The New England Patriots entered Super Bowl LX as underdogs to the Seattle Seahawks, and they did not overcome the odds. Losing 29-13 in what was a defensively-dominated affair, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel failed to win the franchise’s seventh championship.
Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.
Moment No. 1: Sign of things to come
The Patriots entered the Super Bowl with questions about their offensive line, and it did not take long for them to rear their ugly head. On their very first possession,
quarterback Drake Maye was sacked for a first time.
The 10-yard sack disrupted what had been a relatively solid opening drive for the Patriots up until that point. Ultimately, playing from behind the sticks, they had to settle for a punt to end the series.
Moment No. 2: Continued issues
Despite surrendering four field goals, the Patriots defense had kept the team in the game by the late third quarter. However, at that point, Drake Maye was strip-sacked in New England territory.
The Seahawks wasted little time capitalizing on the game’s first turnover. Five plays after recovering Maye’s fumble at the New England 37-yard line, they were in the end zone and up 19-0.
Moment No. 3: Sign of life
Following the strip sack and subsequent touchdown, the Patriots saw the game slipping away. However, they did start to show some fight at that point and quickly cut into the deficit thanks to two big pass plays from Drake Maye to Mack Hollins: first they connected on a 24-yard pass over the middle before hooking up on a 35-yard touchdown.
The Patriots started to building some much-needed momentum with the score, and they were in a position to further reduce what was then a 12-point deficit on their next drive. However, that didn’t happen.
Moment No. 4: Desperation heave
Down 19-7 and nearing midfield, Drake Maye took a deep shot down the field. What exactly he saw on the play is not known, however, because the ball was cleanly intercepted by Seahawks safety Julian Love.
Love ran the interception back 35 yards into Patriots territory. And while the defense again held Seattle to a field goal, the damage was done.
Moment No. 5: Fitting end
Down 15 points with under five minutes to go, the Patriots were in desperation time. Unfortunately, they again saw the Seahawks defense come through in the clutch. Maye was taken down by a corner blitz just as he was releasing the football, with Seahawks defender Uchenna Nwosu catching the ball in stride.
There was still time on the clock after the scoop-and-score touchdown, but with the Patriots now down 22 points and under five minutes to play, the chances of them lifting a seventh Lombardi Trophy were effectively down to zero.
Moment No. 6: Garbage-time TD
Before the end of the game, the Patriots hit the score board one more time. Drake Maye found Rhamondre Stevenson on a short pass, and the running back took the ball in for a 7-yard TD.
Obviously, it was too little, too late, but the Patriots did not go down without a fight either. There are few positives to take away from the game, but that is one of them.
