Madden 26 predicts Super Bowl 60 blowout as star ties incredible NFL record
Super Bowl 60 is set to be another thrilling NFL showdown, with the New England Patriots squaring off against the Seattle Seahawks.
The two teams previously clashed in the American Football spectacle back in 2015, when the Patriots staged a comeback to secure the championship. New England came through with a 28-24 victory, thanks to Malcolm Butler's unforgettable Super Bowl-winning interception in the final moments.
Fast forward 11 years, and both teams find themselves in vastly different circumstances. Once defined by their superstar quarterbacks - Patriots icon Tom Brady and Seahawks' Russell Wilson - the landscape has changed.
- Fortnite update 39.40 Love and Legends event roadmap, Chappell Roan, HSR crossover and patch notes
- UK retailer GAME shutting down all high-street stores - Everything you need to know
Seattle's current frontman is Sam Darnold, seeking redemption against a team that has been his nemesis for years. In 2019, while playing for the New York Jets, Darnold admitted he was "seeing ghosts" during a crushing 33-0 defeat at the hands of the Patriots.
That quote has stuck with him ever since, but the Patriots have had their own struggles since Brady's departure. Now back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018, they have second-year player Drake Maye leading the charge as QB.
But who will triumph in Santa Clara on Super Bowl Sunday? We attempted to forecast the outcome using a simulation in Madden NFL 26.
In our simulation, the Seahawks left a stunned Maye trailing as they raced into a commanding 21-0 advantage and maintained control throughout. Their second Super Bowl triumph was founded upon the historic achievements of a single player, reports the Express.
Running back Kenneth Walker III delivered a masterful display to enter an exclusive group of four. Only three players have previously notched three touchdowns in a Super Bowl - Terrell Davis in 1998, the Patriots' own James White in 2017 and Jalen Hurts in 2023.
However, should the simulation prove accurate, Walker will be joining their ranks. He got proceedings underway with a spectacular 22-yard rushing touchdown in the opening quarter.
He powered in another score from the 1-yard line following the interval, before Darnold started to banish those notorious demons with a 20-yard touchdown connection to Rashid Shaheed.
The Seahawks headed into half-time with a 21-0 cushion, allowing themselves some breathing space whilst Bad Bunny's halftime entertainment unfolded. When both sides emerged back onto the Levi's Stadium turf, the Patriots finally managed to get on the scoreboard.
Yet it proved far too modest, far too delayed as Andreas Borregales successfully converted the 32-yard field goal to stretch it to 21-3. In the closing quarter, Maye connected with Stefon Diggs for a 34-yard touchdown at the rear of the endzone, with the extra point offering Patriots a faint possibility of another remarkable Super Bowl fightback.
Walker had different plans, though, and wrapped up the match with a 15-yard rushing touchdown that secured the victory and etched his name into the record books. With three touchdowns from 13 carries totalling 76 yards, he was clinical in a dominant 28-10 triumph.
Defensively, Ernest Jones IV made certain the Patriots' attack never found its rhythm, racking up six total tackles. But the true game-changer came from Julian Love's 38-yard interception.
Darnold's impressive 85% completion rate - connecting on 17 of 20 passes - delivered Seattle 204 yards and a platform required to claim victory. In contrast, Maye could only muster 158 yards, completing 15 of his 20 attempts.
Eleven years on from the infamous Butler interception that robbed Seattle of a dynasty, the Seahawks finally got their payback. The irony? They achieved it by executing precisely what they'd failed to do back then - grinding out the win on the ground.