Super Bowl LX Predictions: Vikings Fans Overwhelmingly Back Sam Darnold and the Seahawks Over Patriots

In a lopsided poll, the Minnesota faithful show support for their former quarterback and clear disdain for a Patriots dynasty revival ahead of the big game in San Francisco.

By Christopher Gates Sunday, February 8, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO — The waiting is finally over. The pageantry, the media frenzies, and the endless speculation have all led to this moment. The 2025-26 NFL season concludes tomorrow with Super Bowl LX, a cross-country clash between the resurgent New England Patriots and the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks.

While the eyes of the sporting world are fixed on Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, a specific subset of football fans in the Midwest has cast their gaze toward the West Coast with a surprising amount of emotional investment. For fans of the Minnesota Vikings, this year’s Super Bowl isn’t just a neutral display of football excellence; it represents a collision of past allegiances and lingering grudges.

According to a new poll conducted among the Vikings fanbase, the verdict is in, and it is emphatic: Skol Nation is rooting for the Seahawks.

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A Landslide Vote for Seattle

We asked our readers to predict the winner of Super Bowl LX, and the results suggest that neutrality is not an option this year.

Of the thousands of Vikings fans who responded to our poll, a staggering 87% believe the Seattle Seahawks will hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in franchise history. Only 13% of respondents foresee the New England Patriots pulling off the upset.

This 87-13 split is far more drastic than the actual betting lines would suggest. The oddsmakers at FanDuel currently have the Seahawks listed as just 4.5-point favorites, anticipating a tightly contested battle between Seattle’s explosive offense and New England’s disciplined defense.

So, why the heavy lean from Minnesota?

The answer appears to be twofold: a lingering case of “Patriots Fatigue” and a complicated, yet affectionate, connection to the man under center for Seattle—former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Sam Darnold Connection

The primary driver of this pro-Seahawks sentiment is undoubtedly Sam Darnold. The narrative of Super Bowl LX is inextricably linked to Darnold’s redemption arc, a journey that had a pivotal stop in Minnesota.

Darnold, who spent the 2024 season rehabilitating his image in purple and gold, has found a permanent home in the Pacific Northwest. While his departure from Minnesota was bittersweet—paving the way for the Vikings’ current rookie phenom—fans have clearly not forgotten his contributions.

When asked if they would be happy to see Darnold win a ring, the majority of Vikings fans responded with a resounding “Yes.”

“He was a professional when he was here,” wrote one commenter in the poll thread. “He kept the ship afloat when we needed him, and he never complained. Seeing him revitalize his career in Seattle is a great story. I hope he gets his ring.”

It is a rare phenomenon for a fanbase to root so heavily for a player who left, but Darnold’s exit was amicable, and his struggle against the “bust” label has endeared him to the underdog-loving nature of Minnesota sports fans. For Vikings fans, a win for Darnold validates the time he spent in Minnesota as a crucial stepping stone, rather than a forgotten season.

The “Patriots Fatigue” Factor

On the other side of the field stands the New England Patriots. Despite the departure of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady years ago, the brand remains polarizing.

The Patriots’ return to the Super Bowl has reopened old wounds for NFL fans who spent two decades watching New England dominate the AFC. Even with a new head coach and a new identity, the “Flying Elvis” logo on the helmet still evokes a knee-jerk reaction against them.

“I don’t care who the coach is, I don’t care who the QB is. I cannot root for the Patriots,” another fan commented. “It’s muscle memory at this point. Go Seahawks.”

The 13% of Vikings fans picking the Patriots likely respect the defensive mastery New England has shown this postseason, or perhaps they simply view the Seahawks—an NFC rival who has had their fair share of battles with Minnesota—as the greater of two evils. But they are a distinct minority.

Analyzing the Matchup: Why Seattle?

Removing the emotional bias, does the Vikings fans’ prediction hold water?

The Seattle Seahawks (14-3) have been the class of the NFC all season. Their offense, orchestrated by Darnold, has blended a punishing run game with vertical passing concepts that have stretched defenses to their breaking point. The Seahawks’ receiving corps is arguably the deepest in the league, a factor that could overwhelm a Patriots secondary that, while elite, lacks depth due to recent injuries.

Conversely, the New England Patriots (12-5) have bludgeoned their way to San Francisco. They are a team built on ball control, turnover differential, and a suffocating front seven. Their path to victory relies on making the game ugly, slowing the tempo, and forcing Darnold into the mistakes that plagued his early career.

However, Vikings fans have seen the matured version of Darnold. They saw flashes of it in 2024, and they’ve watched it fully bloom in 2025. They trust him to protect the football.

“Darnold isn’t the same guy he was in New York or Carolina,” noted a top-rated comment. “He learned how to manage the game in Minnesota. Seattle unlocked his ceiling. The Patriots won’t be able to trick him.”

The Betting Perspective

For those looking to put money down, the FanDuel line of Seahawks -4.5 implies a game that is decided by more than a field goal but less than a touchdown.

The Case for the Cover: If Seattle’s offense clicks early, New England is not built to play catch-up. A 10-point lead for Seattle could feel insurmountable against the Patriots’ grind-it-out style.
The Case for the Upset: Super Bowls are often defensive struggles early on. If New England can keep the score low and drag the game into the fourth quarter, the pressure shifts entirely to the favorite.

Vikings fans, however, aren’t hedging. They see a coronation.

What a Seahawks Win Means for Minnesota

Ironically, a Seahawks victory might bring a pang of “what if” to the Twin Cities. If Darnold lifts the Lombardi Trophy, it will inevitably spark sports talk radio debates about whether Minnesota let a championship-caliber quarterback walk out the door.

However, the current sentiment suggests fans have moved past that anxiety. With the Vikings’ own future looking bright with their current young signal-caller, they can afford to look at Darnold’s success with benevolence rather than jealousy.

“It’s like seeing an ex-girlfriend who you broke up with on good terms succeed,” one fan analogized. “You’re happy for them, even if you’re happy with who you’re with now.”

Final Prediction

The poll results are clear. The narrative is set. Skol Nation has traded its purple for neon green—just for one day.

Vikings Fans’ Prediction: Seahawks 31, Patriots 20. Consensus: The combination of Darnold’s arm and Seattle’s dynamic playmakers will be too much for the defensive-minded Patriots.

As we prepare for kickoff tomorrow at Levi’s Stadium, the Vikings faithful will be watching closely. They aren’t just watching the Super Bowl; they are watching a chapter of their own history try to write a fairytale ending.

Super Bowl LX kicks off tomorrow. Coverage begins at 6:00 PM ET.