"Both the Seahawks and the Patriots had preseason odds of 25-1 to win their respective conferences, making them the biggest underdogs to make a Super Bowl since the 2021 Bengals -- tied for the fourth-biggest odds for any teams of the past 20 years. That they are here is a surprise and an achievement."
"Had the preseason favorites made the Super Bowl -- Bills vs. Eagles, Chiefs vs. Lions, etc. -- there wouldn't be too much worth examining in the "how" of their ascension. We knew how that would go ... had it gone that way at all. Considering we instead got the Patriots and Seahawks, it's worth unspooling not just the 2025 regular season but also last offseason. What lessons -- if any -- can we take to help us identify unlikely Super Bowl contenders in future seasons?"
"The exercise isn't just for us on the outside; it's also for teams on the inside. The Patriots won four games last season. Teams with four or fewer wins this season include the Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, Titans and Giants. Do you believe any of those teams could be a Super Bowl representative in just one year? I sure don't. But it's evidently possible, and all of those teams (and plenty more) will be examining just how the Patriots pulled it off."
Two 25-1 preseason longshots — the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots — reached Super Bowl LX, making them the biggest underdogs to get that far since the 2021 Bengals. Their presence invites examination of the 2025 regular season and the prior offseason to identify repeatable factors that can produce rapid turnarounds. The Patriots rose from four wins the prior year, a turnaround other low-win teams may study. The Seahawks completed a rare, smooth veteran-to-veteran quarterback swap, replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold. Teams will analyze personnel moves, coaching adjustments and organizational choices that enabled these unexpected paths.
Read at ESPN.com
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