Stefon Diggs Credits Steelers For Making Patriots' Path To Super Bowl LX Clear

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a completely new era while the Super Bowl matchup has been decided. Many Steelers fans were hopeful that the pairing of Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers could spark a deep playoff run and potentially lead the franchise back to Super Bowl LX. That optimism carried through much of the 2025 season, especially as Pittsburgh finished 10–7 and captured the AFC North title. However, the season ended in disappointment, with the Steelers suffering a 24-point blowout loss at home in the playoffs, abruptly closing the door on what many believed could be a special year.

Now, the Super Bowl LX stage is set with an unexpected, but compelling matchup. It will be Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs leading the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks, guided by Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The storyline is rich on both sides: a young quarterback thriving under pressure in New England, a veteran wide receiver chasing another defining moment, and a Seattle team that has reshaped its identity behind new leadership on offense. Few would have predicted this pairing at the start of the season, which only adds to the intrigue surrounding the championship game. It's also part of what makes the NFL so special.

What makes this matchup even more interesting for Steelers fans is that Pittsburgh handed New England a loss early in the 2025 season. The Steelers defeated the Patriots 21–14 in Week 3 of the 2025 season, at a time when no one knew Mike Vrabel’s squad would eventually grow into a Super Bowl-caliber team. 

After the Patriots clinched the AFC Championship and punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX, Diggs spoke with the media about that early setback. He admitted that the loss to the Steelers lingered with the team and became a source of motivation, fueling their focus and helping drive their remarkable run to the Super Bowl.

"We lost to the Steelers and we lost a couple of those games early," Diggs said while speaking to the media after punching a ticket to the Super Bowl. "And nobody believed in us, let alone like us. Our coach believed in us, he helped us build this identity that he speaks of. He held everybody to the same standard. That's something that I am super thankful for."

There’s been a lot said about Tomlin and his teams over the last decade. Tomlin has never had a losing season, but he also hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. 

Now here’s Vrabel in his first year with the Patriots, and he’s taken them all the way to the Super Bowl. 

"I realize that it starts at the head," Diggs said. "When you hold everybody to the same standard and you hold everybody to the same requirements each and every single day, you hold your teammates accountable. You start looking at your teammates self-policing. The camaraderie and the team chemistry that he has built from the coaching position is second to none. Hopefully he wins Coach of the Year — he’s probably the best coach I ever had."

It sounds like Vrabel used that early-season loss, when the Patriots turned the ball over five times and lost to Pittsburgh, as motivation for the team.

Steelers Fans Hopeful To Be More Like New England

Steelers fans watched the Patriots fire a Hall of Fame coach, struggle for a season, fire the new head coach, and then hire Vrabel. It is a telling tale, as sometimes making a tough decision can lead to a positive turnaround. 

It is something Steelers fans have been hopeful to see from Pittsburgh since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Now they are hopeful to follow the Patriots’ path as they look to retool their organization with their new head coach, Mike McCarthy.

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