The upcoming Super Bowl 60 will feature a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, an occurrence that hasn”t been seen in over two decades. Both teams have a storied history in the NFL, with the Patriots making multiple appearances for the Lombardi Trophy since the 1980s, totaling 12 Super Bowl contests. This accounts for 20 percent of all Super Bowls played. On the other hand, the Seahawks are aiming for their fourth Super Bowl since 2005, seeking redemption for their previous loss to New England 11 years ago.
What makes this Super Bowl particularly intriguing is the recent struggles of both teams. This year”s championship game marks only the sixth time that both competing teams entered the Super Bowl after missing the playoffs the previous season. The Seahawks barely missed the postseason in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while the last time the Patriots reached the playoffs was in 2021, under the leadership of coach Bill Belichick.
The last Super Bowl that featured two teams with prior playoff absences was Super Bowl 38, which took place during the 2003 season. In that game, the New England Patriots emerged victorious over the Carolina Panthers in a thrilling 32-29 finish. Interestingly, the Patriots had missed the playoffs with quarterback Tom Brady the year after winning their first Super Bowl, while the Panthers had a disappointing 7-9 record that season.
In addition to Super Bowl 38, there have been four other instances where two teams that had missed the playoffs previously met in the Super Bowl. These include the Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl 35, the St. Louis Rams edging out the Tennessee Titans, the San Francisco 49ers claiming their first title against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the New York Jets triumphing over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3.
In many seasons, a Seahawks versus Patriots matchup would have been a popular preseason prediction for the Super Bowl, especially given their historical significance in the league. However, few anticipated this outcome when the teams took the field in August.
