Super Bowl LX Teams Will Bring Their A Game – That’s ‘A’ for Analytics

DURHAM, N.H. — From two consecutive last-place finishes in the National Football League (NFL) to a trip to the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots have completed a remarkable transformation. Key building blocks include new head coach Mike Vrabel, the emergence of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, a strong defense and changing their use of data driven analytics – on and off the field. According to Peter Zaimes, senior lecturer of decision sciences at the University of New Hampshire and director of UNH’s Sports Analytics Lab, the Pats are not alone in upping their use of number crunching.

“Analytics are here to stay,” said Zaimes. “They don’t replace coaching; they help quantify tradeoffs and improve odds over time. They add support under uncertainty and can shift the decision from what feels right in one moment to what is most likely to win across thousands of similar situations while still accounting for context like opponent, weather, personnel and game state.”  

According to Zaimes, analytics are shifting coaching and decision making across the NFL, noting that the Patriots analytics department was once among the smallest in the NFL. They were perceived as old school but since Vrabel took over as head coach, the team has undergone a radical transformation significantly integrating modern data.

The Seattle Seahawks have also embraced the role data can play on game day. After a win over the Indianapolis Colts in December 2025, Seahawks’ head coach Mike Macdonald handed the game ball to the team’s head research analyst in the locker room for his critical role in the team’s victory – an honor reserved for players.  

How do New England and Seattle differ in how they use analytics? 

According to Zaimes, the Patriots built a system around Drake Maye’s data profile rather than asking him to fit a traditional mold, maximizing his strengths and allowing him to put up massive numbers.   

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels realized Maye is most dangerous when playing at a high tempo with simplified "half-field" reads. By analyzing his fastest release times, they built more RPOs (Run-Pass Options) and play-action designs that allowed him to use his speed to stress defenders. As a result, he finished the year with a 72% completion rate (leading the NFL) because the scheme ensured he was never holding the ball long enough for his mechanics to break down. 

The Patriots lean into situational and opponent-specific decision support using data to sharpen fourth-down choices, clock management and matchup planning so they can steal hidden edges in high-leverage moments.

Seattle’s analytics edge shows up in consistency. The Seahawks focus on staying ahead of the chains - avoiding penalties, negative plays, or sacks - and running a system that works week after week. Defensively, data helps them disguise coverages and confuse quarterbacks, relying less on star power and more on structure to force bad decisions. 

In a Super Bowl setting, the contrast is clear: New England looks to win key moments, while Seattle aims to control the game through steady efficiency and defensive pressure. 

Zaimes oversees UNH’s Sports Analytics Lab where students are matched with real-world sports clients and equipped with the tools to execute and understand the many ways analytics are used in the world of sports. enabling students to learn data science techniques and apply them across the world of sports. They gather and analyze data and provide actionable, realistic and timely recommendations.

You can read the full Q & A with Zaimes here.