Super Bowl 60 promises to be another blockbuster NFL finale, as the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks. These two did battle in the NFL showcase back in 2015, when the Patriots came from behind to clinch the championship with a 28-24.

Who can forget Malcolm Butler’s Super Bowl-winning interception in dying seconds? However, 11 years later, both teams are in drastically different places. Both then defined by superstar quarterbacks in Patriots legend Tom Brady and Seahawks man Russell Wilson, 2015 feels like a long time ago.

Now, Seattle’s leading man is Sam Darnold, looking for redemption against an organisation that’s haunted him for years. Back in 2019 Darnold claimed he was “seeing ghosts” in a painful 33-0 blowout by the Patriots while he was playing for the New York Jets.

That line has followed him around since but New England have struggled since Brady left, too. Finally back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018, the Patriots now have sophomore Drake Maye calling the shots at QB.

But who will come out on top in Santa Clara on Super Bowl Sunday? We tried to predict what would happen thanks to a simulation in Madden NFL 26.

Will history repeat itself?

Super Bowl 60 simulated by Madden NFL 26

The short answer to that question? Not even a little.

In our simulation, the Seahawks left a shell-shocked Maye in the dust as they stormed into a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Their second Super Bowl victory was built on the back of the record-breaking feats of one man.

Running back Kenneth Walker III put in a clinical performance to join an illustrious trio of men. Only three have ever scored three touchdowns in a Super Bowl before – Terrell Davis in 1998, the Patriots’ own James White in 2017 and Jalen Hurts in 2023.

But if the simulation comes to fruition, Walker will join them. He opened the scoring by running in an explosive 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He punched in another score from the 1-yard line after the break, before Darnold began to exorcise those infamous ghosts with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed.

The Seahawks went in at the break 21-0 up, able to relax a little while Bad Bunny’s halftime show took place. Once the teams returned to the Levi’s Stadium field, the Patriots finally had themselves a scoring drive.

But it was far too little, much too late as Andreas Borregales successfully made the 32-yard field goal to make it 21-3. In the final quarter, Maye found Stefon Diggs for a 34-yard touchdown in the back of the endzone, and the point after gave Patriots the glimmer of hope of yet another dramatic Super Bowl comeback.

Walker had other ideas, however, and killed the game off with a 15-yard rushing touchdown to seal the win and ensure his name went down in history. Three touchdowns off 13 carries equating to 76 yards, he was surgical in a 28-10 blowout.

On the other side of the ball, Ernest Jones IV ensured the Patriots offence never got out of first gear with six total tackles.But what really changed the game was Julian Love’s 38-yard interception

Darnold’s 85% completion rate – 17 successful passes from 20 – gave Seattle 204 yards and the foundation they needed to secure victory. But Maye could only manage 158 yards, completing 15 of his 20 throws.

11 years after the famous Butler interception denied Seattle a dynasty, the Seahawks got their revenge. Ironically, it was by doing exactly what they failed to do then – running the ball to victory.