the league.
After just a few short years of relative irrelevance, the Patriots, to the frustration of the rest of the NFL, have quickly ushered in a new chapter of success, segueing from Belichick and Brady to coach Mike Vrabel and QB savant Drake Maye. For the Seahawks, Carroll and Wilson — who was traded to the Broncos in 2022 — have been replaced by coach Mike MacDonald and veteran QB Sam Darnold.
Once considered a draft bust, Darnold could cap one of the greatest redemption arcs ever seen in football if he hoists the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, while the Patriots will be hoping that Maye can recreate the magic of Brady’s first Super Bowl title in 2001, when he led them to an upset over a heavily-favored St. Louis Rams team.
Follow the latest updates from Super Bowl LIX below:
