SANTA CLARA, CA – Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte sat quietly by each other in a somber New England Patriots postgame locker room.
The Seahawks’ ‘Dark Side’ defense had just turned the lights out on the Patriots in a 29-13 Super Bowl 60 victory.
“We struggled. Some plays we probably want back. We didn’t play our best. We lost. Got to take it on the chin,” Diggs said. “They played a better game. That was a good (expletive) team we played.”
Super Bowl 60’s final score wasn’t even indicative of what transpired on the field. The Patriots were held scoreless through the first three quarters. New England’s offense was neutralized until it scored 13 points and gained 253 yards in what essentially was a futile fourth quarter with the game already decided. The Patriots offense never got within Seattle’s 40-yard line prior to the final quarter.
“They have a hell of a defense. One of the top defenses in the league,” Diggs said. “They are fast in the back end, they have fast backers and they got a good interior.”
The irony of Seattle’s Super Bowl 60 win is that Drake Maye was the one seeing ghosts.
Sam Darnold, notoriously known for his ‘seeing ghosts’ comment, was the quarterback who managed the game, took what the defense gave him and avoided costly turnovers.
Maye was the quarterback that had multiple errant throws, an ill-advised interception to Seahawks safety Julian Love and a pick-six to linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
“I’d like to go back to the beginning and redo it,” Maye said. “There are so many plays that can decide and change the game. I had an (interception) returned for a touchdown. There were plays in the first half where I feel like I could’ve made a better throw or make a better decision. It really just comes down to who makes the plays and who doesn’t. They made plays tonight.”
Maye completed 27-of-43 passes for 295 yards (235 yards coming in the fourth quarter) to go with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Maye was sacked six times and fumbled once. According to Next Gen Stats, the Seahawks generated a 52.8% pressure rate, the highest in a Super Bowl since at least 2018.
“It definitely hurts,” Maye said. “It’s been a long ride. They played better than us (Sunday). They deserved to win that game.”
What might hurt New England even more is the fact its defense played well enough to win … until things went off the rails in the fourth quarter. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was the sole provider of consistent offense and kicker Jason Myers’ four field goals were the only points given up through three quarters. But when Darnold tossed a 16-yard touchdown to tight end AJ Barner to put the Patriots in a 19-0 hole, the deficit was insurmountable.
“It’s tough,” Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game. We didn’t make enough plays when we needed to.”
The Super Bowl loss won’t quiet critics who were up in arms about the Patriots’ strength of schedule this season. New England had the NFL’s easiest schedule (in terms of opponent combined win percentage). Then the Pats defeated a Los Angeles Chargers team with a patchwork offensive line, a turnover-happy C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans without Nico Collins, and a Bo Nix-less Denver Broncos club in a blizzard en route to Super Bowl 60.
There’s no guarantee that they’ll make it back to the NFL’s ultimate game. The AFC figures to be better in 2026 and the conference’s postseason featured no Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. But the Patriots spent over $200 million in guaranteed money on free agents in 2025. Most of their impact players will return next season and they have invaluable Super Bowl experience to go along with the agony of defeat.
“It’s definitely gonna sting. It’s gonna sting all the way up to the start of next year. But I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of this team,” Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “All year nobody believed in us. … To make it to where we were, is a testament to our work. We came up short. Every year a team loses the Super Bowl.”
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.