Camille Wallace
Staff Writer
As the NFL season comes to a close, Superbowl LX presented quite an interesting matchup: a new and improved New England Patriots against a hungry Seattle Seahawks squad. Played on Sunday Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif., the stage was set for the biggest night of the NFL season.
The Patriots, led by rookie quarterback Drake Maye, entered the game favored to win a record seventh Superbowl, which would have been the most in NFL history. Still, ESPN’s staff predictions told a different story; of 58 experts, 48 picked the Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold, leaving 10 siding in favor of New England.
After only winning four games last season, the Patriots fought their way back into contention to earn a spot in this year’s Super Bowl. With the AFC having been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs for the past seven years, their absence was a surprise.
In 5 of the 6 previous Super Bowl’s, the Chiefs were in attendance – and they won three. The Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens were considered absolute threats to this dynasty ahead of the season, but their star quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, both missed the postseason with injuries.
The Seattle Seahawks, meanwhile, entered the Super Bowl on a 9-game winning streak, including their play-off run. It was the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest in franchise history behind their 11-game run in 2005.
Heading into half-time, their momentum only grew as they took a 9-0 lead, while the Patriots continued to struggle on the offense.
The night’s most controversial moment came during the halftime show, which featured Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. In today’s cultural climate, he delivered an outstanding performance entirely in Spanish, which has drawn heavy criticism being labeled “one of the worst halftime performances ever” by none other than President Donald Trump.
Senior biology pre-med student Kiara Phillips expressed her perspective on the performance.
“I don’t blame him for performing in Spanish. That’s exactly what he should’ve done because there are people who have been on the internet talking bad about the performance but just look around. He’s showing up for the people who look like him, speak the same language as him, and the performance as a whole sent a clear message to me and I didn’t understand anything he said for real,” said Phillips.
Bad Bunny also brought out several notable celebrities, including Cardi B, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Karol G, Jessica Alba, and social media sensation Alix Earle.
Coming back from the notable half-time performance, the Seahawks continued their offensive momentum by kicking a record five field goals and sticking to their game plane on defense, allowing only one first down in the third quarter.
Both teams ramped up the offense but the Seahawks clearly dominated. Maye stumbled with accuracy all game, throwing up two interceptions and fumbling twice. He had two late touchdowns in the fourth, but they came far too late in the game.
The 2026 Super Bowl concluded with the Seattle Seahawks claiming victory by a score of 29 – 13, ending the season on a spectacular note.
