The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event of the year and the most-watched event in the United States. Each season, the NFL’s top two teams face off for the Lombardi Trophy and the chance to bring a championship ring back to their city. This year’s matchup features the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, a pairing many fans see as a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. The two teams last met on the Super Bowl stage just over a decade ago in one of the most memorable endings in NFL history, when Russell Wilson was intercepted by Malcolm Butler at the one-yard line, giving Tom Brady his fourth Super Bowl ring.
Now, 11 years later,the Seahawks and Patriots meet again with a new generation of players and a modern approach to the mental side of performance. As the game has evolved, so too has the emphasis on mental skills. Quarterbacks Drake Maye and Sam Darnold have both spoken about using mental performance tools to stay focused, manage pressure, and lead their teams to the Super Bowl. In the sections that follow,we’ll take a closer look at how these two athletes apply mental skills and how those strategies have shaped their performance on football’s biggest stage.
Drake Maye is only in his second year in the NFL, and he’s already competing in the SuperBowl—carrying enormous expectations and pressure due to the storied success of the New England Patriots. The Patriots were fortunate to have Tom Brady for 20seasons, winning six Super Bowl rings with him as the starting quarterback. Any quarterback stepping into the QB1 role in New England faces enormous pressure to fill those shoes and continue the winning culture in Boston. What has helped Maye succeed both on and off the field is his focus on the process over the outcome, his ability to cognitively reframe pressure, and his commitment to honing the things within his control. In preparation for the Super Bowl, Maye emphasizes trust and confidence—trusting his teammates, trusting his own preparation, and narrowing his attention to the specific tasks in front of him rather than the size of the occasion. He has said that the key to his mental approach is simple: prepare well, trust what you’ve done all season, and then execute without overthinking. This approach demonstrates a central sport psychology strategy: maintaining confidence in preparation and focusing on the process to manage pressure and perform under stress.
Another key mental strategy Maye uses is staying in the present moment and controlling what he can control. When asked about focus and distractions, he said: “Control what I can control. All the outside noise is part of the media trying to make headlines.The biggest thing for me is to worry about my play on the field, worry about how I am as a teammate in the locker room and in the community” (Maye, 2024). This quote highlights his ability to maintain attentional control and not let external noise affect his performance. Maye also uses cognitive reframing to handle pressure. Reflecting on big-game moments, he shared: “I wouldn’t call it pressure. I think it’s a privilege. You work your whole life to get to this moment, and when the moment comes, you shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that this is what you dreamed about (Massey, 2024). Drake Maye has dreamed of competing on football’s biggest stage, and through these mental skills: process focus, attentional control, and cognitive reframing, he has prepared himself to perform at his best when it matters most.
Sam Darnold’s journey looks very different from Drake Maye’s. Now in his eighth NFL season and his first with the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold has played for multiple teams and taken a much longer road to Super Bowl LX. His path to the championship is a story of resilience, growth, and mental maturity. Early in his career, Darnold faced intense scrutiny and high expectations as a third overall draft pick. His struggles were often highly publicized, but instead of letting setbacks define him, he adopted a growth mindset—focusing on learning from mistakes, improving each day, and trusting the process.
One of the biggest factors behind his success this season has been his intrinsic motivation and genuine love for the game. “I play for the love of the game. And nothing is ever gonna change that. As soon as that changes, I feel like I’ll be done playing (Bell, 2025). Playing for intrinsic reasons has helped Darnold maintain confidence and composure under pressure. Like Maye, he relies on a process-focused mindset, keeping his attention on preparation and execution rather than outcomes or expectations.
Darnold has faced significant adversity throughout his career, including being eliminated in the playoffs last season and not being re-signed by Minnesota. Finding his footing in Seattle proved to be a turning point. A key part of his mental success has been his ability to take things one day at a time and control what he can control,which is his preparation, effort, and attitude rather than dwelling on past mistakes or external noise. “I just try to respond the right way when adversity hits. You can’t control everything, so I focus on what I can do and stay the same guy every day” (Greenberg, 2018). This focus on controlling the controllables has been central to Darnold’s mental game and instrumental in leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Over time, he has developed strong mental toughness and emotional regulation, allowing him to stay calm during adversity and sharp in high-pressure moments.
Another key component of Darnold’s mental toolkit is confidence through preparation. By committing to film study, mastering the playbook, and visualizing success, he builds self-efficacy, which is the belief that he can execute when it matters most.After spending much of his career in the spotlight, Darnold now finds himself one win away from achieving his ultimate goal: becoming a Super Bowl champion.His journey highlights how mental tools are just as critical as physical skills in reaching peak performance.
As you watch SuperBowl LX this weekend, take a moment to observe how these two quarterbacks handle pressure, respond to adversity, and trust their teammates. One quarterback is just beginning his NFL journey, while the other brings years of experience and lessons learned. Will experience overpower youth, or will youth rise to the moment? Find out this Sunday!
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Resources:
Bell, G. (2025, September 18). Seahawks learning ‘unflappable’ Sam Darnold. So what is the quarterback’s why? YahooSports.https://sports.yahoo.com/article/seahawks-learning-unflappable-sam-darnold-221337844.html
Greenberg, E. (2018, November 7). Jets’ Sam Darnold on injury: When adversity hits, it’s up to me how to respond. New YorkJets.https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sam-darnold-on-injury-when-adversity-hits-it-s-up-to-me-how-to-respond?
Massey, E. (2024, December 6). Face of Patriots not adding pressure for Drake Maye. Sports Illustrated.https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi/news/face-new-england-patriots-not-adding-pressure-drake-maye
Maye, D. (2024). Transcript: Conference callwith Drake Maye. PatsFans.com. https://www.patriots.com/news/transcript-drake-maye-press-conference-1-23
