Football fans have grown used to the New England Patriots playing in February. But in a playoff field without Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow, the NFL has rarely felt more wide-open.
The Patriots took advantage of a soft schedule and a rising star under center to take the conference by storm. In Super Bowl 60, they’ll hope to take down a Seattle Seahawks team headlined by a historic defense and quarterback Sam Darnold’s magical run.
There’s no shortage of storylines, but with fewer cable viewers than ever before, fans may be hoping to find a free trial at the last minute.
Where to Watch Super Bowl 60 for Free?
The Super Bowl will air on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8, with Bad Bunny as the halftime headliner. However, with Fubo and NBC still negotiating contracts, many are left without a way to watch the contest.
Fans looking to stream the game can do so for free, although it may take some creativity. Fortunately, a few streaming services are offering free trials in time for Sunday’s festivities.
DirecTV is offering a 5-day free trial and a channel suite for $19.99/month. Of course, one can cancel the trial after the game to avoid the fee.
Like DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV is giving fans access to the game, even without a Peacock subscription. The trial lasts for three days, though an $89.99 monthly fee makes canceling all the more important for those not interested in Hulu’s services.
YouTube TV is offering a little more breathing room. Their trial lasts three weeks, allowing fans to watch content in 4K, use unlimited DVR space, and stream multiple times before paying $59.99 for two months (and $82.99 per month afterward).
Those services offer NBC, but Peacock also offers free Super Bowl trials.
Instacart+ subscribers get access to an annual Peacock Premium. Subscribing to Walmart+ also includes a month-long Peacock subscription, though it includes ads and lets you switch to Peacock Premium.
Comcast subscribers could have an upgrade in store, too. Those with eligible plans (at least 75 Mbps) can add Xfinity NOW TV, which includes a Peacock Premium subscription.
Likewise, Prime Video is offering a seven-day free trial that includes access to Peacock.
MORE: Super Bowl 60 Predictions: Predicting the Winner, Final Score, MVP, and More
However fans choose to watch the Super Bowl, they are in store for a treat. The Seahawks boast the league’s third-best defense by PFSN’s NFL Defense Impact Metric. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the second-best passer by PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric, has thrust himself into elite territory.
Seattle’s last trip to the Super Bowl, against New England, resulted in one of the most iconic moments in NFL history. With the world watching, Super Bowl 60 offers an intriguing sequel from 11 years ago.
Super Bowl 60 Preview: Patriots vs. Seahawks
Super Bowl 60 features two of the most surprising conference champions in recent memory. The Patriots and Seahawks posted identical records during the regular season (14-3) and both quarterbacks exceeded all expectations.
Patriots QB Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting after a breakout regular season, while Seahawks QB Sam Darnold authored the league’s best redemption story.
However, both teams advanced this far in large part because of their excellent defenses, so this could be a low-scoring affair. Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks were the third-best D in the league during the regular season, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, while the Patriots’ 12th-ranked defense has gotten hot at the right time.
Here’s how each overall unit and the starters from both New England and Seattle graded in PFSN’s Impact grades, giving you a player-by-player breakdown of each squad.
Offense
PFSN Offense Impact (OFFi)
NE: 86.6, B (2nd)
SEA: 79.8, C+ (9th)
PFSN Offensive Line Impact (OLi)
NE: 74.5, C (12th)
SEA: 72.0, C- (17th)
PFSN Quarterback Impact (QBi)
NE: Drake Maye (91.1, A-; 2nd)
SEA: Sam Darnold (78.7, C+; 13th)
PFSN Running Back Impact (RBi)Â
NE: Rhamondre Stevenson (54.4, F; 38th)
NE: TreVeyon Henderson (66.9, D; 17th)
SEA: Kenneth Walker III (65.8, D; 20th)
SEA: Zach Charbonnet (54.8, F; 36th) *OUT for Super Bowl*
PFSN Wide Receiver Impact (WRi)Â
NE: Stefon Diggs (87.0, B+; 4th)
NE: Kayshon Boutte (81.5, B-; 18th)
NE: DeMario Douglas (79.3, C+; 25th)
SEA: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (94.4, A; 2nd)
SEA: Cooper Kupp (73.2, C; 57th)
SEA: Rashid Shaheed (71.9, C-; 70th)
PFSN Tight End Impact (TEi)
NE: Hunter Henry (82.0, B-; 11th)
SEA: A.J. Barner (77.4, C-77.4; 21st)
PFSN player Offensive Line Impact (OLi)
LT
NE: Will Campbell (75.1, C; 39th )
SEA: Charles Cross (79.1, C+; 24th)
LG
NE: Jared Wilson (69.5, D+; 49th)
SEA: Grey Zabel (77.1, C+; 27th)
C
NE: Garrett Bradbury (80.4, B-; 19th)
SEA: Jalen Sundell (78.6, C+; 24th)
RG
NE: Mike Onwenu (87.0, B+; 5th)
SEA: Anthony Bradford (74.7, C; 36th)
RT
NE: Morgan Moses (85.2, B; 10th)
SEA: Abraham Lucas (82.5, B-; 14th)
DEFENSE
PFSN Defense Impact (DEFi)
NE: 78.2, C+ (12th)
SEA: 88.4, B+ (3rd)
PFSN EDGE Impact (EDGEi)
NE: Harold Landry III (76.3, C; 46th)
NE: K’Lavon Chaisson (76.2, C; 48th)
SEA: DeMarcus Lawrence (81.5, B-; 28th)
SEA: Uchenna Nwosu (74.0, C; 33rd)
PFSN Defensive Tackle Impact (DTi)
NE: Milton Williams (87.9, B+; 5th)
NE: Christian Barmore (78.6, C+; 28th)
SEA: Leonard Williams (84.2, B; 10th)
SEA: Byron Murphy II (81.2, B-; 16th)
PFSN Linebacker Impact (LBi)
NE: Robert Spillane (85.3, B; 17th)
NE: Jack Gibbens (70.4, C-; 52nd)
NE: Christian Elliss (62.7, D-; 70th)
SEA: Ernest Jones (89.9, B+; 4th)
SEA: Drake Thomas (77.9, C+; 33rd)
NE: Christian Elliss (62.7, D; 70th)
PFSN Cornerback Impact (CBi)
NE: Christian Gonzalez (85.7, B; 12th)
NE: Carlton Davis (78.8, C+; 37th)
NE: Marcus Jones (72.0, C-; 80th)
SEA: Tariq Woolen (81.7, B-; 27th)
SEA: Josh Jobe (81.9, B-; 26th)
SEA: Devon Witherspoon (76.2, C; 48th)
PFSN NFL Safety Impact (SAFi)
NE: Jaylinn Hawkins (76.4, C; 32nd)
NE: Craig Woodson (69.7, D+; 66th)
SEA: Julian Love (90.7, A-; 2nd)
SEA: Coby Bryant (84.0, B; 11th)
SEA: Nick Emmanwori (80.2, B-; 20th)
Super Bowl 60 Notes
- New England defeated the No. 1 (DEN), No. 2 (HOU), and No. 8 (LAC) ranked defenses on its way to winning the AFC.
- Seattle defeated the No. 1 (LAR) and No. 5 (SF) ranked offenses on its way to winning the NFC.
- ​The Patriots have allowed just two touchdowns and 26 points while forcing 8 turnovers during the playoffs. However, they have faced the 15th-ranked (DEN), 23rd-ranked (HOU), and 26th-ranked (LAC) offenses during that stretch, and the Broncos were playing with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
- ​The Seahawks lead the league in third-down defense (32.3%), but they have allowed a 48% conversion rate on fourth down (T-7th). The Patriots rank 9th in third-down conversions allowed (36.9%) and 2nd on fourth down (33.3%).
- ​Seattle’s special teams have the second-best grade of the season with a 90.9 (A-), while New England is 20th (73.9 C-).
- Seattle has scored five special teams touchdowns, as well as blocking one punt and two field goals, while New England has scored three special teams touchdowns and has blocked one field goal.
- The Patriots are one of eight teams to average under 40 net yards per punt. SEA has beaten two of the other seven teams in the last two weeks. NE (2nd; 37.7) and SEA (4th; 38.7) both rank in the top four when it comes to opponent net yards per punt.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba recorded a WRi score of 85.3 (B) against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. It ranked 29th among players this season. In Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans, Smith-Njigba had the second-best score of the season with an 89.7 (B+). Only Puka Nacua’s 94.4 (A) WRi against Seattle in Week 16 was better.
- Smith-Njigba had the second-best season-long WRi score (94.4, A), ranking seventh since 2019.
- Stefon Diggs had the fourth-best WRi score in the league after finishing 26th and 27th the last two seasons. Diggs’ score was the 39th best since 2019, and he has four of the top 48 season scores in that time frame.
- ​Drake Maye’s QBi of 97.8 (A+) against the New York Jets in Week 17 was the top individual game PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi) performance over the past 18 seasons. Since 2000, only Peyton Manning’s 99.8 (A+) QBi against the Ravens in 2007 ranks higher in a single game.
- ​Sam Darnold registered five of his top eight career QBi scores this season (94 qualified games). Darnold’s QBi (90.8, A-) in Week 5 against Washington was his career best; it was also the 57th-best score by any quarterback since 2000 (13,999 games).
- ​Mike Vrabel, with two touchdown receptions in Super Bowls, is tied for the seventh most career receiving touchdowns in Super Bowl games. Vrabel, who played over 200 career games as a linebacker, also recorded 10 touchdown catches in the regular season.
- ​Seattle led the NFL with a +191 point differential this season, while New England was third at +170. This Super Bowl matchup marks the fifth time both teams entered with a regular-season point differential of at least +170. The other matchups were Super Bowl 1 (GB-KC), Super Bowl 4 (KC-MIN), Super Bowl 19 (SF-MIA), and Super Bowl 48 (SEA-DEN).
- ​The Seahawks have yet to commit a turnover in the playoffs. Only 11 Super Bowl champions, including last season’s Philadelphia Eagles, have finished the postseason with just one turnover. Seattle is also among 17 teams in the Super Bowl era to play their first two playoff games without a turnover.
- ​The Seahawks’ DEFi score of 95.1 (A) against the Vikings in Week 13 ranked as the 12th-best individual PFSN’s Defense Impact game score across all NFL matchups since 2019 (out of 3,918 games).
- ​In nine Super Bowls with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, the Patriots had a cumulative point differential of +14, including a 10-point victory in their final Super Bowl together.
- ​The Patriots’ 14 regular-season games against teams with a losing record are the most by a team in the Super Bowl. Washington in the strike-shortened 1987 season played 13 of 15 games against losing teams, including ones with replacement players. Seattle played nine such games this season.
