8 Patriots To Watch Against The Seahawks

Football: AFC Championship: New England Patriots Stefon Diggs (8) runs on the field prior to game vs Denver Broncos at Empower Field. Denver, CO 1/25/2026CREDIT: Jamie Schwaberow (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164831 TK1)

The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, and they are thanks to the strength of their roster. While having an MVP-caliber quarterback certainly makes life in pro football a lot easier, Drake Maye alone could not have gotten the team to this point: it was an achievement by the entire team, and they will again need it to rise to the occasion on Sunday.

Taking on the Seattle Seahawks with the Lombardi Trophy in sight, the Patriots won’t be able to win based on individual talent alone. What they need is a collective effort, as they have gotten all year.

That being said, given the opponent and circumstances, some players project to be more pivotal for the overall outcome of the game. With that said, let’s take a look at eight players we will be keeping a particular eye on in Super Bowl LX.

RB TreVeyon Henderson

The Patriots’ second-round rookie has had a quiet postseason so far, and in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos played only four snaps compared to Rhamondre Stevenson’s 60. So, why is he a player to keep an eye on against Seattle? Because of both what he does and doesn’t do well and how it might impact the game.

First, a look at his skillset. While Stevenson also is an able receiver out of the backfield, Henderson is the more dynamic player of the two and thus might be better suited to attack an area of the field New England should be able to successfully target: the flats. Passes to the youngster either as a check-down option or on designed plays could be a vital part 0f Josh McDaniels’ play to counteract New England’s questions along the offensive line (a plan similar to the one he implemented for Super Bowl XLIX).

As for his weaknesses, they are something the Patriots need to account for. Henderson, after all, has been bad in pass protection this year. Asking him to pick up blitzers one-on-one will be a tough task is not something they should reliably do based on his NFL track record so far.

While Stevenson ultimately should out-snap him again, Henderson seeing an uptick in snaps and as part of two-back sets could be on the menu on Sunday.

WR Stefon Diggs

It took Stefon Diggs 11 seasons, four different teams and a lot of heartbreak to get to this point, but he is finally in the Super Bowl. His first appearance on the biggest stage in the sport also is one where he could play a major role considering the opponent.

Obviously, the Seahawks defense is impressive and ranked among the top units in football in several statistical categories all while relying on swarming nickel coverage and a disruptive front four. However, that does not mean the Patriots won’t find areas to target, and one of them just happens to perfectly align with what Diggs and Drake Maye do well: find open space against zone coverage.

Versus Seattle, the Patriots will get chances to do so particularly in the underneath parts of the field and between the first and second levels. So whether it is crossers or sit-down routes, Diggs could become a volume target for Maye on Sunday.

RG Mike Onwenu

Head coach Mike Vrabel has spoken repeatedly this season about needing the best players to perform in order for his team to be successful. One of those players is right guard Mike Onwenu.

You might not be hearing his name often, but the six-year veteran has been New England’s most reliable player along the offensive line and will play a big role against Seattle’s front four on Sunday. The Patriots, after all, will not be able to double all of them and will likely prioritize helping their rookie duo on the left side, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. If so, Onwenu holding his own in one-on-ones against the likes of Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams will be a crucial battle in this game.

DT Milton Williams and DT Christian Barmore

Yes, they had obvious questions at the quarterback position, but the Broncos still entered the AFC title game with arguably the top offensive line in football. It did not matter because the Patriots’ interior defensive line duo of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore took over. The two registered a combined 10 quarterback pressures including a sack, proving that they are capable of completely disrupting the rhythm of the opponent.

The Seahawks’ offensive line is not bad either, especially compared to years past, but it is not close to the same level as Denver’s especially at the center and right guard spots. The prospect of Jalen Sundell and Anthony Bradford going up against Williams and Barmore is not something Seattle should feel comfortable with.

Obviously, there are ways to counteract this, but it would require the Seahawks to still periodically win their matchups and move away from what they are comfortable doing (running the ball on early downs and take play-action shots). If the Patriots end up winning, it very well could be because of this particular matchup.

LB Robert Spillane

The Patriots run defense has impressed this season, and Robert Spillane is a big reason why. A hyper-instinctual player with a quick downhill trigger and the proper physicality and technique to stuff runs in the hole, he is a glue guy on defense both because of his natural abilities and his communication skills.

He also is a question mark entering Sunday. Listed as questionable because of an ankle injury he suffered in the AFC Championship, he only practiced twice in the lead-up to the Super Bowl and never in a full capacity. He is still expected to play, but any limitations could end up hurting New England’s ability to properly shut down Kenneth Walker and Seattle’s run game.

CB Christian Gonzalez

Christian Gonzalez against Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the marquee matchup of this year’s Super Bowl. One of the top cornerbacks in the NFL against one of its top receivers, who was just voted the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, on the game’s biggest stage. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Of course, it remains to be seen just how often the two will actually end up crossing paths. The Patriots have morphed into a zone-heavy team under Mike Vrabel, Terrell Williams and Zak Kuhr, and are only playing man coverage on around 31% of defensive snaps. Still, on the occasions that they do go man-to-man, they cannot allow JSN to take over — and he very well has shown that he is capable of that.

The question for New England is how to prevent that from happening. Using Gonzalez is their best bet, particularly when Smith-Njigba splits out wide. However, Seattle has shown that it is also comfortable moving him inside or even the backfield in order to create favorable matchups.

In that particular case, the Patriots have to ask themselves whether they want Gonzalez trailing — which he very much can do — or play a different defense altogether with, for example, Marcus Jones and chip or safety help. Realistically, they will use a mix of looks and defenders, but when the Seahawks are facing money downs, you just know that quarterback Sam Darnold will be looking Smith-Njigba’s way.

If he does, Gonzalez is the single player to give the Patriots the best chance of success.

K Andy Borregales

If the game plays out as expected, points will be at a premium. This in turn, makes every scoring opportunity valuable and puts pressure on those tasked with delivering points. For the Patriots, there is one player uniquely positioned to do so.

We are, of course, talking about their rookie kicker, Andy Borregales.

Borregales has been fairly decent this year, despite only making 31 of his 38 field goal tries for a success rate of 81.6%; two of his misses so far, for example, came in rough conditions in Denver two weeks ago. Overall, he has shown that he can deliver the goods when called upon and that he enjoys his team’s trust. Of course, the Super Bowl is a different beast from a pressure and mentality perspective, and Borregales needs to show that he can withstand the brightest of all lights shining on him.