On February 8, Super Bowl LX took place in San Francisco and featured the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks against the AFC Champion New England Patriots. The Patriots, who were chasing their seventh ring, entered the game as underdogs, featuring an exciting young team led by MVP runner-up Drake Maye and cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Despite this, Seattle came out on top, hoisting their second Lombardi Trophy and capping off a great season with a win.
This game will be remembered as defense-heavy. Seattle put the pedal to the metal and never let up, especially on defense. New England was scoreless throughout three quarters and didn’t look like the offense we have seen during the rest of the season. Drake Maye was sacked six times for 43 yards in the loss and threw two interceptions.
Offensively, Seattle kicked five total field goals which set a new Super Bowl record. Sam Darnold went from seeing ghosts as a New York Jet to throwing 202 yards and a touchdown in the most important game of his life. He was labeled a bust in the league in his early years, but he showed resilience and grit, allowing him to have an incredible comeback story. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, also known as the Emerald City Route Artist (ECRA), was limited, only catching four passes for 27 yards while recording an injury during the third quarter. Seattle had a good rushing game too, with 141 yards on 32 carries.
Towards the end of the game, the Patriots showed some signs of life with a quick touchdown in only 2 plays. However, hope faded when Drake Maye threw a critical pick six under pressure, pushing Seattle’s lead to 29-7, which essentially solidified the loss. Rhamondre Stevenson’s seven-yard touchdown in the final minutes meant little then.
The Patriots were not expected to make it this far based on preseason predictions, so this marks a new era for first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and the team. Although their schedule was widely considered easy, and the path to the Super Bowl was not the strongest, only two teams could say they made it with the Patriots being one of them.
While New England looks ahead, Seattle celebrates a successful season with another trophy to bring back home.
Final score: Seattle 29 – New England 13
MVP: Kenneth Walker III (SEA RB)
