Super Bowl 60: Where Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots will be won and lost

The defensive front seven are the NFL’s wrecking crews, tasked with, among other things, making life as uncomfortable as possible for opposing quarterbacks.

Both teams excel here with formidable units and we’ve already seen how dominance here can decide the outcome of a Super Bowl.

Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson combined for 16 sacks in the regular season for New England, with defensive tackles Christian Barmore and Milton Williams bringing constant interior pressure, collapsing pockets at will.

The Patriots made Williams the highest-paid player in team history with a $104 million contract in free agency last year, following a dominant Super Bowl performance for the Eagles against Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs.

If he replicates that here, then Darnold is in trouble.

It’s Seattle, however, that might hold the advantage here since they bring in a four-headed monster of Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, Byron Murphy and DeMarcus Lawrence who have combined for 30 sacks this season.

Lawrence, who left Dallas to win the Super Bowl, has a sack and a forced fumble in both playoff games so far and has been particularly impressive, but it’s the danger running through the Seahawks’ defensive front that gives them the edge.

While the Patriots will make history by starting two rookies on their offensive line, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson – with left tackle Campbell, the man tasked with protecting Maye’s blind side, having some rookie struggles.

Maye has been sacked 15 times in the playoffs, the record is 19, and if the two rookies fail to protect him again, it could get ugly – think Patrick Mahomes’ two Super Bowl losses to the Eagles and Buccaneers.

Talented players scoring touchdowns grab the headlines, but Super Bowls are won and lost in the trenches — and this battle on Maye’s blind side might decide the entire debate.