Keys to victory for Seahawks against Patriots in Super Bowl LX

When the Seattle Seahawks were last on the Super Bowl stage 11 years ago, they were one yard from back-to-back Lombardi trophies.

Instead, Malcolm Butler made one of the most historic plays in NFL history, and the New England Patriots went on to claim their fourth Super Bowl title.

As fate would have it, the Seahawks first appearance back in the big game since that heartbreaking interception comes against the Patriots.

So, the big question at Super Bowl media day: If the Seahawks are down four on Sunday, and it's second-and-goal from the one-yard line with 26 seconds remaining in the game, what would second-year head coach Mike Macdonald do?

"Is Beast Mode (Marshawn Lynch) in the backfield?" Macdonald replied with a smile.

Fair enough.

With that covered, here are some other keys to victory for the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday:

Key for Seahawks' defence: Make Drake Maye one-dimensional

Sam Darnold has been one of the best feel-good stories of the entire season, but let's be honest, the Seahawks got to the Super Bowl primarily on the backs of their dominant defence.

And a big key to their success on D was their ability to play to their preferred style, no matter what opposing offence tried to counter with.

Seattle almost exclusively plays out of a nickel or dime defence (extra defensive backs on the field), but it hasn't hindered their ability to still stop the run.

Per ESPN's Mina Kimes, in nickel or dime, here is where the Seahawks ranked against the run this season:

• 4.0 yards per carry: 1st
• -0.07 expected points added per play: 1st
• 64 per cent success rate: 1st
• 18.7 per cent first downs per carry: 1st

Macdonald deserves a lot of credit, as do defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy.

But rookie safety Nick Emmanwori might be the No. 1 key to making it all happen. As a big, physical defensive back, Emmanwori's ability to cover while also fitting the run has done wonders for this Seahawks defence.

A finalist for defensive rookie of the year, Emmanwori injured his ankle at practice on Wednesday. Both he and Macdonald said Thursday they expect him to play on Sunday, but his status bears watching.

Because with him on the field, the Seahawks should have the upper hand when the Patriots have the ball.

Maye, despite a season that saw him finish second in the MVP race by one vote, has shown some cracks in the post-season.

He's been sacked 15 times in three playoff games with six fumbles and two interceptions.

If the Seahawks can continue to stuff the run and make Maye try to beat them with his arm instead of his legs, they will likely be happy with the end result.

Key for Seahawks' offence: Darnold stays true to recent form

The knock on Darnold when the Seahawks signed him in free agency this off-season was that he couldn't get it done when it mattered the most.

However, through two playoff games this year, he's been elite at eliminating the back-breaking mistakes.

Darnold hasn't turned the ball over once in the post-season, and has just one turnover-worthy play over 59 dropbacks, per PFF.

He's taking sacks when he needs to and keeping the ball out of harm's way.

Only problem? The Patriots have a far better defence than either the San Francisco 49ers or the Los Angeles Rams.

The New England defence leads all playoff teams in pressure rate (51.9 per cent). They also roster Christian Gonzalez, one of the best cover corners in the league, who will most likely see a heavy dose of one-on-one matchups with Seahawks star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Establishing the ground game early with RB Kenneth Walker III will be key to keeping Darnold comfortable on the biggest stage of them all.

With the injury to Zach Charbonet, Walker has taken over as the bell cow in the playoffs and has over 100 scrimmage yards in both games and four rushing touchdowns.

Get it in his hands early, let Darnold settle into the game, and everything else will open up.

Because, despite Gonzalez's prowess, Smith-Njigba was named the best offensive football player in the entire league on Thursday, so he'll win his fair share of matchups against anyone.

But most importantly, if Danrold's turnover count at the end of Sunday's game reads zero, there's a good chance the Seahawks will bring home their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

Seahawks' X-factor: WR/KR Rashid Shaheed

If the Seahawks win a Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, general manager John Schneider deserves a ton of credit.

Not only for their recent success at the NFL Draft, or for signing Darnold, but for some wheeling and dealing he did mid-season to put his team over the top.

Seattle's trade for Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 4 has done wonders for the team in two phases of the game.

Just take their two playoff wins as a prime example.

In their wild-card win over the 49ers, Shaheed took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and the game felt over less than 30 seconds in.

Next, Shaheed got Seattle's offence started in the NFC championship game against the Rams with a 51-yard catch down the sideline that eventually led to the opening score of the game.

He's a threat to score any time the ball is in his hands, and the Seahawks have started to make that happen in both the run and pass game.

When the dust settles on Super Bowl LX, there's a good chance that at least one of the game-changing plays will have come from Shaheed.