Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold. Two stingy defenses. A second-year head coach vs. a veteran coach in his second act.
Super Bowl 60 is set and it's a rematch: The New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots will seek their NFL-record seventh Super Bowl victory when they face the Seahawks on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
New England Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses, left, and tight end Hunter Henry celebrate after the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Denver.Â
Led by Maye, coach Mike Vrabel and a stifling defense, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago.
The Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Sunday in the AFC championship game to advance to their 12th Super Bowl.
Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history. They're seeking their second Lombardi.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo, right, celebrates with quarterback Drew Lock, left, after the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Seattle.Â
Darnold, a No. 3 overall pick in 2018 now with his fifth team, played one of his best games to lead the Seahawks to a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. He threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.
"That doesn't matter to me," Darnold said about the doubters he's proven wrong. "I just come to work every single day with these guys. These guys in the locker room, that's what it's about to me, man. The way we've come to work ever since April in OTAs, training camp, one day at a time and we're here. We did it."
It was a wacky finish when Brady and the Patriots beat Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll's Seahawks 11 years ago.
Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, left, greets New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after the AFC Championship game on Sunday in Denver.Â
Brady threw four TD passes and rallied New England from a 10-point deficit to win the fourth of his seven rings when Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson's pass from the 1-yard line to secure a 28-24 victory on Feb. 1, 2015. Seattle fans still lament why Marshawn Lynch didn't get the ball on a handoff at the 1.
"We did not care," Macdonald said about coming into the season as underdogs in the NFC West behind the Rams and 49ers. "It's about us. It's always been about us and what we do and now we're going to the Super Bowl."
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks with quarterback Drake Maye after the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Denver.Â
Maye scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in Denver after a critical turnover by Jarrett Stidham, who made his fifth career start filling in for injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
"The Pats are back, baby," Maye said. "Now, gotta win one."
Playing through a snowstorm in the second half, Maye only threw for 86 yards and ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and one costly fumble.
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, right, celebrates his touchdown run with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, center, and quarterback Sam Darnold, left, during the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Seattle.Â
Maye, 23, a finalist for AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino. He's the fourth second-year QB in the past seven years to lead his team to the NFL title game. Patrick Mahomes (2018) won it while Joe Burrow (2021) and Brock Purdy (2023) lost.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots in the 2000s, turned the team around in his first season as coach. New England went from 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo to 14-3.
Vrabel is trying to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a head coach and player for the same team. Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson won Super Bowls playing for one team and coaching another.
"I can't tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization," said Vrabel, who is a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year. "I won't win it. It'll be the players that'll win the game, I promise you. It won't be me that'll win it and I promise you I'll do everything that I can and our staff to have them ready for the game."
No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They're tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.
It's been a long road back to the top for New England, which came off consecutive four-win seasons and only had one winning season after Brady's departure in 2020.
The Patriots have averaged just 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15. New England's defense has allowed just 26 points in the three games, an average of just 8.7 per game. The only team to allow fewer points in three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who gave up 16.
20 of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows
20 of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows
Updated
It is the biggest football game of the year, but the Super Bowl doesnât just offer two unstoppable football teams battling it out for the win. The Big Game also promises some of the greatest performances from star-studded entertainers at the Super Bowl halftime show. While the halftime show was once a stomping ground for some of collegesâ greatest marching bands, that all changed in 1991 when one of the first boy bands, New Kids on the Block, took to the stage.
In the years since, the halftime show has featured some of the most memorable and intricately planned and choreographed musical performances to ever hit the small screen. They have been themed based on both movies and seasons. They have been strange and shocking. They have featured wardrobe mishaps and both awkward and joyous pairings.
The Super Bowl has become known for these extravagant shows featuring some of the most legendary bands and singers in the world. While they arenât paid for performing, the prestige of being on the legendary halftime stage is payment enough.
As we look forward to the 2022 halftime show featuring Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, Stacker compiled a list of 20 of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows from various news and entertainment sites.
You may also like: Can you answer these real 'Jeopardy!' questions about sports?
Super Bowl XXV (1991)
Updated
Prior to the 1991 Super Bowl, marching bands were the predominant act at halftime, but that all changed when New Kids on the Block brought their act to the stage. Their show at Tampa Stadium, where the New York Giants played the Buffalo Bills, featured hits âStep by Step,â âThis Oneâs for the Children,â and âItâs a Small Worldâ performed along with a military childrenâs choir, members of whose parents were serving in the Gulf War. A Gulf War report actually aired during halftime.
Super Bowl XXVI (1992)
Updated
This strange halftime show, known as Winter Magic, was a tribute to another great sporting event that year, the Winter Olympics. Olympic figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill skated to âOne Moment in Timeâ and were joined by several members of the 1980 Olympic hockey team, the University of Minnesota marching band, dancing snowflakes, and massive snowmen. Gloria Estefan also performed her hits âGet On Your Feetâ and âLive For Loving You.â
Super Bowl XXVII (1993)
Updated
The King of Pop performed at The Rose Bowl during a game where the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills. Amidst the ice-cold afternoon, Michael Jackson moonwalked his way through a medley that includes his hits âBillie Jean,â âJam,â and âBlack or White.â To wrap things up, Jackson sang âWe Are the Worldâ and âHeal the World,â while 3,500 Los Angeles area kids surrounded the stage and 133 million viewers watched.
Super Bowl XXVIII (1994)
Updated
This show at the Georgia Dome was a treat for country music fans with Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and The Judds belting out hits like âTuckered Out,â âT-R-O-U-B-L-E,â âNo One Else on Earth,â âLove Can Build a Bridge,â and âItâs a Little Too Late.â The event dubbed âRockinâ Country Sundayâ featured an interesting blend of special guests for the finale, including Ashley Judd, Stevie Wonder, Lisa Hartman Black, The Georgia Satellites, football legend Joe Namath, actor Elijah Wood, and Charlie Daniels.
Super Bowl XXIX (1995)
Updated
One of the stranger Super Bowl halftime shows was this Disney production that featured a tribute to Indiana Jones. Patti LaBelle sang âRelease Yourselfâ and âNew Attitude,â while Tony Bennett sang âCaravanâ and duetted with LaBelle on âCan You Feel the Love Tonightâ from the Disney film, âThe Lion King.â Teddy Pendergrass and Arturo Sandoval also performed in between brief acting bits featuring Indiana Jones.
You may also like: 25 athletes who came out of retirement
Super Bowl XXX (1996)
Updated
The 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium saw the Dallas Cowboys face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the halftime show featured Diana Ross. Ross performed a 12-minute set including Supremes-era classics âStop! In the Name of Loveâ and âBaby Loveâ after being lowered to the stage on a crane. From multiple outfit changes to her exit via helicopter while singing âI Will Survive,â Ross brought her A-game to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXXV (2001)
Updated
Boy band âN Sync and rock band Aerosmith married the worlds of rock and pop in a musical medley that included âBye Bye Byeâ and âI Donât Want to Miss a Thingâ at Tampaâs Raymond James Stadium. The most memorable performance though came with the rock classic âWalk this Way,â which featured pop princess Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige joining Aerosmith and âN Sync. Who can forget the moment former Mickey Mouse Club alums and dating duo, Spears and Timberlake, walked the stage side by side making magical music together?
Super Bowl XXXVI (2002)
Updated
Irish rockers U2 started their set at the Louisiana Superdome with the hit âBeautiful Day,â but it was the emotional tribute to those who died a few months prior during the 9/11 attacks that really hit home. The names of the dead scrolled across a big screen as âMLKâ played and led to âWhere the Streets Have No Nameâ Lead singer Bono made a statement as only he can when he revealed the American flag inside his jacket.
Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
Updated
One of the most memorable halftime show performances was overshadowed by an epic âwardrobe malfunction.â Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlakeâs careers were irrevocably altered thanks to one unfortunate moment that revealed Jackson's nipple for the whole world to see as Timberlake sang the final lineââIâll have you naked by the end of this songââto his hit âRock Your Body.â The FCC went after MTV and Jackson, who suffered most of the media scrutiny following the mishap. Her performance of âRhythm Nationâ and âAll for You,â as well as other performances that day from Jessica Simpson, Diddy, Nelly, and Kid Rock, sadly became secondary.
Super Bowl XXXIX (2005)
Updated
After the debauchery at 2004âs Super Bowl halftime show with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlakeâs wardrobe/choreography malfunction, Sir Paul McCartney seemed a safe yet legendary follow-up. The former Beatle performed âDrive My Car,â âGet Back,â and âLive and Let Die.â McCartney played guitar and piano before ending the show with âHey Jude,â as the audience sang along with candles swaying.
You may also like: History of the NFL from the year you were born
Super Bowl XL (2006)
Updated
Another British act hit the Super Bowl following Sir Paul McCartneyâs performance in 2005. The Rolling Stones played three of their hits, âStart Me Up,â âRough Justice,â and â(I Canât Get No) Satisfaction.â The band wasnât too pleased that two of their songs were censored, including one of the lines from âStart Me Up,â though no one could censor 62-year-old Mick Jaggerâs epic dance moves on a stage that was literally the bandâs logo.
Super Bowl XLI (2007)
Updated
In 2007, the Miami Dolphinsâ stadium featured Prince rocking through his hits âLet's Go Crazyâ and âBaby I'm A Starâ on a stage constructed to look like the symbol the artist briefly took as a nom de guerre, before segueing into hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Foo Fighters, and Bob Dylan, all with marching band backup. In a moment only nature could provide, the artist performed âPurple Rainâ under a rainy night sky.
Super Bowl XLIII (2009)
Updated
While he had passed up the opportunity to perform at the halftime show in the past, 2009 saw Bruce Springsteen change his tune, performing âTenth Avenue Freezeout,â âBorn to Run,â âWorking on a Dream,â and âGlory Daysâ with some minor lyrical edits made just for the Super Bowl. No one can forget the 59-year-oldâs epic knee slide into the camera or his plea to the audience: âI want you to step back from the guacamole dip, I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up.â Guitarist Steven Van Zandt, Springsteenâs wife Patti Scialfa, and a gospel choir accompanied the legendary singer.
Super Bowl XLV (2011)
Updated
The Black Eyed Peas took to the stage at Cowboys Stadium to belt out a string of hits, including âI've Gotta Feelingâ and âBoom Boom Pow,â before Fergie teamed up with Guns ân Rosesâ guitarist Slash, who rose up from beneath the stage, on âSweet Child Oâ Mine.â The Peas were later joined by Usher for âOMG.â
Super Bowl XLVI (2012)
Updated
When headliner Madonna made her grand entrance at Lucas Oil Stadium, it was as an Egyptian goddess being carried on a barge by a legion of âsoldiers.â The Material Girl performed alongside a stellar list of guest stars, including Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, M.I.A., and Nicki Minaj. The setlist included âVogue,â a mashup of âMusic/Party Rock Anthem/Sexy and I Know Itâ with LMFAO, âLike a Prayerâ with Green, and âGive Me All Your Luvinââ with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj. Controversy found this halftime show when M.I.A. gave the finger directly to the camera in lieu of a curse word from âGive Me All Your Luvinâ.â
You may also like: The best streaming services for sports in 2021
Super Bowl XLVII (2013)
Updated
By the time Beyonce took the stage at the New Orleans Superdome in 2013, she was already one of the biggest pop stars in the worldâbut her halftime show performance sent her into the stratosphere of R&B royalty. After ascending to the stage while an audio track of football legend Vince Lombardi played throughout the stadium, Beyonce, along with guest stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destinyâs Child, ran through some of her biggest hits, including âCrazy in Love,â âBootylicious,â and âIndependent Women Part 1,â before bringing the house down with a dance-along performance of âSingle Ladies (Put a Ring on It).â Beyonceâs performance would go on to earn three Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special, which it won.
Super Bowl XLIX (2015)
Updated
Pop princess Katy Perry took the stage at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with an epic show featuring the songstress riding in on a massive robotic red-eyed lion, while she sang her hit âRoar.â She did a duet with Lenny Kravitz on guitar for âI Kissed a Girlâ and shared the stage with dancing sharks (including one infamously off-beat one), beach balls, and palm trees for âTeenage Dreamâ and âCalifornia Gurls.â Missy Elliott joined Perry for âGet Ur Freak Onâ and âWork It,â just before Perry closed the show out with âFirework,â as fireworks erupted in the background, while the singer flew in the sky on a shooting star.
Super Bowl LI (2017)
Updated
Lady Gaga drew 117.5 million viewers with a set that included popular songs âBad Romance,â âPoker Face,â âJust Dance,â and âMillion Reasons.â Gaga also showed her patriotism with her performance of âGod Bless Americaâ and âThis Land Is Your Land.â While Gaga didn't do anything wild, she did proudly belt out âBorn This Way,â her queer-positive anthem, and headed out into the audience to give some fan love.
Super Bowl LII (2018)
Updated
Justin Timberlake returned to the Super Bowl stage, which heâd already occupied twice with former girlfriend Britney Spears, rockers Aerosmith, and band âN Sync in 2001, and with Janet Jackson as a solo artist for the infamous âNipplegateâ incident in 2005. The singer was introduced by his good friend and nighttime talk show host Jimmy Fallon and used the show as a promotional opportunity for his album âMan of the Woods.â His set at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis included âSexyBack,â âRock Your Body,â âCry Me A River,â âCanât Stop the Feeling,â and a duet with Minneapolisâ own Prince that featured a prerecorded video of the deceased artist singing âI Would Die 4 U.â
Super Bowl LV (2021)
Updated
Sporting a shimmery red Givenchy-designed blazer covered in crystals, The Weeknd ran through a string of his hits, including âCall Out My Name,â âStarboy,â âThe Hills,â and âCanât Feel My Face.â The gloved singer closed the set with âBlinding Lightsâ against a barrage of fireworks and audience applause. Despite COVID-19 restrictions being in full force and the assembled crowd being much less than would otherwise be the case, the show was a success, with The Independent commenting that it was a âbrilliantly escapist 10 minutes that not only solidified his pop domination, but helped a deeply divided countryâhowever brieflyâdance away the pain of this past year.â
You may also like: 25 unique sports from around the world
