The Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 11 years, and will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

Like the Seahawks, the Patriots finished the regular season with a 14-3 record, marking a big turnaround under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. While the Seahawks had a first-round bye and homefield advantage, beating the 49ers and Rams to get to the Super Bowl, the Patriots had to win three games to get here as the AFC's No. 2 seed, beating the Chargers, Texans and Broncos on their way to their first Super Bowl since the 2018 team won it all, the last of six titles in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era.

To help you get ready for the Super Bowl and learn more about the Patriots, we reached out the Boston Herald's Patriots beat reporter (and Seattle-area native/Mariners fan/student in my mom's kindergarten class many, many years ago) Doug Kyed with five questions about the Seahawks' Super Bowl opponent. Also, Doug didn't ask me to do this, but if you appreciate him contributing to your Super Bowl knowledge, please consider a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause near and dear to his heart.

There's probably a long a nuanced answer, but big-picture wise, how did the Patriots go from two consecutive four-win seasons to 14-3 and a trip to the Super Bowl in their first year under Mike Vrabel?

Kyed: There's certainly a multitude of factors, but Vrabel's leadership and Drake Maye's Year 2 ascension are at the top of the list. There's been a complete buy-in to Vrabel's culture, and Maye played like an MVP candidate all regular season. Third on the list, and nearly equally important, is the key additions Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and the rest of the front office, which includes Ryan Cowden and John Streicher, made this offseason. Nearly 60% of the roster was overhauled this offseason. The Patriots hit on every single significant free agent they signed, and they've seen solid returns from the draft class — primarily left tackle Will Campbell, running back TreVeyon Henderson, left guard Jared Wilson and starting safety Craig Woodson — as well. Lastly, the Patriots have stayed extremely healthy this season, which is always key for a winning roster. Running back Antonio Gibson is the only regular contributor who has been lost for the season.

What is something the Patriots do particularly well that you think could give them an edge over the Seahawks?

Kyed: It sounds almost kind of boring, but stop the run. The Patriots' run defense has been nearly impenetrable this entire postseason run. And it really dates back to the start of the regular season too, before defensive tackle Milton Williams suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for six weeks. They didn't allow a running back to go over 50 yards until Week 10, and they faced De'Von Achane, James Cook, Bijan Robinson and some other great running backs in that span. They've been even more dominant since Williams returned in Week 18, and it really makes opposing offenses one-dimensional, because it eventually forces them to abandon the run game.

Conversely, what's an area of concern the Patriots might have to worry about while matching up with the Seahawks?

Kyed: The offensive line. The Patriots have rookie starters at left tackle and left guard in Campbell and Wilson, and while they've been good enough to protect Maye during a 14-3 season and three postseason wins, there have been some concerning moments, especially in the playoffs. Campbell rounded back into shape in the AFC Championship Game win over the Broncos, allowing zero sacks to Nik Bonitto, but he struggled in the wild-card round against the Chargers and against Will Anderson in the divisional round. Clearly, things aren't exactly going to get easier facing off against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

Other than the obvious big names, what player/position group could you see being an X-factor for the Patriots in this one?

Kyed: I'll go with cornerback/punt returner Marcus Jones, if only because he's not as much of a household name as Williams, Maye, Stefon Diggs, Rhamondre Stevenson or Christian Barmore.

Jones is not a perfect defender. He's undersized and struggles against bigger wideouts in man coverage at times. But if he lets up a big play or allows a touchdown, chances are he's going to make up for it with dividends later with a punt return touchdown, interception, pick-six, sack, tackle for loss or pass breakup. He's been a great player for the Patriots this season. He hasn't done it this year yet, but Jones even spent time on offense in previous seasons because of his all-around playmaking ability.

Going even deeper, defensive tackle Cory Durden is a player no Seahawks fan has probably heard of, but track how many times he gets in the backfield on Super Bowl Sunday. It will be more than you might think.

What matchup or matchups are you most looking forward to seeing play out in Super Bowl LX?

Kyed: I'm most excited to see Christian Gonzalez vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They barely faced each other in last season's matchup, because Gonzalez was matched up against D.K. Metcalf. I think that changes this Sunday since Smith-Njigba is clearly the best playmaker on the Seahawks' offense and maybe the best receiver in the game. Gonzalez, who's soft-spoken but exudes confidence, has to be considered a top-five cornerback in the league, as well.

The most impressive thing about both players is how smooth they are for their size. They're also both natives of the Dallas area and graduated in the same high school class, yet never faced each other. Gonzalez, at least, has known about Smith-Njigba since they were in high school.