Instant analysis from Patriots’ 29-13 loss to Seahawks in Super Bowl LX

It had been 4,025 days since the sides last crossed paths in February. But as eventual AP NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel said during his introductory press conference, there’s things that are interesting and there’s things that are important.

The New England Patriots were unable finish the important in Sunday’s 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

Here’s a glance back on the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Levi’s Stadium.

Maye ahead of schedule, just not in Santa Clara

The youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl since Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino had to stay ahead of schedule. In Santa Clara, that proved to be daunting. Drake Maye completed 27-of-43 passes for 295 yards versus the Seahawks on Sunday. The 23-year-old Patriots quarterback did so en route to two touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble.

Taking the field in “22” personnel, New England’s opening drive spanned a pair of first downs before ending in sack, a blitzed throwaway and a punt. After climbing the pocket for a play-action pickup of 21 yards to wide receiver Kayshon Boutte next time out, there would be a third-and-15 takedown for another punt. It’d soon be three, four and five punts in a row versus Seattle’s zone-heavy coverage.

The Patriots hadn’t found themselves shut out at halftime all season. But the score read 9-0 at the break. And no team still scoreless at that point had ever gone on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. It soon read 12-0. A sixth, seventh and eighth punt were endured heading out of it.

With 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter, a punch-out went in the books as the first turnover. A Seahawks touchdown came of it. The response? A 35-yard Patriots touchdown down the left sideline and over the shoulders of towering veteran Mack Hollins. With that, a 19-7 game it briefly became.

An underthrown deep shot in the dark followed and backfield. Seattle safety Julian Love intercepted what was intended for rookie wideout Kyle Williams. And the nickel blitz that had hit home before soon did again on a pick-six.

An eight-play, 75-yard push would cut things to 29-13. But reality had set in. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ group finished 6-for-15 on third down against the NFL’s top defense in EPA per play.

Seahawks turn up the thermostat with six sacks

The wild card against the Los Angeles Chargers, the divisional round against the Houston Texans, and the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos gave way to 15 sacks. January’s playoff gauntlet continued.

Left tackle Will Campbell and left guard Jared Wilson became first rookie duo to start on a Super Bowl offensive line. There was little margin for error. There were, however, errors that extended beyond a false start. Both gave up sacks before halftime.

The No. 4 overall pick out of LSU and the No. 95 overall pick out of Georgia were joined by center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Mike Onwenu, right tackle Morgan Moses. But with four pressures generated through the opening five snaps, including a Cover 0 blitz, the thermostat was cranked early and often.

Seattle’s heat produced six sacks for a combined loss of 43 yards on Sunday. Derick Hall off the blindside, Devon Witherspoon from the slot, as well as Rylie Mills and Byron Murphy III on the interior all got in the column. Recurring guests combined for a forced fumble and fumble recovery. And off the edge, Uchenna Nwosu took a floater back 44 yards for a touchdown.

Ground game departs for Patriots

Seattle allowed a league-low 3.7 yards per carry in the regular season. No defense around the league let up fewer first downs in that department. And in terms of DVOA up though the postseason, the ranking remained the same for a unit overseen by head coach Mike Macdonald.

It would be up to Rhamondre Stevenson to test the choppy waters.

New England’s lead running back turned seven handoffs into 23 yards in Super Bowl LX, yet none arrived after halftime. He added five catches for 40 yards instead, gloving one off the grass with 2:21 to go for a touchdown. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson also got the starting nod in Pony personnel on Sunday. The No. 38 overall pick out of Ohio State accounted for 46 scrimmage yards from there, including 24 on the final snap.

Only two carries by the Patriots moved the sticks. Maye posted a team-high 37 rushing yards.

Avoiding the key mistake, Darnold outlasts former division rival

Sam Darnold completed throws to Super Bowl XLIX standout Jermaine Kearse during his rookie year in the AFC East. Much has changed since then. The quarterback has, too, through stops on a handful of depth charts around the league.

That was evident on Sunday. Seattle’s signal-caller went 19-of-38 passing for 202 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers.

After threading two first downs through the air on the opening drive, the NFC champions got on the board with a 33-yard field goal by kicker Jason Myers. The next series brought a three-and-out on the heels of an overthrow downfield. The third series, which saw a sea of Patriots drop into coverage from the dime package, also resulted in a punt. Things would bend but not break by intermission. By then, Darnold had gone 9-of-22 through the air for 88 yards.

Through three playoff games, opposing quarterbacks posted a 56.1 passer rating against the New England. And over that span, the NFL’s lowest rating allowed in coverage belonged to cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Christian Gonzalez. Jaylinn Hawkins and fellow California Golden Bear Craig Woodson, who tallied three tackles for loss and two pass deflections, rounded out the starting secondary.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba was kept in check with four catches for 27 yards over the course of 10 targets. New England’s No. 0 soared to deny a pass intended for him the end zone and broke up three altogether. Gonzalez scraped the sky on a deep shot intended for Rashid Shaheed’s speed and timed up another over the middle versus former February MVP Cooper Kupp.

But tight end AJ Barner went vertical to find real estate out of play action with 13:28 left to play. The touchdown briefly made it a 19-0 climb.

Walker runs away with MVP

The Patriots had conceded just 71.3 rushing yards per game since the calendar turned to the playoffs. Up next was the controlled chaos of Kenneth Walker III.

The Seahawks running back eclipsed that ground average and then some before halftime. He finished with 135 yards through 27 carries on Sunday despite having a breakaway touchdown wiped away by holding. An impending free agent, Walker got things going with an outside zone worth 10 yards and continued with jab-stepping explosives worth 10, 14, 29, 30. And with 26 receiving yards en route to being named Super Bowl LX MVP.

New England’s front had to seal the deal on Darnold, too. That was easier said than done. The well-traveled QB slipped out of pressure and was sacked once, courtesy of a defensive tackle who earned a ring 12 months prior.

The base defense took the field with Milton Williams alongside Christian Barmore and Cory Durden. The interior defensive linemen were accompanied off the edges by veterans Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai. Captains Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane, who were both questionable due to respective knee and ankle injuries, outlasted the inactives list 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

From there, an organization that had gone 4-13 in consecutive campaigns would end up at the doorstep.