Which quarterback style historically wins Super Bowls - and who fits it better

The Super Bowl is a whole different ball game. It takes a lot to make it there, and even more to win it. This year, we’ve got two very different kinds of quarterbacks when the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots take the field for Super Bowl LX. Drake Maye is in just his second year in the league and Sam Darnold is a seasoned veteran but with playoff experience.

But what kind of quarterback wins a game at this level? It’s not always the flashy MVP. It sometimes boils down to the one whose style can survive the pressure and chaos that the biggest stage throws at them.

The Super Bowl format: efficiency over flash

Despite highlight reels and gaudy stat lines, Super Bowls are rarely won by quarterbacks playing flashy football. Historically, champions tend to do a few things very well - protect the ball, convert on third down, control game tempo, and make timely, smart plays.

Quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, and Matthew Stafford all won Super Bowls while leaning on efficiency, patience, and situational mastery rather than pure volume passing.

In fact, many Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks didn’t even crack 300 passing yards on the night they won it. What they did do was avoid turnovers and capitalize on defensive mistakes.

Mobile quarterbacks have had mixed results on the Super Bowl stage. While movement can extend plays and stress defenses, it can also lead to sacks, turnovers, or ill-timed risks. The most successful mobile quarterbacks in Super Bowl history - Russell Wilson and Steve Young - weren’t reckless runners. They used mobility as a pressure release, not a primary weapon. When things broke down, they escaped just long enough to make smart throws.

Where Drake Maye fits the winning profile

At just 23 years old, Drake Maye doesn’t play at all like a reckless young quarterback. Throughout the season, the Patriots leaned into a style that mirrors past Super Bowl winners: long, clock-draining drives, heavy use of the run game, safe throws on early downs, and calculated aggression only when necessary.

Maye’s athleticism shows up most when protection collapses, turning sacks into short gains or first downs rather than forcing throws into coverage. That blend of mobility and restraint aligns closely with what has historically worked on Super Sunday. He may not post eye-popping numbers, but that’s often a good sign in this game.

Sam Darnold’s veteran edge...and its limits

Darnold brings something Maye doesn’t: experience. After stops with the Jets, Panthers, and now Seahawks, he’s seen just about every defensive look imaginable.

This season, Darnold thrived when Seattle leaned on a balance of play-action, rhythm throws, and letting the defense set the tone. When forced into shootouts, results have been less predictable.

That’s the challenge. Super Bowls rarely reward quarterbacks who need everything to be perfect around them. They reward the ones who stay calm when it isn’t.

So, which style actually wins?

History leans toward quarterbacks who:

• Stay patient
• Limit mistakes
• Lean on coaching and defense
• Embrace ugly wins

On paper, Drake Maye fits that historical mold more cleanly, even as the younger quarterback. His game mirrors what Super Bowls often demand rather than what regular seasons celebrate. That doesn’t guarantee anything. But when the lights are brightest, the evidence suggests the winner is usually the QB who does less...but does it better.

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