In the days leading up to Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and the Seahawks, we're going to hear a lot about how Seattle is the favorite and nearly every analyst is following bettors by choosing them by far and wide to win the next Lombardi Trophy. A majority of those who have already made their picks have suggested New England has no chance, and their reasons are along the same lines.
But they're overlooking an aspect that could dramatically change the outcome, which, ironically, is something FS1's Nick Wright pointed out during an appearance on "The Herd" earlier this week.
Despite being a well-known Patriots hater and having already made it clear that he believes the Seahawks will win the Super Bowl, Wright countered the most common argument analysts have made in favor of Seattle. It's almost unfathomable that he's the first one to make this point.
Maybe that will work in the Patriots' favor, since being overlooked has worked out so well for them in the past.
Nick Wright brings up an overlooked point about the Patriots' Super Bowl chances
Because they're being so overlooked, particularly Drake Maye due to his playoff performance, Wright made sure to point out that the second-year quarterback could play as well as he did during the regular season, which is scarier than people are willing to admit.
If Maye plays up to the MVP level he showed during the regular season, and the defense plays as well as they have in the playoffs, there's no reason the Patriots can't defy the odds and win the Super Bowl.
"Why the Pats are scary is: They have gotten to this game and their quarterback hasn't played well once this postseason."@colincowherd and @getnickwright discuss if the Seahawks or Patriots should be favored in the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/8mbsc2k7np
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 27, 2026
Wright surprisingly makes a good point that's a bit shocking to see he's the one who said it.
But he's completely right, and there's a good chance that with two weeks to prepare, Maye will be better rested and better prepared to play as well as he did to help the Patriots to a 14-3 record.
The defense won't be any easier than what he saw on the road to the Super Bowl, which will inevitably impact his performance. But he proved he can handle that kind of task, and we'll just need to see that from him on the biggest stage of all.
If everything clicks for the quarterback and the defense, the game will be much closer than people want to admit. It's certainly possible the Seahawks will still leave Santa Clara with another Super Bowl win, but overlooking just how good Maye had been and can be to the point of suggesting the Patriots have no chance is a mistake that could come back to haunt them and every analyst who has already counted them out.