New England Patriots
From Malcolm Butler’s interception to the “You Mad Bro?” game, the Patriots and Seahawks have had their share of drama over the years.
You just never know what’s going to happen in sports, Exhibit A being Malcolm Butler’s game-sealing interception for the Patriots against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Kathy Willens
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While the Seahawks may not be considered a traditional rival for the Patriots, matchups between New England and Seattle have occurred in two Super Bowls and produced plenty of epic moments over the years.
Malcolm Butler’s interception in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XLIX stands among the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history.
Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel’s Super Bowl debuts last February were ones that New England would probably rather forget.
With that said, even the regular-season matchups between these two teams have had plenty of juice. From goal line stops to double-digit comebacks, there have been a number of unpredictable endings.
The Patriots, who are 8-11 all-time in the regular season against the Seahawks, have a chance to get a little closer to .500 during Wednesday night’s Super Bowl rematch in Seattle.
Here’s a look back at eight moments that stood out during the series over the years.
Patriots, down 23-0, score 38 unanswered and win
The beginning of this Sunday afternoon contest at Sullivan Stadium on September 16, 1984 was about as rough as it could get for the Patriots.
The Seahawks scored in all three phases of the game during the first half, putting the Patriots down 23-0 in the second quarter.
Dave Krieg hit Daryl Turner for a touchdown pass. Paul Johns returned a punt for a touchdown. Tony Eason threw a pick-6 to Kenny Easley.
However, the Patriots’ defense produced five sacks and three turnovers en route to a second-half shutout. Eason threw touchdown passes to Irving Fryar and Derick Ramsey. He also scored on a 25-yard rushing touchdown. New England won 38-23.
Brandon Meriweather’s forced fumble ices the game in 2008
This matchup, on December 7, 2008, was the beginning of a string of Patriots-Seahawks finishes that were decided in the final two minutes.
Seattle, trailing by three, had the ball on the New England 43-yard line a few seconds before the two-minute warning. Field-goal range seemed to be within reach until Brandon Meriweather sacked Seneca Wallace on a blitz, knocking the ball free for Richard Seymour to recover. New England was able to run out the clock.
Matt Cassel, filling in for an injured Tom Brady, orchestrated a 71-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Sammy Morris.
The “You mad bro?” game
Back in 2012, the Patriots had three Super Bowl titles and were coming off of a Super Bowl loss while the Legion of Boom was in its infancy. On October 14, the young Seahawks gave the Patriots a challenge to remember.
Richard Sherman, in his second season, was on his way to the first of his three-straight first-team All-Pro appearances.
According to Sherman, Tom Brady glanced at the scoreboard and told the cornerback to come see him after the Patriots won. Brady, reflecting on the game during a segment for FOX last year, said he barely remembered what happened.
Seattle scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and held the Patriots to 8 yards on the final drive.
After the game, Sherman tweeted a photo of himself with the caption “You mad bro?” The meme went viral, and the two teams met in the Super Bowl two years later.
Malcolm Butler’s interception seals Super Bowl XLIX
Seattle was one yard away from Super Bowl glory, had back-to-back NFL rushing touchdown leader Marshawn Lynch, and still chose to throw the ball on 2nd-and-goal with 26 seconds remaining.
Malcolm Butler, an undrafted rookie out of Division II West Alabama, timed up the quick slant from Russell Wilson to Ricardo Lockette perfectly, snagging the ball as the receiver bounced off of him.
Brady was named MVP, but he gave the truck that came with the award to Butler. The win, which took place on February 1, 2015, was the last time New England beat Seattle.
Seattle’s goal-line stand stops Brady, Gronkowski on 4th and 1
Seattle became one of two teams to beat the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots during the regular season on November 13, 2016.
New England had 4th and 1 on the one yard line and Brady went to Rob Gronkowski on the final play. The throw sailed past Gronkowski’s outstretched hands and the Seahawks held on for the 31-24 victory.
Brady and Gronkowski had connected for a 26-yard completion earlier on the drive. The 11-play, 74-yard drive finished one yard short. The Patriots won seven straight to close out the regular season before beating Houston, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta in the playoffs.
Cam Newton stuffed on the 1-yard line as time expires
On September 20, 2020, the Patriots, trailing by five with three seconds to go and the ball on the one-yard line, called a designed QB run for Cam Newton.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound former league MVP had already thrown for 397 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns, but he was stuffed for a loss when safety Lano Hill rushed off the edge. Hill got underneath his blocker and tripped Newton up just short of the goal line.
Overtime loss to Seattle kickstarts 2024 Patriots’ downfall
The shortlived Jerod Mayo era began with an impressive Week 1 victory at Cincinnati.
Then came Seattle in Week 2. On September 15, 2024, Geno Smith carved up New England’s defense, completing 33 of 44 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers.
The Patriots went three-and-out in overtime, and Seattle’s Jason Myers hit the game-winning field-goal.
It was the beginning of a six-game losing streak for the Patriots. New England lost 13 of its next 16 games, finishing with a 4-13 record. Mayo was fired after the season, which was his only as Patriots head coach.
Drake Maye, Patriots blown out in Super Bowl LX
Maye and Vrabel led to Patriots to one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history last year. They went from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 and a Super Bowl berth in 2025.
The run ended with a 29-13 loss to Seattle in Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
Seattle held the Patriots scoreless for three quarters, and Kenneth Walker was named MVP after rushing for 135 yards.
The Seahawks became one of three teams to hold last year’s Patriots to 13 points or less, joining the Raiders and Broncos.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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