PostGame Thread 2025 OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: Patriots fall 29-13 to the Seahawks

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Does this Seattle win avenge SB 49 for Seahawks fans? Apparently so.

But they were a pass away from a dynasty. Whereas this team could just be a fart in the wind.

I don’t think its gonna happen, but if that loss does alter Maye’s career and our franchise’s direction after everything was pointing towards us being in the mix for the next 10-15 years, then id say they got their revenge and then some.

If this is just a mere speed bump on our way back to glory it doesnt make up for it. Sb49 had to be one of the more painful and costly losses i can imagine. Sunday’s loss will be very easy to get over imo especially if we’re back in the title scene next year which im confident we will be.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

He said:
“We had a tell on their guards and their tackles, how they like to set, they’re going to overset on certain rushes, they’re going to fall for certain moves any time a group of guys get after them, and today I think we did that,” Witherspoon said.

I'm not sure he's saying what Florio thinks he's saying. I think he's saying they studied them and knew how to get after them, not that the Patriots were showing their hand for what play was coming. But I'm not 100% sure what he was saying.

They taped our walkthrough

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Agreed entirely here! Point I'm alluding to is Seattle is the lesser evil of the defenses Drake saw in Houston and Denver.. Seattle uses blitzing to create pressure and the OL just couldn't handle it and pick it up correctly.. guys we're open all day.. plus whenever your rushing 4 and getting home you can sit back and dictate on defense.. the OL was the primary reason the offense was inept no OL, no Offense..no matter who's at QB..this game reminded me of the 2016 AFCCG in Denver.. the OL was disastrous is why we lost..

Additionally look at an OL who held up pretty well against them in the rams.. Stafford carved up Seattle's defense all game.. Nucua is the reason they lost..

I was under the impression having seen Chargers, Houston (who I feel is the best defense in the league ) Denver all those aggressive defenses would have better prepared the offense to deal with Seattle

Also This can't be said enough W. Campbell was still injured and really shouldn't have been out there no matter what he says or the team. He was a detriment to the OL all post season. Lowe should have remained in.

FIFY

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Once it was a two score game, the "conservative approach" needed to change. You knew Seattle was not going to give the game away. Go out and be ultra aggressive and lose by playing the way you played most of the seasn. 4th and 1? Go for it.

Would it have mattered? Probably not. Seattle was the better team. There is no shame in losing. The shame is how it all went down.

Might have mattered if we were doing it in the 3rd, and by "it" I don't mean praying you get enough time for long developing home runs. For the love of God, quick slants, check-downs, as others here said, take what they give you. A little success in the pass game also opens up the run, and after getting back one score, it's not crazy to keep trying that. At that point, you're one Henderson explosion away from making it happen.

But woulda coulda shoulda and 4 bucks buys you a Starbucks if you're lucky. I don't pick over the bones thinking that somehow we're better than we played. We are what the game said we were. I just like to hope that next year we're much more.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Does this Seattle win avenge SB 49 for Seahawks fans? Apparently so.

But they were a pass away from a dynasty. Whereas this team could just be a fart in the wind.

I wouldn't care if I were a Seahawks fan. If it were a year later, then yes.

The closest were the 49ers and Chiefs (2019 and 2023) and the Giants playing the Pats (2007 and 2011). Pats and Giants were closer to a rematch having more core guys still on the team.

 

[Real fan 02]

FIFY

Thank you sir!

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Thank you sir!

I leave out whole words when I think I'm on a roll here (especially thumb typing)

 

[Real fan 02]

I leave out whole words when I think I'm on a roll here (especially thumb typing)

No worries I like your post! You usually on the money! ..

 

[upstater1]

Sam Darnold was the star of the game.

I know Walker got MVP, but MVP is for stats.

Darnold did a few tiny detailed things that basically swung the game for Seattle. His level of play put pressure on the Patriots D and made them sell out, and that's the only time he hurt us. We lost contain on Walker because of Darnold and sending DBs and LBs up the middle.

What did Darnold do? I like the early strategy to be aggressive and go for INTs on short throws. We were ready for those completions. You could see our safeties there in case the DBs got burned. But Gonzo, Davis and Marcus all gambled for INTs early by undercutting the route, and each time Darnold made a throw within inches of their fingertis, or else he threw it outside and away from his WR.

Second thing Darnold did to win the game, when multiple Patriots pass rushers had him dead to rights, he shuffled away from their momentum and eluded them, threw the ball away, or made a really nice completion with a nice throw. He even ran the ball once for a 1st down, a play which broke the Patriots backs.

He did all the little things that aren't noticed, and though people might say the Seattle offense's play was unspectacular (Darnold himself thinks they didn't play well), it was the little things that put them over the top.

These are the things that fans used to miss all the time during the Brady days, and they were also things that Drake was doing during the AFC playoff run, making the key pass, buying time when he had to have it, running for a 1st down.

 

[upstater1]

Because he is. He was bad in the Vikings and Panthers. He just finally had an elite oline and offense.

I disagree 100%. He did so many things well this game even with a less than stellar offensive line and even with his top guy JSN totally locked down.

I just wrote why Darnold was the best player on the field in my post above.

 

[VrabelJr]

I wouldn't care if I were a Seahawks fan. If it were a year later, then yes.

The closest were the 49ers and Chiefs (2019 and 2023) and the Giants playing the Pats (2007 and 2011). Pats and Giants were closer to a rematch having more core guys still on the team.

The rematch narrative for an 11 year gap is insane. Seahawks fans that cite it show they are every bit as ignorant and entitled as everyone accuses them of being.

 

[VrabelJr]

I disagree 100%. He did so many things well this game even with a less than stellar offensive line and even with his top guy JSN totally locked down.

I just wrote why Darnold was the best player on the field in my post above.

It was clear Darnold was coached to not turn the ball over, even though he almost did 3 times in the first half. He made three really important throws on 3rd down where as we made none.

He was no where near the best player on the field that game though. That distinction goes to Witherspoon or Byron Murphy. This was Darnold’s Brad Johnson Super Bowl.

 

[The Gr8est]

They taped our walkthrough

You know if the tables were reversed, that is exactly what would be hearing leveled at the Pats.

 

[Real fan 02]

Because he is. He was bad in the Vikings and Panthers. He just finally had an elite oline and offense.

Agree 100%...Darnold went from J. Jefferson to JSN... Drake has none of wich and still put up MVP worthy numbers..

 

[mike_usagisan]

Well, just finished the Drake Maye review on ALL-22. Just to halftime. So far, not at all on Drake. They had 15 pass plays in first half vs 38 in second. I know it gets worse but I was shocked how little Drake was responsible in the first half. Maybe 1 throw to Hollins out of end zone but I think he thought Hollins would turn and stop since that was the leverage on the safety, but Hollins turned it in. Will dive into the 2nd half, where he gets turnover crazy, next.

Maybe on the PA bootleg while stiff arming a guy he could have tried to hit TE short instead of throwaway, maybe. That's it though, those 2 maybe plays deep min own end maybe he a little blame.

Can I ask you what you saw in the All-22 on our run game? It seems like when Rham was running, we were doing well. When we went to Henderson, especially up the gut, it seemed like nothing was there and we abandoned the run. Rham had been doing well late this season and it seemed like we abandoned that in this game.

 

[VrabelJr]

It's hard to explain but losing this Super Bowl seems to be hurting a bit more as time goes on. Casual fans I encounter seem to think this was some sort of Seahawks-Broncos or Eagles-Chiefs-Part-2 style beat down but it really was not. This feels like such a huge missed opportunity where the team beat themselves far more than the Seahawks beat them. That statement applies to the offense mostly, but defense missed some turnover opportunities and at least four missed tackles behind the LOS. A first down or two in the first half would have made a world of difference, not to mention having any points at all to increase the discomfort and risk taking of Seattle's offense. Perhaps it was a fitting end to a football season plagued by offensive ineptitude that it was capped off by two of the worst offensive showings I can remember in a Super Bowl in quite some time.

 

[VrabelJr]

After torturing myself and watching more tape I'm not sure Mike Onwenu (sorry my brain broke momentarily) is getting enough hate. I'd love to know what he thought he was supposed to be doing on the Pick 6.

 

[sb1]

Pats have now lost 6 SB's. Dunno about anyone else but this one ranks a distant last #6 among SB losses that bother me.

 

[Kargetina]

It's hard to explain but losing this Super Bowl seems to be hurting a bit more as time goes on. Casual fans I encounter seem to think this was some sort of Seahawks-Broncos or Eagles-Chiefs-Part-2 style beat down but it really was not. This feels like such a huge missed opportunity where the team beat themselves far more than the Seahawks beat them. That statement applies to the offense mostly, but defense missed some turnover opportunities and at least four missed tackles behind the LOS. A first down or two in the first half would have made a world of difference, not to mention having any points at all to increase the discomfort and risk taking of Seattle's offense. Perhaps it was a fitting end to a football season plagued by offensive ineptitude that it was capped off by two of the worst offensive showings I can remember in a Super Bowl in quite some time.

The Pats were down 19-7 with 9 minutes to go with the ball in hand, near midfield.

In SB51, the Pats were down 28-12 with 8 minutes remaining, the Falcons had the ball on 3nd and 1. Running and gaining a yard would have more or less ended that game, instead of trying a long pass where Ryan fumbled and we recovered the ball in their own half.

Prior to the fumble, the 2017 Pats were in a far more precarious situation against a team that had a vastly superior offense to this Seattle team. That Maye interception down 19-7 was so inexplicably bad because any TD, even if it took 4 more minutes would have put a tremendous amount on Seattle's offense as a three and out would suddenly mean a game winning drive opportunity for the Pats. It was only a 12 point game, we were down 11 points to the Ravens with 10 minutes to go and came back to beat them.

It goes to show how inert and labored the offense was that people thought a 12 point lead with 9 minutes remaining is an insurmountable lead. It wouldn't have been the first, the second or the hundred time that a team that is seemingly dominating on the field but had little to show for it, loses the lead quickly, and a TD at 19-7 would have meant that all of Seattle's domination was worth a 5 point lead. They are a good team, but the only difference between the two teams was that their QB didn't gift 17 points to us, and their RB vastly outplayed ours. I would not concede an inch that their defense is better than ours, the problem is that our offense was so bad for more than a month, that a 9-0 lead looked like the end of the game with 30 minutes to play.

 

[Real fan 02]

After torturing myself and watching more tape I'm not sure Mike Onwenu (sorry my brain broke momentarily) is getting enough hate. I'd love to know what he thought he was supposed to be doing on the Pick 6.

As we all know an NFL offense line is the most cohesive in all the parts of a team. They don't sub in and out they are banded together all game. Whenever a part of the line is struggling the other parts of it then have to overcome and compensate..

Seattle's plan was to attack the rookies and they did just that. Campbell and Wilson are dam good players but playing on a ligament tear when you can't be yourself as a player is hurting the team not helping it.