Sports
Patriots pit pup QB, prized defense against Sam Darnold, Seahawks
Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) shake hands during Opening Night for Super Bowl LX at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Call it a comeback. And better make it two.
Super Bowl LX sets up as a recall of recent great teams colliding Sunday on the home field of the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s a repeat of Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015 that swung from a Seattle Seahawks celebration to a confirmation of the New England Patriots’ dynasty when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson pass at the goal line with 20 seconds left.
“It hasn’t come up one time,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of the Super Bowl rematch.
Almost everything has changed on both sidelines in the decade since that game. Neither team was even in the playoff field last season.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft called a leadership audible and restored the championship standard in New England, placing three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel atop the organization pecking order, and the new head coach guided a stunning turnaround in 2025.
Vrabel, a former linebacker under Bill Belichick, has resurrected the franchise and partnered with the second-youngest Super Bowl starting quarterback ever, 23-year-old Drake Maye, to move New England to the doorstep of a league-record seventh Lombardi Trophy.
“The organization has set a standard,” Vrabel said. “The Patriots organization, Robert and Jonathan (Kraft), have set a standard for this organization that this is what the expectation is. We understand that, we embrace that.”
Seattle shifted from Pete Carroll at the end of the 2024 season, and longtime general manager John Schneider restocked in tandem with Macdonald, 38. The second-year coach and defensive-minded mad scientist won 14 games in the 2025 regular season, earning the top seed in the NFC with reclamation project Sam Darnold starring in the vast shadow of Seattle’s sledgehammer defense.
Darnold threw 25 touchdown passes in his first season with the Seahawks. He opposes Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, who produced numbers once expected of another famous Patriots passer with a fully stocked ring finger. Maye finished ahead of Darnold in most passing categories. He had 31 touchdown passes, 4,394 yards and a league-leading 113.5 passer rating with a pair of rookies starting on the left side of a fully revamped offensive line.
Maye has harped on running the ball, and Vrabel continues to preach balance in the long preamble to Super Bowl LX. But numbers could set up in Seattle’s favor.
The Seahawks have a streak of 28 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher and big plays are a pipe dream — only 15 plays of 20-plus yards — because of the speed and versatility of the back seven and the ability of Macdonald to generate pressure with his front four. They were stingy on first down and excelled on third down, when the crosshairs are largely centered on the pocket.
New England had allowed Maye to be sacked 15 times in the playoffs.
“We’ve got to stay connected,” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “It’s kind of like synchronized swimming. If one of them is different than the other, you usually have a bad play. We’re going to be put to the test. They will twist and stunt, a really violent team.”
Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams is a terror inside, and six Seattle defenders have at least 40 QB pressures. Williams leads the team with 65 followed by DeMarcus Lawrence with 58. While Seattle’s dynamic personnel and playmaking mix is getting headlines, the Seahawks were far from flawless in 2025. They allowed 27 points to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game and needed an offensive explosion to edge the same team 38-37 in the regular season.
McDaniels said he’s not afraid of leaning on his young players. He recalled being in the press box as an assistant coach in the 2001 season when a young Tom Brady made his Super Bowl debut and beat the St. Louis Rams.
“That was a great example of a young player being put in a situation where (coaches) could have let the game go to overtime,” Daniels said. “Those are the types of situations players live for. Drake has had to deal with those types of circumstances this season, and we’ve only gotten his best football.”
Maye registered 11 multiple-TD games in the 2025 regular season. He has taken only one loss since Sept. 21, compiling a 16-1 record since then. Maye leads the Darnold, 29, in career postseason wins, and their combined five playoff victories were all collected last month.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 passing yards and was the target of 163 of Darnold’s 477 passes in the regular season. He logged 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Smith-Njigba had 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game. On film, Vrabel is still hunting for a major weakness.
“Sudden, savvy, competitive,” Vrabel said. “Really good play strength for his stature. He’s really good at contested catches. Good route craft and understanding in zone and man. Great body control.”
Maye insisted Wednesday his shoulder was fine after being limited last week. He was in Levi’s Stadium the last time it hosted the Super Bowl — February 2016, when the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers — and the Patriots played at San Francisco last season. He said the preparation for the Super Bowl is mostly a normal week with a bonus hotel stay and practice at a foreign facility. Ah, youngsters.
“It’s such a cool moment to be out here with the guys and the teammates,” Maye said. “A chance to enjoy the moment together. The emotions will be a little bit higher on game day.”
Vrabel’s Super Bowl experience has been a common talking point in the Patriots’ makeshift camp at the San Jose Marriott and Stanford University this week. Veteran defensive players such as cornerback Carlton Davis III (Tom Brady’s teammate for Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl win to cap the 2020 season) and defensive tackle Milton Williams (a winner with the Eagles 12 months ago) are helping keep younger players and newbies like 32-year-old wide receiver Stefon Diggs from emotional exhaustion with all of the pomp and circumstance on the Super Bowl periphery this week.
“His maturation process is second to none. One of the best I’ve ever seen from a quarterback position,” Diggs said of Maye’s calm. “He’s still super young, which is crazy. He’s had a lot of success, but as I have grown closer to him, I’m a huge fan of him. He’s like a mini inspiration. To be that young, be that mature and be able to play at a high level is something that I always wanted when I was a young player. I’m just happy to be a part of this thing.”
As expected with another defense-first head coach, Seattle also stresses the running game. Kenneth Walker III led the team with 1,027 rushing yards in the regular season, and he has added 178 yards and four touchdowns in two playoff games.
For the Patriots, Rhamondre Stevenson was second to rookie speedster TreVeyon Henderson in rushing in the regular season, but Stevenson climbed out of Vrabel’s doghouse — where he landed due to three fumbles — to lead the NFL in rushing in the playoffs with 194 yards on 51 carries.
“We’re always looking to find balance in our offense because you become more difficult to defend if the defense has to defend run-pass on every series in every situation,” McDaniels said.
The Patriots finished the season sixth in the NFL in rushing with 128.9 yards per game after ranking 31st the first month of the season. Maye has been a problem for front sevens in the playoffs because of his mobility. Seattle can use rookie safety Nick Emmanwori as a spy to keep Maye’s speed in check, but the Patriots know there are counters to that kind of chess move.
“There are weak spots in every coverage,” Maye said.
New England’s interior defensive line tandem of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, self-described QB predators, present a hurdle for Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak finding a comfort zone for Darnold. Seattle rookie left guard Grey Zabel will be vital in making the mission possible.
“Me and him, we come in hungry. We’re like lions. We come to hunt,” Barmore said. “And the whole D-line. Our goal is to dominate every time we’re out there. It doesn’t matter who it is, another day to line up and kick ass.”
Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks last March. He hasn’t played for the same team or play-caller since 2022, his second year with the Carolina Panthers, when Baker Mayfield was named the starter. Darnold, the third pick in the 2018 draft, is on his fifth team but playing his finest football. However, he led all quarterbacks in turnovers — six fumbles lost, 14 interceptions — opening the door to doubts about his performance this week.
Darnold said his oblique strain, an issue that crept up before the divisional playoffs, is vastly improved with the two-week break between conference title games and the Super Bowl. He said he is not in the mindset of proving anyone wrong by winning Sunday.
“All of the hard work and dedication leads to this moment,” Darnold said.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
Sports
No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak
Feb 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) shoots as Stanford Cardinal forward Oskar Giltay (15) defends during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images Nick Davidson scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds as No. 20 Clemson extended its Atlantic Coast Conference road winning streak to 13 games with a 66-64 victory over Stanford on Wednesday night.
Davidson made two free throws to put Clemson (19-4, 9-1 ACC) ahead 64-62 with 23 seconds left. The Tigers maintained the lead after the Cardinal’s Ebuka Okorie missed a 3-point try with 7.1 seconds remaining.
Ace Buckner added two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to help Clemson win for the 12th time in the past 13 games. Okorie scored at the buzzer for the final margin.
Buckner finished with 11 points and Chase Thompson added a career-high 10 for the Tigers, who won despite not making a field goal in the final four minutes.
Aidan Cammann led Stanford (14-9, 3-7) with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Okorie added 18 points, and Oskar Giltay had 11 rebounds.
The Cardinal have lost five straight since beginning the season 14-4.
Clemson led 26-19 with 5:23 left in the first half before Okorie made two 3-pointers during a 13-4 run to help Stanford move ahead 32-30 entering halftime.
Okorie led all scorers with 12 points in the first half, while eight players scored for Clemson.
The Tigers, who were held to one field goal in the final 5:23 the opening half, fell behind 41-35 on Okorie’s dunk with 14:19 left in the contest.
After Clemson moved ahead 56-50 on Davidson’s 3-pointer, Stanford answered with an 8-2 run to tie the game at 58-all with 5:36 remaining on a hoop from Jeremy Dent-Smith.
Okorie, who entered the game ranked 10th in the country in scoring at 21.8 points per game, made two free throws to tie the game at 62-all with 3:08 left. The star freshman hit 6 of 11 shots from the field and dished three assists.
RJ Godfrey scored nine points and Jestin Porter added eight for Clemson, which shot 45.7% from the field and 41.2% (7 of 17) from 3-point range. Carter Welling pulled down eight rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jamie Benn scores with 23 seconds left to lift Stars past Blues
Feb 4, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) and center Sam Steel (18) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) celebrate after Benn scores the game winning goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jamie Benn had two goals, including the winner with 23 seconds left, and an assist as the Dallas Stars defeated the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-4 Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.
The Stars beat the Blues three times during that span, all on late goals.
Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Mavrik Bourque also scored, Miro Heiskanen had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 14 saves.
Jordan Kyrou and Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who lost for the eighth time in ninth games.
Pavel Buchnevich and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for St. Louis. Justin Faulk earned two assists and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves.
The Stars put six shots on goal during the game’s first 62 seconds. The Blues survived that onslaught, then moved ahead 1-0 on Buchnevich’s power-play goal at the 7:29 mark.
Dallas tied the game 1-1 with Robertson’s 200th career goal. Mikko Rantanen sliced to the slot and fed Robertson for his goal.
During a delayed penalty call, Kyrou put the Blues up 2-1 with 1:27 left in the period with a shot from the left circle.
The Stars outshot the Blues 13-5 during the second period and surged ahead 4-2.
Duchene tied the game 2-2 at the end of a power play by converting the long rebound from Thomas Harley’s slap shot.
The Stars moved ahead 3-2 just over two minutes later when Robertson fired a turnaround shot from the left circle and Bourque banged in the rebound.
Benn took Duchene’s pass from the left wall and scored from the slot to make it 4-2 with 8:03 left in the period.
Snuggerud zig-zagged through the Stars and scored to cut the Stars’ lead to 4-3 at 11:05 of the third period. Toropchenko tied the game 4-4 by driving the pass and converting Philip Broberg’s no-look drop pass at 15:31.
But Benn scored off the rush with 23 seconds left to decide the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flames take Battle of Alberta with tight win over Oilers
Feb 4, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Connor Zary (47) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Ryan Lomberg broke a third-period tie and rookie Matvei Gridin scored once and added an assist to lead the host Calgary Flames to a 4-3 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames in the final clash before the Olympic break for both clubs.
Goaltender Devin Cooley made 36 saves and recorded an assist.
Zach Whitecloud, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri all collected two assists.
Calgary claimed the season’s Battle of Alberta by winning three of the four meetings.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, while Kasperi Kapanen added a single for the Oilers, who have lost three straight games and five of eight outings.
Goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots, and Evan Bouchard netted a pair of assists.
Calgary has won 49 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals, a total hit when Lomberg scored the winner.
The fourth-line winger broke the deadlock when he pounced on the rebound and chipped it home at 6:44 of the third period.
The Oilers had a frantic push, but Cooley stood tall to close out the back-and-forth clash.
Huberdeau opened the scoring with the first of four power-play goals on the night by unloading a one-timer from the right face-off dot at the 3:12 mark.
Draisaitl replied just over two minutes later with the first of his two man-advantage markers, coming when he neatly lifted a back-hand shot from near the net.
Gridin again put the Flames ahead on the power play by converting a shot off the wing when he was sprung on a breakaway at 14:44 of the first period. It is the first multi-point game for the 2024 first-round draft pick (28th overall), who skated in his 13th career game.
Zary made it a 3-1 contest when Whitecloud’s point shot ricocheted off his leg while he was setting the screen at 11:43 of the second period.
However, the Oilers again tied the clash. Draisaitl notched his second of the game with a sharp-angled one-timer from his off-wing at 18:26 of the second period.
Then, Kapanen evened the score at 3-3 when his rising shot from the high slot was originally stopped by Cooley, but the puck slid down and off his equipment and into the net at 4:17 of the third period.
–Field Level Media
Perfect, R-Rated 1970s Crime Thriller Is A Heist Turned Media Circus
No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak
