The New England Patriots navigated past top-tier defenses through the first three rounds of the NFL playoffs.
But those were nothing compared to what they saw from the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif.
Seattle held the Drake Maye-led Patriots scoreless through two quarters, limiting New England to just 52 yards of offense over its first five drives.
Maye managed only 48 yards on 6-of-11 passing in the first half, while the Patriots were similarly ineffective on the ground, totaling 33 yards on 11 carries.
The Seahawks generated constant pressure against Maye, racking up three sacks — including one by cornerback Devon Witherspoon on a third-down blitz — while forcing several more throwaways.
It was an unwelcome sight for Maye, who suffered a shoulder injury in the AFC Championship Game but was taken off the injury report before Sunday’s game.
Seattle had five tackles for loss and took a 9-0 lead into halftime. A team that was shutout in the first half of a Super Bowl never went on to win.
The Seahawks boasted the NFL’s stingiest defense in the regular season, allowing only 17.2 points per game.
That was superior to the defenses of the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, whom the Pats defeated in the AFC playoffs — albeit while averaging only 18.0 points per game.
Fortunately for New England, the Seahawks’ offense wasn’t much better against a Patriots defense that generated similar pressure.
Darnold finished the half 9-of-22 for 88 yards as Seattle settled for three field goals.
The motor of Seattle’s first-half offense was running back Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries. Cooper Kupp led the Seahawks with four catches for 44 yards.
