In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LX, much has been said about the quarterbacks who hope to lead their teams to another Lombardi Trophy this Sunday. If you listen to most analysts, you might think that a player like Tom Brady is set to be under center for the Seahawks, while a no-name quarterback would be there for the Patriots.
The hype for Sam Darnold has been extraordinary over the past two weeks, and although he's put together back-to-back impressive seasons with two different teams, he has a long history of not succeeding in the NFL, especially against the Patriots, that is being overlooked.
He might be a different player, and in the best situation he has been throughout his entire career, but it's not wise to dismiss what he's done in the past and pretend it couldn't become a factor in his future, like on Super Bowl Sunday. They're certainly not ignoring that about Drake Maye, even after he didn't look too impressive in his postseason run.
That's why looking back at Darnold's matchups against the Patriots throughout his career is worth remembering ahead of this weekend's big game.
Sam Darnold hasn't fared so well against the Patriots throughout his NFL career, no matter what team he's on
Since being drafted by the Jets in 2018, Darnold has played against the Patriots just four times and lost every matchup by being outscored 123-23.
Although he last lined up against New England in 2021, he has since spent time with four teams, including an impressive run with the Vikings in 2024 that ended in the Wild Card round against the Rams, losing 27-9 after winning the NFC North with 14 wins.
It was a meltdown of the ages for Darnold, after a season that had many touting him as one of the next best quarterbacks in the league, regardless of how long he had already been playing. And that conversation has continued this year with the Seahawks, leading many to predict they will blow out the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
While that's certainly possible and we'll have to see what happens until February 8, the quarterback's history against the Patriots isn't good. Their defense is only getting better heading into this game.
That could be a disaster for Darnold, particularly after smooth sailing through the playoffs this year by beating a beaten-up 49ers team and a decent Rams' defense.
The Patriots are playing at a higher level than both of those familiar opponents, and at least on paper, they have all the tools to make Darnold's night much more difficult than the most recent teams he's faced.
Yet that's being overlooked heading into this game, mainly because most people aren't at a point where they're willing to accept that the Patriots are good again, which puts even more pressure on Darnold and the Seahawks than they probably should be.
We'll have to see if history repeats itself and the Patriots have Darnold seeing ghosts on Sunday night. If the past has taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't rule it out.