By the time Bad Bunny took the stage at the Super Bowl, the game was already over. The Seahawks officially won 29-13, but the score doesn’t reflect just how one-sided the game felt. To add some context, according to Next Gen Stats, Bad Bunny traveled roughly 125 yards during his halftime performance, more than double the Patriots’ first-half yardage.
So what went wrong? It’s easy to point the finger at Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who was held to just 18 net passing yards in the first half, threw two interceptions, fumbled and had his lowest PFF passing grade of the season (30.0). While it’s clear the regular-season MVP runner-up had a bad game, the true failure was the team’s inability to make gametime adjustments both offensively and defensively.
Most alarmingly, the Patriots offensive line couldn’t stop the Seahawks’ blitz. As the game went on, the left side crumbled: Rookie
left tackle Will Campbell and rookie left guard Jared Wilson each allowed two sacks. However, instead of using a tight end or running back to help block, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left Campbell on an island for most of the game. Campbell conceded 14 of the offensive line’s 19 QB pressures — the most by an offensive lineman in a game this season.
Similarly, although Maye did find wide receiver Mack Hollins for a 35-yard touchdown late into the game, Maye finished the first half having completed only two of five total throws of over five yards. Maye seemed afraid to throw the ball, but McDaniels never helped his confidence. Instead of calling play actions and short screen routes to help Maye beat the blitz and establish a rhythm, McDaniels had Maye sit in the pocket, take sacks and hand off the ball to surrender on third and longs. Drive after drive followed the same story, but nothing changed, and the Patriots punted on eight of their first nine drives.
On the other side of the ball, the defense also lacked adjustments. Give credit where credit’s due: The defense did have a strong first half, keeping the Seahawks to four field goals and clamping down on league-leading wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Still, the Patriots’ defense never figured out the run game. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III finished the game with 161 scrimmage yards and 27 carries, a performance that earned him the Super Bowl MVP. Watching the game unfold in real time, a collective groan filled the room every time Walker touched the ball. Everyone (except for the Patriots, apparently) knew what would happen. Walker would split to the sideline, break some tackles like a prime Marshawn Lynch and charge down the open field. Rather than adapt to better set the edge and contain the run, the Patriots allowed Walker to exploit the team’s soft spot for the entirety of the game, with 114 out of his 135 rushing yards coming from runs to the edge.
“Maye seemed afraid to throw the ball, but McDaniels never helped his confidence.”
While a lack of adjustments across the board contributed to the loss, it’s also important to keep in mind that the Patriots are a young, largely inexperienced team. Whether it’s the rookie pair in the offensive line, rookie wide receivers like Kyle Williams, veterans like Stephon Diggs and Mac Hollins playing their first year in the Patriots system or even Maye — who’s still only in his second season — the Patriots’ lineup was filled with fledgling players who might not have been able to make real-time adjustments even if they were called. I’m not entirely frustrated with how the Patriots’ “Cinderella story” season turned out — even if the glass slipper didn’t quite fit. If anything, the team’s unexpected ups and downs added a nice touch of nervous excitement to each Sunday afternoon and gave me some fun content to rant about through this column.
At the end of the day, the team needs to make fundamental changes this offseason, especially given the arduous journey ahead for the team next season (the sixth hardest projected schedule). If talented rookie and first-year veteran players further acclimate to the system, and free agents like five-time Pro Bowl edge setter Max Crosby are brought in to tie up loose ends, I wouldn’t count out the Patriots just yet.
The Super Bowl might not have gone the way we wanted, but I believe the offseason will define this team’s future. To quote the GOAT Tom Brady with a little advice everyone should hear, even if you’re not a struggling, 319-pound Patriot left tackle by the name of Will Campbell: “Life is not about how much you succeed, it’s about what happens when you fail.”
