Patriots fall in the Super Bowl

By Mack Eon

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots this past Sunday in Super Bowl LX (60), 29-13, with the Seahawks controlling the affair for a large majority of the game, through both consistent offensive production and stifling defense. 

A major contributor to that sustained offensive production was running back Kenneth Walker III, the most valuable player of the game, who rushed for 135 yards and added 26 receiving yards, frequently using his speed and patience to weave through Patriots defenders and get the Seahawks out of troublesome situations, particularly on third down. 

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold also played well, managing the game. While his statistical output didn’t jump off the page, Darnold showed a willingness to take a hit to get the ball out, standing tall in the pocket and getting rid of the football despite taking a beating from the Patriots’ pass rush.  

Darnold has played for five teams during his eight seasons in the NFL. Widely regarded as a draft bust following his disappointing initial stint with the New York Jets, Darnold bounced around the league before winning the starting job in Minnesota last season. An impressive outing with them earned him a long-term starting role with Seattle, repaying the team’s faith in him by leading them to their second Super Bowl. 

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers also had a notable outing last night, making 5 field goals, a Super Bowl record, and scoring 17 points for his team, also a Super Bowl record. While conditions were in favor of the kickers last night, with winds only topping at around 10 miles per hour, Myers frequently made kicks from in and around 60 yards. 

NFL offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba was quiet by his standards for the Seahawks, only netting 4 catches for 27 yards, mostly thanks to an outstanding performance from Patriots defensive back Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez also had three pass deflections in Super LX, all of which came from diving efforts on his part. Gonzalez was, quite noticeably, the standout performer for the Patriots.  

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had a tough night- pressured on over 80% of his drop-backs- he was also hit eleven times and sacked six times, a Super Bowl record. The left side of the Patriots' offensive line, covered by rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, was noticeably poor, with Campbell in particular allowing 14 pressures, the most by any player, in any game, this entire season.  

Seahawks defensive back Devon Witherspoon was a notable performer on defense, recording two sacks and a forced fumble- a forced fumble returned for a touchdown that punctuated both the Patriots offensive struggles and the Seahawks defensive performance. 

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, despite the pressure he faced, didn’t cover himself in glory either. With one fumble lost and 2 interceptions, including one particularly ghastly deep ball in the fourth quarter that was at least five yards away from any Patriots receiver, the Patriots' young MVP candidate struggled greatly in his Super Bowl debut. After losing out on the NFL MVP award to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford by just one vote, Maye had a chance to make a major statement- that statement seemingly has ended up being that perhaps the controversy over the award was overblown and Stafford deserved to win by more than a singular vote. 

While the Seahawks played a phenomenal game, this game leaves many unanswered questions for the Patriots; 

Did they benefit from an easy schedule? 

Can Drake Maye perform when the lights are brightest? What about Will Campbell? 

And most importantly; 

Can the Patriots put it all together to make a run back to this game next year?