By ROB MAADDI
SANTA CLARA — Protection received this championship.
Devon Witherspoon, Derick Corridor, Byron Murphy and the remainder of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Tremendous Bowl.
Sam Darnold threw a landing go to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set an excellent Bowl file by making all 5 of his field-goal tries.
Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive efficiency by snagging Maye’s go within the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it again 45 yards for a pick-6.
Seattle’s “Darkish Facet” protection helped Darnold change into the primary quarterback within the 2018 draft class to win a Tremendous Bowl, forward of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.
Labeled a bust, dumped by two groups and regarded expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters unsuitable whereas serving to the Seahawks go 17-3.
After main the NFL with 20 turnovers within the common season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff video games. He wasn’t notably sharp in opposition to a stable Patriots protection however protected the ball and made sufficient performs, ending 19 of 38 for 202 yards.
The Seahawks sacked Maye six instances, together with two apiece by Corridor and Murphy. Corridor’s strip-sack late within the third quarter arrange a brief discipline and Darnold related with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.
Julian Love’s interception arrange one other discipline objective that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.
The Patriots (17-4) punted on the primary eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to finish the primary half.
Down 19-0, Maye and the New England offense lastly obtained going. He hit Mack Hollins over the center in visitors for twenty-four yards after which lofted an ideal 35-yard TD go to Hollins down the left facet to chop the deficit to 19-7.
Tom Brady as soon as led Invoice Belichick’s Patriots to the best comeback in Tremendous Bowl historical past, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit in opposition to Atlanta for a 34-28 time beyond regulation victory.
However Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award within the closest race in twenty years, didn’t come shut. He had an opportunity to get it nearer, however his ill-advised go into triple protection was picked by Love and the Patriots trailed by 15 once they obtained the ball again with 5:35 left.
Then got here Nwosu’s landing, a becoming strategy to cap an amazing effort by the NFL’s stingiest protection.
Maye’s 7-yard TD go to Rhamondre Stevenson late within the sport solely made the margin smaller.
The Seahawks took a 3-0 lead on Myers’ 33-yard discipline objective on the sport’s opening drive. Myers related from 39 and 41 yards to increase the result in 9-0 at halftime. He was good from 41 on Seattle’s first drive of the third quarter to make it 12-0.
PATRIOTS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez made two excellent performs to forestall potential touchdowns within the second quarter. He raced again and leaped within the air to slap away a deep go to Rasheed Shahid that might have been a 76-yard TD.
On Seattle’s final drive within the first half, Gonzalez knocked down a go to All-Professional vast receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that will have been a 23-yard TD.
MILLS GETS A 2-FOR-1 SACK
Rylie Mills pushed left guard Jared Wilson into Maye and took each of them down on considered one of Seattle’s sacks.
BAD BUNNY SHINES AT HALFTIME
Unhealthy Bunny headlined a visually beautiful halftime efficiency that additionally featured appearances by Girl Gaga and Ricky Martin. The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist fully in Spanish.
PATRIOTS DENIED A RECORD 7TH TITLE
The Patriots did not win the franchise’s seventh Tremendous Bowl, which might have set an NFL file. They’re tied with the Steelers with six championships.
AP NFL Coach of the 12 months Mike Vrabel was aiming to change into the fifth individual to win a Tremendous Bowl as a participant and head coach and the primary to do each with the identical group.
The 23-year-old Maye was attempting to change into the youngest QB to win a Lombardi Trophy. Ben Roethlisberger nonetheless holds that mark.
