By Frank Pingue
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, two teams that started the season as massive underdogs to win the Super Bowl, will square off on Sunday in one of the more unlikely championship matchups in NFL history.
The Patriots and Seahawks have defied all expectations to reach the big game in Santa Clara, California, setting up a rematch of their thrilling encounter from 11 years ago when Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass at the goal
line with 20 seconds left to secure a 28-24 victory.
Both teams began the season with 60-1 or worse odds to win the Super Bowl, making their championship game appearance one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent NFL history.
DYNAMIC DUO
The Patriots' journey has been nothing short of remarkable. After two consecutive four-win campaigns, they stormed to a 14-3 record this season in a worst-to-first turnaround that secured the AFC East title.
Their perfect 9-0 road record has been a cornerstone of their success, marking their first Super Bowl appearance since the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era that produced six championships from 2000-2019.
Leading the charge is the dynamic duo of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a player, has pushed all the right buttons this season while guiding Maye and the NFL's second-ranked scoring offense.
'EXTREMELY TALENTED'
Maye, at 23 years and 162 days old, can become the youngest starting quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, though he has struggled to maintain his regular-season form during the playoffs.
"It all starts with talent. I think he's extremely talented," Vrabel said of Maye. "He's a competitor. He's always trying to learn. Continues to build and develop as a leader. So, his success and his performance is a large part of why we're here."
Victory would make Vrabel the fifth person in NFL history to win the Super Bowl as both a player and head coach, joining Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Tom Flores as well as Doug Pederson. For New England, it would be a record seventh championship in their 12th Super Bowl appearance.
HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT
Seattle arrives riding a nine-game winning streak and exuding confidence that few can match this late in the season.
Their unlikely hero is quarterback Sam Darnold, whose winding path to this moment reads like a Hollywood script.
The third pick of the 2018 NFL Draft bounced around the league before joining the Seahawks last March, transforming from playoff disappointment to NFC champion in just one season.
'RIDING WITH SAM'
Darnold's redemption story reached its crescendo in the NFC Championship game, where he threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns on the biggest stage he had ever played.
A victory on Sunday would see him join Tom Brady, Trent Dilfer and Matthew Stafford as the only quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl in their first season with a team.
"Can't say enough about Sam, man," Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. "It's been a great first year. We got one more to go. But for him to overcome what he had to overcome, I'm riding with Sam all day."
(Reporting by Frank PingueEditing by Toby Davis)
