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15 takeaways from Patriotsā loss in Super Bowl LX
Drake Maye was knocked for three turnovers in an ugly loss at Leviās Stadium.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Patriots’ improbable Cinderella run all the way back to Super Bowl LX came to a crushing conclusion on Sunday.
The “Road Warriors” under Mike Vrabel were finally bested away from the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium — with New England coming up short against the Seahawks, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.
It was an ugly end to an impressive breakthrough season in New England — with Drake Maye and the Patriots offense completely caved in all night by a stout Seattle defense.
Here are 15 takeaways from the Patriots’ season-ending loss on football’s largest stage.
Patriots magical run ends in disaster
Ahead of the biggest game of his life, Drake Maye reflected on the opportunity in front of himself and his teammates in Super Bowl LX.
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“We talked about at the beginning of the season, talking about our stories and what kind of hopes we had. And our hopes were to win the big game and win the Super Bowl, and look where we’re at now, and kind of those hopes are coming to a reality,” Maye admitted last week.
The Patriots’ 2025 campaign has been one taken out of a storybook — especially for a club that few expected would be remotely close to a contending team in Mike Vrabel’s first year at the helm.
But with one win separating New England from a title, those hopes quickly turned into a nightmare.
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Handed the best chance all season to quiet the doubters who had railed against New England’s schedule and fortune breaks in the postseason, the Patriots instead laid a goose egg against the Seahawks in front of millions — falling to Seattle, 29-13.
Maye and his offensive line simply didn’t have it all evening — with the Patriots’ franchise QB knocked for three turnovers and struggling to move the ball throughout the game.
New England’s defense did what it could to try and limit an explosive Seattle offense, but those efforts were doomed given the ugly offensive performance put forward by Maye and his line.
It was a season of unexpected success for Maye, Vrabel, and a Patriots team that is now primed to open up a sustained window of contention for the next few years.
Hope should be riding high in Foxborough for the foreseeable future.
But that optimism and the joy sparked by the “Road Warriors” likely won’t assuage the pain of a season that stumbled at the finish line.
Maye, offense flatline
As explosive and efficient as New England’s offense had been all season long, the postseason has been a different story for Drake Maye and his personnel.
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Facing off against several elite defenses, New England’s franchise QB and MVP runner-up has labored during this run — with the Patriots averaging just 18 points per game through three playoff bouts entering Sunday.
It managed to get even worse on Sunday.
Maye and the Patriots’ entire offensive personnel simply didn’t have it on Sunday, with Maye routinely under siege and far from his MVP-caliber self in the Super Bowl.
Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, and the rest of New England’s offense were shredded — with Maye sacked six times and and hit another 11 times by Seattle’s stacked defense.
But Maye himself shouldn’t be absolved from a game in which he was sped up, missed several targets off crossers and was knocked for two picks and a fumble that directly led to 17 Seattle points.
The Patriots have been elevated by their offense all season long. But the postseason was a different story, especially when the stakes were at its highest.
Defense does its job
The New England Patriots’ defense had waged a warpath against the NFL during this run to Super Bowl LX, holding the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos to just 8.7 yards per game entering Sunday.
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They were as advertised once again against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks — who had averaged a whopping 36 points per game over two postseason contests.
It will pain the Patriots that they weren’t able to capitalize off a pedestrian showing from Sam Darnold – who completed just 19-of-38 throws for 202 yards and one touchdown in the victory.
But several players on New England’s defense did impress, especially in the secondary between Christian Gonzalez (three pass breakups) and Craig Woodson (10 tackles, two pass breakups, three tackles for loss).
Had New England’s offense even been pedestrian, this could have been a different story.
Patriots bring out Butler for pregame duties
The Patriots weren’t ready to tempt fate on Sunday, wearing their road white jerseys despite being the designated home team at Levi’s Stadium.
Beyond buying into the superstition regarding their 9-0 road record this season, the Patriots also brought back a New England great who tormented the Seahawks over a decade ago.
New England brought its “Keeper of the Light” ceremony to Levi’s Stadium, with Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler doing the honors and ringing the lighthouse bell as his former team tried to beat the Seahawks once again in their Super Bowl rematch.
Sunday was a departure from the snowy tundra that the Patriots trudged through in the AFC title game two weekends ago, with kick-off temperatures from Santa Clara reading at 66 degrees.
After a few spirited performances from Brandi Carlile (“America The Beautiful”) and Charlie Puth (“The Star-Spangled Banner”), Super Bowl LX was ready to get underway.
Seahawks strike first
New England won the coin toss to open Sunday’s game, with Vrabel and Co. deferring the football to the second half.
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That put the ball in Sam Darnold’s and the Seahawks’ hands to open the game, with Darnold gaining three first downs, including a 23-yard pickup from Cooper Kupp, to push the ball into New England territory.
New England’s defense bent but didn’t break, as the defensive line collapsed the pocket on a 3rd-and-8 play from the Patriots’ 17-yard line to force an inaccurate throw from Darnold to Rashid Shaheed.
Still, the Seahawks had moved far enough into New England’s side of the field for a 33-yard field goal from Jason Myers — giving Seattle a 3-0 lead.
The Seahawks were 11-0 when they scored first this season and were the only team not to lose a game after scoring first in 2025.
New England did manage to pick up a few first downs on their first drive of Super Bowl LX, but stalled out after Drake Maye was sacked by Derick Hall for a loss of 10 yards. It was a rough start (and game) for Will Campbell, as he also failed to pick up a cornerback blitz that prompted a throwaway from Maye on third down.
More blitzes end another Patriots drive
The Patriots avoided disaster on their next drive as Sam Darnold nearly completed a home-run heave to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that sailed just over his head in what would have otherwise been an easy touchdown.
But New England’s defense dialed up enough pressure to put Darnold under duress and sail the throw just a bit, prompting another punt.
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New England’s second drive started out on a promising note after Maye hit Kayshon Boutte for a 21-yard pickup. But a Seattle defense not exactly known for being blitz-heavy once again flummoxed New England’s offensive line — with cornerback Devon Witherspoon rushing up the gut and taking down Maye to force another punt.
Through just two drives, Seattle already gained two sacks and two QB hits.
While New England’s offense labored against Seattle’s blitz-heavy approach, the Patriots didn’t give Seattle all that much on their third drive. Woodson made the play of the drive, snuffing out a sweep play by Kenneth Walker and taking him down five yards behind the line — eventually prompting another punt.
At the end of the first quarter, Seattle held a 3-0 lead — with the Patriots generating just 39 yards of offense. New England ended up having more yards lost on sacks (20) than they had passing yards (14) in the first quarter.
Kenneth Walker helps Seattle add to lead
The Seahawks tried another home run ball on their next drive in the second quarter — with Darnold uncorking a throw to Shaheed. The explosive wideout nearly reeled it in, with Christian Gonzalez lunging for a pass break-up at the last second.
Gonzalez’s heroics weren’t enough to slow down Kenneth Walker on the ground, as the shifty running back gained 59 yards on back-to-back runs to move the ball back into the red zone.
A booming blindside hit from K’Lavon Chaisson and Woodson’s third tackle for loss of the afternoon once again stalled Seattle’s drive, but a 39-yard field goal from Myers allowed the Seahawks to double their lead, 6-0.
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New England couldn’t generate much of a response on their next drive as Wilson was bull-rushed by Rylie Mills and pushed back into Maye for a 10-yard sack — forcing another punt for the Patriots.
Gonzalez steps up again to deny touchdown
The good news? Christian Gonzalez once again stepped up in crunch time to take another potential Seattle touchdown off the board — denying a pass intended for Smith-Njigba that would have gone for six points.
The bad news? Seattle still managed to tack on three more points before halftime — with Myers’ third field goal of the first half giving Seattle a 9-0 lead going into halftime.
It was a brutal first half on the offensive side of the football for New England — with the Patriots generating just 51 total yards of offense and punting five times.
Bad Bunny provides spectacle at halftime
We admittedly weren’t able to listen to much of Bad Bunny from the press box. But based on what were able to glean — it was an impressive production and show put forward by the musical megastar.
Bad Bunny — performing the first Super Bowl halftime show entirely in Spanish — weaved his way through multiple sets, crashed through a roof, climbed up light posts, and performed a medley of hits during the 14-minute show. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin also were surprise guests as part of the show.
The final message as Bad Bunny surrounded himself with flags from several different nations?
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
An early blow
An extended halftime didn’t give New England the reset it desperately needed, as the Patriots went 3-and-out once again to punt for the sixth time on their six full drives (not counting a kneeldown at the end of the half).
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The Seahawks answered with yet another scoring drive, with a bevy of missed tackles and an inability to sack Darnold allowing Seattle to get into the red zone once again.
The end result? Yet another field goal from Myers — making it a 12-0 game.
At that point of the game, the Patriots were getting outgained, 252-58, and had relinquished 80 yards off eight missed tackles.
Patriots get to Darnold, but offense can’t counter
At long last, the Patriots finally managed to generate a sack against Darnold, with Milton Williams wreaking havoc in the interior and bringing down Darnold at Seattle’s 10-yard line.
Seattle punted once again, but New England’s next drive once again ended in futility — with Maye taking his fourth sack of the evening and then failing to hit Kayshon Boutte on a crosser on third down.
It would only get worse for New England moving forward.
Maye’s fumble proves costly
After an extended stretch of offensive futility, Maye and the offensive finally imploded just before the end of the third quarter. After Maye was put under siege off of several sustained rushes from Campbell’s side of the O-line, the Patriots’ QB was strip-sacked by Hall — with Byron Murphy II recovering the fumble to take over at New England’s 37-yard line.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Patriots had as many completions as punts with eight.
Sure enough, the first turnover of the game allowed Seattle to deliver the final nail in the coffin — as Darnold hit tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown to make it a 19-0 game with 13:24 left in regulation.
Hollins TD gives Patriots life
In a cruel twist of fate, all it took was for Seattle to seemingly land a knockout blow in the fourth quarter for New England to seemingly wake up on offense.
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Right after New England gave up a TD to Barner, Maye and New England struck in short order off of a three-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a pair of catches from Mack Hollins for 59 yards.
The second catch — a 35-yard snag in the end zone — was a dot from Maye, with Borregales’ extra point making it a 19-7 game with 12:33 left in regulation.
New England finally had a pulse, but it would be too little, too late after sleepwalking through the first three quarters of action.
Another Maye turnover dooms Pats
After another Seattle punt, the Patriots — as improbable as it seemed — still had a shot to chip into Sunday’s lead as the time continued to tick down.
New England gained a few first downs — including a 16-yard scramble from Maye — to move the ball to the Patriots’ 44-yard line. But Maye then made the ill-advised decision to heave the ball downfield, giving Julian Love plenty of time to pick off his throw and all but end this game.
Myers eventually hit his fifth field goal of the day to make it 22-7 Seattle with 5:38 to go.
Maye’s third turnover seals Seattle’s Super Bowl title
Things continued to spiral as the time kept ticking down in the fourth quarter.
Seattle once again dialed up the blitz on Maye — with Witherspoon exploding like a heat-seeking missile and forcing Maye into a soft throw. Uchenna Nwosu snagged the ball out of mid-air and returned it for a 45-yard pick-six to give Seattle a 22-point lead with 4:37 left on the clock.
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New England did manage to score another touchdown after Maye flipped a ball to Stevenson to make it a 29-13 game, but the damage was already done — Seattle was promptly crowned as Super Bowl champions just a few minutes later.
It will be a quick offseason for Vrabel and his team — with plenty of work to do when it comes to upgrading a team that fell flat just one win away with a title.
LIVE UPDATES
7:03: Maye hits Stevenson for a touchdown.
6:58: And now Witherspoon strip-sacks Maye and Uchenna Nwosu returns the ball for a touchdown. That will end this one. Seattle is going to win the Super Bowl.
6:52: Myers hits another field goal, it’s 22-7 Seattle with 5:35 to go.
6:47: And Julian Love picks off Maye. Way too much air. That should do it.
6:46: Maybe scrambles for 16 yards. New England is making some plays.
6:43: Seahawks are punting again. Let’s see if New England can make this a game with a quick score.
6:35: Patriots have some life. Maye hits Hollins in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. New England has a pulse, but there’s only 12:27 left on the clock.
6:27: And that might do it. Darnold hits AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown.
It’s 18-0 Seahawks with 13:24 left in the game.
6:21: End Third: Patriots are trailing, 12-0, and the Seahakws have a prime chance to deliver a killshot now.
6:20: And Maye fumbles it. Byron Murphy scoops it up.
6:17: Well, the Patriots got a first down this time.
6:16: New England’s defense forces another Seattle 3-and-out.
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6:14: JSN is heading to the locker room.
6:11: New England’s O-line has been bad, but Maye has also been terrible. Bad throws, not making proper reads. A flat-out disaster.
6:10: Stop if you’ve heard this before, but the Patriots are punting again.
6:05: Marcus Jones seemingly breaks free for a nice gain. But Pettus is whistled for a block in the back. New England now starting from the 27-yard-line.
6:03: Milton Williams finally gets after Darnold. Eight-yard sack. New England needed that.
Seahawks punting.
6:02: Not great!
6:00: Kind of surprised that the Patriots didn’t go for it on 4th and 1. Time is starting to tick down.
5:59: Patriots can’t move the chains once again on third down and the Patriots punt.
5:52: New England’s defense once again holds in the red zone, but Myers connects again on a field goal. It’s 12-0 Seattle.
5:49: A disastrous start for New England. Missed tackles and an inability to take down Darnold has Seattle poised to score its first touchdown.
5:48: Seahawks moving the ball with authority once again.
5:44: And another Patriots punt.
5:40: A pretty entertaining halftime show from Bad Bunny. Couldn’t hear it too well in the press box, but the set design was impressive.
5:10: HALFTIME: Patriots trail Seattle, 9-0. New England’s defense has been stout, but the Patriots’ offense has been a trainwreck. Maye needs to deliver in the second half if this team wants a shot at coming back.
5:06: Christian Gonzalez bats down a throw from Darnold to JSN.
But Myers connects on a 41-yard field goal. It’s 9-0 Seattle.
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4:54: Two minute warning. Seattle is past the 50-yard line once again and New England has just 52 total yards of offense across five drives.
4:49: Another drive, another punt for New England. Five in total.
4:48: And now a false start on Campbell. The Patriots offensive line is killing them so far.
4:47: Pop Douglas picks up the first down. Given how poorly this game has been for the offense, that’s a victory.
4:40: Walker drops a potential first-down pickup. Seattle punts once again.
New England starting this drive from the 3-yard line.
4:37: The Patriots are dialing up a lot of pressure with Chaisson against Darnold.
4:35: Tavai is back in the game for New England.
4:31: The Seahawks are caving in the Patriots offensive line right now.
Four drives, four punts for New England.
4:23: Kenneth Walker gains 29 and 30 yards in short order. Seattle now in the red zone of New England.
4:22: Great play by Gonzalez to break up a deep throw to Shaheed.
4:20: Patriots are punting once again. Meanwhile, Jahlani Tavai (shoulder) is questionable to return.
4:15: End First: Seahawks hold a 3-0 lead. New England’s defense is settling down, but the Seahawks are making life miserable for Drake Maye.
4:13: New England’s defense is settling down. They force another punt after that great play by Woodson and two incompletions from Darnold.
4:12: Walker can fly out there. But Craig Woodson catches him in the backfield for a 5-yard loss. Great play by the rookie.
4:06: Now Witherspoon sacks Maye. Two drive-ending sacks on back-to-back drives for Seattle.
Patriots are punting once again.
Dell Pettus with a great tackle against Shaheed on the ensuing punt.
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4:05: Now, Patriots are going backward. Two stalled plays from Henderson.
4:04: Kayshon Boutte opens this drive with a 21-yard pickup.
4:00: Sam Darnold was smoked on that play, but he nearly completed a home-run shot to JSN. That would have been a touchdown. Instead, Seattle punts.
3:58: Some shaky throws from Darnold out of the gate here.
3:54: New England’s drive stalls out. A lot of pressure generated off the left edge forced Maye to throw it away.
3:53: Maye tries to duck pressure but he’s sacked by Derrick Hall. Lost 10 yards.
3:52: Nice move by Pop Douglas leads to an 8-yard pickup.
3:51: Two hard runs from Stevenson is followed up by a 7-yard catch to move the chains.
3:45: New England’s defense holds after dialing up pressure on Darnold, but Jason Myers hits a 33-yard field goal.
3-0 Seattle.
3:42: Seahawks gain three first downs in short order. Cooper Kupp with a 23-yard pickup. Seattle already on New England’s 17.
3:37: Super Bowl LX is underway.
3:36: Patriots win the coin toss and they defer. Seahawks offense coming up first.
3:31: Charlie Puth had national anthem duties.
3:29: Great rendition of “America The Beautiful” by Brandi Carlile.
3:21: 67 degrees at kick-off.
3:20: The Patriots pregame intros, via NBC:
3:18: The Patriots and Seahawks take to the field.
3:07: Green Day leads off the festivities here at Super Bowl LX.
3:03: A pretty insane injury for Mack Hollins to overcome.
2:49: No concerns regarding Drake Maye from Mike Vrabel.
2:34: Stefon Diggs breaks down the team huddle one last time.
2:23: Drake Maye takes to the field for warmups.
2:19: It should come as little surprise that Malcolm Butler is here repping the Patriots.
2:13: So far, there’s a LOT of Seahawks fans here at Levi’s Stadium.
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2:01: Patriots inactives are up. No major surprises — looks like Robert Spillane and Harold Landry are good to go.
1:52: Drake Maye is on the scene.
1:35: The prices here at Super Bowl LX are … something.
1:29: Mack Hollins is now warming up in a Mike Vrabel jersey.
12:25: No surprise here that Mack Hollins showed out with his pregame fit:
12:25: Mike Vrabel is on the scene:
12:22: More Patriots are arriving here at Levi’s Stadium.
12:01: The message from Mike Vrabel today, per Albert Breer:
11:35: Christian Gonzalez is on the scene.
11:00: Greetings from Levi’s Stadium!
The forecast at kick-off? 66 degrees, 0-2% chance of precipitation, winds around 8-9 mph. Perfect football weather.
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