Super Bowl 60 is set and it's a rematch from 11 years ago: Patriots vs. Seahawks

Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold. Two stingy defenses. A second-year head coach vs. a veteran coach in his second act.

Super Bowl 60 is set and it's a rematch: The New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

The Patriots will seek their NFL-record seventh Super Bowl victory when they face the Seahawks on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Led by Maye, coach Mike Vrabel and a stifling defense, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago.

The Patriots (17-3) beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Sunday in the AFC championship game to advance to their 12th Super Bowl.

Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history. They're seeking their second Lombardi.

Darnold, a No. 3 overall pick in 2018 now with his fifth team, played one of his best games to lead the Seahawks to a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. He threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.

"That doesn’t matter to me,” Darnold said about the doubters he’s proven wrong. “I just come to work every single day with these guys. These guys in the locker room, that’s what it’s about to me, man. The way we’ve come to work ever since April in OTAs, training camp, one day at a time and we’re here. We did it.”

It was a wacky finish when Brady and the Patriots beat Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll's Seahawks 11 years ago.

Brady threw four TD passes and rallied New England from a 10-point deficit to win the fourth of his seven rings when Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line to secure a 28-24 victory on Feb. 1, 2015. Seattle fans still lament why Marshawn Lynch didn't get the ball on a handoff at the 1.

“We did not care,” Macdonald said about coming into the season as underdogs in the NFC West behind the Rams and 49ers. “It’s about us. It’s always been about us and what we do and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”

Maye scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in Denver after a critical turnover by Jarrett Stidham, who made his fifth career start filling in for injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

“The Pats are back, baby,” Maye said. “Now, gotta win one.”

Playing through a snowstorm in the second half, Maye only threw for 86 yards and ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and one costly fumble.

The 23-year-old Maye, a finalist for AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino. He’s the fourth second-year QB in the past seven years to lead his team to the NFL title game. Patrick Mahomes (2018) won it while Joe Burrow (2021) and Brock Purdy (2023) lost.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots in the 2000s, turned the team around in his first season as coach. New England went from 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo to 14-3.

Vrabel is trying to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a head coach and player for the same team. Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson won Super Bowls playing for one team and coaching another.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year. “I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game, I promise you. It won’t be me that’ll win it and I promise you I’ll do everything that I can and our staff to have them ready for the game.”

No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They're tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.

It's been a long road back to the top for New England, which came off consecutive four-win seasons and only had one winning season after Brady's departure in 2020.

The Patriots have averaged just 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15. New England's defense has allowed just 26 points in the three games, an average of just 8.7 per game. The only team to allow fewer points in three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who gave up 16.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrates his touchdown run with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) celebrates with quarterback Drew Lock (2) after the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga, left, greets New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks with quarterback Drake Maye after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New England Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses (76) and tight end Hunter Henry celebrate after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

CHICAGO (AP) — In just over a period of hockey, Florida defenseman Tobias Bjornfot scored twice, tripling his career goal output.

It helped the Panthers rally late for a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night and cruise to their third straight win.

The 24-year-old Swedish defenseman entered the game with just one goal in 138 career NHL games over seven seasons. The journeyman added two more against Chicago to help Florida win for the sixth time in eight games and keep rolling following a 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota on Saturday.

Bjornfot wrapped in a fluke goal with 4:27 left in the second period against the Blackhawks to open the scoring. He capped Florida's four-goal third period, cruising into the slot and firing in Carter Verhaeghe’s feed with 22 seconds left.

Bjornfot skated in just his fifth NHL game this season after playing 22 with Charlotte of the AHL. His previous NHL score came in May 1, 2021, with Los Angeles at Anaheim during the COVID-19 altered season.

Bjornfot, the Kings first-round draft pick in 2019 (22nd overall) was just 20 years old when he netted that one.

“It felt good,” Bjornfot said Sunday. “It's been awhile since my first one.”

Bjornfot got career goal No. 2 following a faceoff in the Chicago zone. He circled the net and jammed in the puck through Spencer Knight’s pads from the right side. He flashed a big grin during an understated celebration as he returned to the bench.

“They were just happy for me,” Bjornfot said of his teammates. “They thought it was my first goal, maybe, but it's nice to get one."

“I didn't know who was in the slot," Bjornfot added. "I was thinking maybe to pass it to him and I saw he wasn't open and I thought ‘just take it to the net’ and it went well.

"I'm not really a goal scorer, but it helps.”

After Florida took a 3-1 lead early in the third on goals by Mackie Samoskevich and Verhaeghe just over two minutes apart. Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter with 1:49 left. With Knight back in goal, Bjornfot connected again.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers have relied on depth to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt this season after being hit by injuries to key players. Forward Matthew Tkachuk played just his fourth game on Sunday after missing the first 47 following surgery last summer to repair sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.

Aleksander Barkov and Tomas Nosek have yet to play this season. Standout defenseman Seth Jones, removed from the U.S. Olympic roster last week, missed his 11th game on Sunday with a collarbone injury.

“Toby's been unbelievable for us since he came in,” said fellow defenseman Gustav Forsling, an anchor on Florida's blueline. “He really helps us and to get two goals today, I'm very happy for him.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE - Florida Panthers' Tobias Bjornfot plays during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum,File)