Revenge is a dish greatest served chilly. Though seeing because the Seattle Seahawks needed to wait 11 years to precise theirs on the New England Patriots, their followers would have been forgiven for transferring on to different issues.
Not that you simply’d understand it from the way in which the Seahawks performed in Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl, the place they smothered the Patriots in a rematch of the 2015 championship, when New England pulled off a rare victory that has haunted Seattle for years.
Kenneth Walker III, the engine of Seattle’s offense with 135 speeding yards on 27 carries, was named MVP. Sam Darnold accomplished his lengthy redemption arc from draft-bust to champion quarterback by throwing for 202 yards and a landing.
The Patriots received the coin toss and opted to kick off. The Seahawks moved the ball down the sphere rapidly because of a 23-yard catch by the Tremendous Bowl MVP from 4 years in the past, Cooper Kupp. However they stalled on New England’s 14-yard line and settled for a subject purpose to open the scoring.
Then it was the Patriots’ flip. Drake Maye led their offense out – on the age of 23 years and 162 days, he was the second-youngest beginning quarterback in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Though he had an excellent common season, he had struggled within the playoffs, albeit towards some glorious defenses, committing 5 turnovers in three video games. But when Maye was nervous it didn’t present: he accomplished his first two passes and adopted up a sack with an 11-yard scramble. The Seahawks protection – their go rush specifically – is cruel, although, and so they flushed Maye out of the pocket on third down. New England’s opening possession ended with a punt – their first of eight on the day.
Darnold, like Maye, was enjoying in his first Tremendous Bowl. He had a harder street to Santa Clara: he appeared destined to be one other proficient quarterback ruined by the dysfunction of the workforce that drafted him in 2018, the New York Jets. However he has resurrected his profession since leaving New York, thriving underneath superior teaching in Minnesota and now Seattle, who he joined for this season. There have been nonetheless doubts about his potential on the very highest stage and he accomplished simply three of his first seven passes because the Seahawks punted on their second possession.
Regardless of the compelling backstories behind the quarterbacks, the sport rapidly was a showcase of two glorious defenses. Rushers had been crushed on the line of scrimmage, receivers had been smothered by defenders, and Darnold and Maye barely had time to set their toes and throw. On the finish of the primary quarter, the groups had mustered 99 yards of offense between them and there have been simply three factors on the board.
Walker had clearly had sufficient of the attrition at first of the second quarter, ripping off positive factors of 30 and 29 yards earlier than the Patriots made some changes and stopped him for losses twice. Walker had finished sufficient to get his workforce in field-goal vary and Myers made it 6-0.
Seattle’s go rush continued to impress. On the Patriots’ subsequent possession, Seahawks rookie defensive finish Rylie Mills mauled his approach by way of a number of hundred kilos of New England linemen to carry down Maye, successfully ending the drive. It mentioned rather a lot that one of many day’s greatest cheers got here on a fantastic punt from Michael Dickson downed on the 2-yard line on Seattle’s subsequent possession.
A Myers subject purpose ended a primary half that was for defensive sickos solely. The earlier three Tremendous Bowls averaged 25 factors within the first half; this one yielded 9. Maye and Darnold had accomplished 45% of the passes between them and Walker’s 94 speeding yards dwarfed New England’s complete offensive output. New England had been blitzing relentlessly, unsettling Darnold. On the opposite facet, the Seahawks had been going after Will Campbell, the sort out the Patriots drafted final 12 months to guard Maye, who had been sacked 3 times and appeared understandably rattled.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels entered Sunday with six Tremendous Bowl wins underneath his belt. But when he had give you an excellent new scheme throughout Dangerous Bunny’s half-time present, it wasn’t evident on New England’s first drive which led to, sure, a punt. One other Myers subject purpose made it 12-0 earlier than Maye dedicated the primary turnover of the sport – a fumble wolfed up by Byron Murphy II – on the finish of the third quarter. Groups – together with the Patriots – have come again from bigger margins to win the Tremendous Bowl. In addition they had functioning offenses.
The Patriots wanted to do one thing drastic. As an alternative they gave up the primary landing of the sport. Maye’s fumble had given the Seahawks glorious subject possession early within the fourth quarter and Darnold quickly discovered tight finish AJ Barner in the long run zone for a 16-yard landing go.
That rating sparked one thing within the Patriots. On their subsequent drive, Maye lastly had time to seek out his receivers. Or receiver. Mack Hollins, an oddball journeyman who arrived for the sport dressed as Hannibal Lecter, hauled in a 24-yard go adopted rapidly by a 35-yard landing catch. The Patriots trailed 19-7 however had been lastly displaying some life on offense.
It wasn’t sufficient. Maye threw an terrible go on his subsequent drive that was intercepted by Seattle security Julian Love. Any momentum New England had was halted, and Myers’s fifth subject purpose quickly afterwards set a Tremendous Bowl file. One other turnover by Maye led to a different landing as Uchenna Nwosu ran in an interception 45 yards for the rating. Maye’s second of the landing of the sport – a go to Rhamondre Stevensom late within the fourth quarter – added a veneer of respectability to his stat line however the 29-13 instructed the complete story.
The Patriots would have damaged a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday if that they had received what would have been their seventh Tremendous Bowl, a file within the trendy period. However they are often content material that the items – together with Maye, who has an excessive amount of expertise to not come again from this efficiency, an impressive protection and head coach Mike Vrabel – are in place to have one other run on the title quickly, whereas a lot of their rivals within the AFC are in flux or outright turmoil.
As for the Seahawks, 11 years is a very long time to attend for redemption – however they’ll take it.
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