Patriots fall to Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX

A magical run came crashing down on football's biggest stage for the New England Patriots Sunday night. Struggling mightily on offense and ultimately committing costly turnovers, they fell to the Seattle Seahawks by a 29-13 final in Super Bowl LX. Seattle is now a two-time champion, again on the backs of a dominating defense, while the Pats fell to 6-6 all-time in Super Bowls.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished 27-of-43 passing for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, and also committed a costly lost fumble at the end of the third quarter. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold's passing numbers weren't spectacular either (19-for-38, 202 yards, 1 touchdown), but he avoided turning the ball over and made enough plays in select key moments to help Seattle maintain control of the game. He also escaped and avoided pressure better than Maye.

The Seahawks ultimately won this game, however, on defense. They tied a Super Bowl record with six total sacks, made by four different players. Seattle's diverse pass-rush packages created problems for the Patriots offensive line from start to finish, and Maye not only didn't make enough plays to overcome it but couldn't protect the ball in the process. As the game went on, the pressure appeared to affect Maye's timing and accuracy and, ultimately, his ball security.

The Seahawks seized control early, as Darnold took advantage of good pass protection and powered them into the red zone with passes of 15 and 23 yards. The Patriots defense tightened up from there, slowing the run to set up third-and-8 then pressuring Darnold into an incompletion. Seattle settled for a 33-yard field goal by Jason Myers to take a 3-0 lead just 2:58 into the game.

Maye and the Patriots offense couldn't answer with points of their own, despite a couple of early first downs. Pressure against the left side of the Pats offensive line stalled the drive. A first-and-10 sack dropped them back 10 yards, then Maye had to scramble to his right and throw it away on third-and-9, and the Patriots had to punt.

The teams traded punts over the next four possessions, as both defenses generated pressure and tackled well. The Seahawks were the first ones to find daylight from this defensive back-and-forth. Just one play after Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez leaped to break up a deep ball intended for Rashid Shaheed, Kenneth Walker ripped off a 30-yard run. He followed that up with a 29-yard scamper two plays later to get them back in the red zone.

But the defense again tightened up from there, as K'Lavon Chaisson pressured Darnold into an errant third-down throw to force another field goal try. Myers converted from 39 yards to make it 6-0 Seahawks.

Seattle followed up the field goal with a three-and-out on defense, powered by another sack, this time Rylie Mills against Patriots left guard Jared Wilson. The Seahawks had to punt after eight plays on the ensuing drive, but punter Michael Dickson and special teamer Velus Jones Jr. combined to pin the Patriots down at their own 2-yard line. Maye managed one first down with a completion to wide receiver DeMario Douglas, but a false start penalty by left tackle Will Campbell turned a third-and-7 into a third-and-12. Maye had to heave it away under pressure on third down, forcing yet another punt.

The field position did ultimately pay off for the Seahawks. They took over at their own 43-yard line and picked up 34 yards in nine plays to get into field goal range. Darnold took a shot at the end zone for Jaxon Smith-Njigba on third down, but Gonzalez made another highlight-reel pass breakup to force the field goal try. Myers cashed in for the third time, this time from 41 yards, to make it 9-0.

The Patriots kneeled out the clock to head to halftime, marking the first time all season that they were shut out for an entire half of football.

Halftime didn't seem to do much good for the Patriots offense, which went three-and-out on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Maye's third-down attempt for Kayshon Boutte had no chance. The Seahawks answered with their fourth field goal drive of the game, as Darnold got in a rhythm both on the ground and through the air. Darnold went 3-for-3 for 52 yards passing and escaped a potential sack for an 11-yard scramble as part of the drive, but got pressured into errant throws on second and third down to force another field goal, making it 12-0 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.

The Patriots had a third-and-1 situation on their next drive, and Maye was able to stand in the pocket and throw, but he couldn't connect with Douglas down the middle of the field, forcing yet another punt. Pats defensive tackle Milton Williams finally generated his first sack of the game after multiple near-misses, ultimately stalling out the Seahawks. But for the second straight drive, the play was there for Maye to make it but he couldn't connect with Boutte on third down, forcing their eighth punt in nine possessions.

New England got another defensive stop, sparked by Anfernee Jennings tackling Walker for a loss. But the next Patriots drive was when the dam broke. On third-and-6 with 16 seconds left in the third, the Seahawks' Derick Hall knocked the ball out of Maye's hands for a fumble, and defensive tackle Byron Murphy immediately pounced on it for the recovery at the Patriots 44-yard line. Darnold went 3-for-4 for 43 yards passing on the ensuing drive, capping it with a 16-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open A.J. Barner, which put the Seahawks up 19-0 with 13:29 left in the game.

It wasn't until this point that Maye and the Patriots offense finally found a spark. Maye hit receiver Mack Hollins for a 24-yard catch through a tight window, then on the very next play bombed it to Hollins for a 35-yard touchdown pass, which suddenly made it a 19-6 game. The Pats opted to take the extra point instead of going for two and potentially cutting the deficit to 11 points, making it 19-7 with 12:33 left.

Darnold's third-down deep ball fell incomplete, getting the ball back to the Patriots with 10:40 left. Maye completed three passes for 24 yards and managed to scramble for 16 yards to pick up a first down, but then made his final backbreaking mistake of the night. Facing second-and-3, Maye launched the ball deep down the middle of the field to an area that was entirely populated with Seahawks defenders, and safety Julian Love received the easy interception, returning it for 35 yards.

The Seahawks extended their lead six plays later, Myers' fifth field goal of the night to make it 22-7 with 5:38 left in regulation. Then they put the final nail in the coffin with authority, as Witherspoon knocked the ball out of Maye's hands and it ricocheted into the hands of Uchenna Nwosu, who ran it all the way back for a pick-six and a 29-7 lead for Seattle.

Maye managed to get his second touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson in the closing minutes, but it amounted to garbage time by that point.