For the second time in franchise history and for the first time since 2013, the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions.
At least in the virtual world of Madden NFL 26.
Key Takeaways
- Madden NFL 26’s official Super Bowl LX simulation predicts the Seattle Seahawks will beat the New England Patriots 23-20.
- The virtual Seahawks learn from history with New England by running the ball in the final play for the game-winning score.
- QB Sam Darnold is projected to be Madden 26’s MVP after leading the late drive, capping off one of the great comeback stories in NFL history.
EA Sports has released its annual Super Bowl prediction ahead of Sunday’s big game, predicting that Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will take down Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a thrilling 23-20 win.
The win would be a bit of revenge for the Seahawks, who lost in stunning fashion to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015 on a shocking late interception, something EA Sports doesn’t see as an issue this time around.
“The last time the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks played against each other in a Super Bowl, the Madden simulation accurately predicted the Patriots winning with a score of 28-24,” EA Sports shared in their release. “More than a decade later, the simulation has become more precise and detailed than ever before, powered by advanced algorithms, nearly a decade of real NFL data, and insight from millions of Madden NFL games played.”
Among the notable predictions, Madden sees the Seahawks flying out of the gates, with Sam Darnold connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp during the second half for a pair of touchdowns.
There’s no doubt that would be a welcome outcome for plenty of bettors, as Smith-Njigba is the most bet on player to record a touchdown during Super Bowl LX at many sportsbooks.
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Virtual Seahawks learn from past mistakes
Darnold’s early heroics help the Seahawks out to a commanding 14-3 halftime lead, according to Madden; however, a second-half Patriots surge, including touchdowns from Kayshon Boutte and a scooped fourth-quarter fumble score by Christian Gonzalez, flips the script on its head, with New England up 20-17 late.
That sets up a stunning last-minute drive for Darnold and the Seahawks, with the 12’s heading home happy thanks to a key handoff from Darnold to Kenneth Walker, who punches in the game-winning touchdown with time expiring to win the Super Bowl.
“Millions of fans wait for Madden to make the call, since our prediction is the only one that matters, said Evan Dexter, VP of franchise strategy and marketing at EA Sports. “We accurately predicted the Seahawks-Patriots matchup in 2015, and now, over a decade later, we're giving Seahawks fans a reason to get very excited.”
The win would mark not only an incredible triumph for the Seahawks but also for the predicted Super Bowl MVP winner and Super Bowl MVP odds favorite, Sam Darnold, who finishes the game 26-for-36 with 289 passing yards and a pair of TD passes.
Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, is predicted to finish with 84 yards and a touchdown, which is under the former Ohio State wideout’s line of 95.5 yards.
