Super Bowl LX: Patriots Face Tough Challenge Against Seahawks

As Super Bowl LX approached, the New England Patriots seemed to have a challenging route to securing a win against the Seattle Seahawks.

It all began with a common strategy.

They aimed to create a difficult game for Sam Darnold.

With Seattle boasting a formidable defense and New England’s offensive struggles against top defenses in the playoffs, it appeared that the Patriots’ only shot at upsetting the Seahawks relied heavily on their defense. The plan likely revolved around applying pressure to force Darnold into making errors, especially since he had thrown eight interceptions under duress during the season, six of which occurred when he faced a blitz.

Essentially, the team that had previously made Darnold “see ghosts” was looking to repeat that success.

On Sunday night, New England made a concerted effort to bring those ghosts back to life with an aggressive approach both in the front line and the secondary. According to my observations, they sent in five or more pass rushers during 22 of Darnold’s 38 pass attempts, which is about 58% of the time. That was nearly 57%, as noted later by ESPN.

Amidst this pressure, New England’s defense attempted to intercept nearly every pass Darnold threw.

However, Seattle’s quarterback completed 19 out of 38 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. While it wasn’t flawless, the lack of interceptions or turnovers was crucial.

And, well, no ghosts were encountered.

Darnold managed to evade pressure throughout the game, frustrating New England’s pass rush and successfully avoiding major mistakes. He occasionally made yards with his legs and found his receivers downfield, even late in the downs.

An example from the first quarter illustrates this well, as Darnold, under pressure, opted for a safer throw to tight end AJ Barner, converting on third down.

In the third quarter, after an aggressive approach from New England, Seattle’s Darnold stayed composed in the pocket and connected with Rashid Shahid to advance the chains.

Notably, Darnold also effectively utilized his mobility on several plays during the second half.

One particular play mirrored Seattle’s strategy, allowing New England only a few points, while Darnold turned what might have been a crucial moment for the Patriots into a significant gain for the Seahawks.

When Seattle eventually found the end zone, New England did apply pressure, but Darnold handled it adeptly.

Even when pressure mounted and throws were missed, the drives ended in punts or field goals instead of turnovers. This was exactly what Mike McDonald had in mind, especially given Seattle’s strong defensive performance. Early in the game, it seemed like the Patriots would force Darnold into a serious error.

Surprisingly, Darnold sidestepped what could have been a detrimental sack, maintaining his composure while he made crucial plays, with only the punter, Michael Dixon, not the offensive line, being called to action next.

To be fair, Darnold’s performance on Sunday night wasn’t perfect. He acknowledged that after celebrating with the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium. “I didn’t play my best today, but my team had my back,” Darnold remarked. “Our defense and special teams did their jobs, so we just played like we always do.”

New England had a single avenue if they were to pull off an unexpected victory in Super Bowl LX.

Sam Darnold effectively closed that avenue.