I’ve been thinking about what to write here all day. A moment in which of course I am crushed by not having the storybook ending to this unlikely year, and adding a 7th Lombardi to the collection at Gillette Stadium, but this loss was so bad. The Patriots looked so out of place, I don’t feel the same agony of defeat like I normally do. Plain and simple the Patriots were out classed by a meaner, tougher, better team on Sunday night. They were defeated in every area of the game from start to finish.

Offense:

This was a dreadful performance from the entire group, no sugarcoating it. The offensive line couldn’t stop a nose bleed, especially the rookie tandem on the blindside who simply were bullied around by the Seahawks defensive front all game. The veteran right side wasn’t much better as Owenu and Moses didn’t bring their best either. Drake Maye will have some tape to look back on for off-season improvements as he did not show the same confidence and composure in and around the pocket as he had all year. Uncommitted throws, miss reading pressures, holding onto the ball, just everything we thought he grew out of in a big sophomore season reared its ugly head. The receivers couldn’t seem to find openings in the zone, and when they did, Maye missed the throws. The running game was relatively ineffective, though in hindsight something they might’ve tried to be more creative with, and rely on more especially in the first half. They came out in the second half and just killed any potential momentum going 3 and out on the opening drive, and honestly they looked dejected and lost pretty immediately. Finally, they gained enough success down the field for Maye to hit Mack Hollins for a TD to provide an ounce of hope, only to be quickly removed with arguably the worst interception of the season by Maye. Lots to learn from, Maye can and will look back at this as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow. He was excellent during the regular season, but against stronger opponents in the playoffs, he struggled. If this year is any indication, he will improve, but this was a hard reality check. As for Will Campbell, the rookie OT simply looks to have lost a lot of confidence over the course of the playoffs. He got a steady dose of pretty elite pass rushers and they gave him fits time and time again. This was very poor performance, one that leaves many questioning his ability to be a long term OT at the NFL level, but I’m not so quickly out on him. He was a 4th overall pick, and dominant college player for a reason. He has a great rapport with Maye and Vrabel who will push him to improve. Additionally, it’s likely he wasn’t 100% after having suffered an MCL injury earlier in the back half of the year. Great tackles are hard to come by, and while he was way out of his depth last night, I believe he’ll learn and use the off season to push for big strides in year 2.

Defense:

The person I feel the worst for is Christian Gonzalez, as his incredible performance in the Pats secondary will go overlooked in this lopsided game. Gonzo had arguably his best game as a Patriot making some incredible defensive pass break ups (especially the one down field on Shaheed), and locking up the OPOY for the most part. If the Pats offense had any inkling of success offensively to come back in the second half, Gonzo would’ve been an easy favorite to win the MVP. As for the rest of the defense, truth is they just couldn’t hold any longer. They were doing pretty well, but considering the offense couldn’t sustain any time on the field the defense just wore down with fatigue that was evident in stopping the run as Kenneth Walker III ran all over them as the game carried on. The defense was on an incredible run this plays, and this game shouldn’t over shadow the work they did this postseason, but still not the debilitating defensive like that of the Seahawks.

Coaching:

I love Mike Vrabel, he was a well deserving Coach of the Year. I love Josh McDaniels, he was a well deserving Assistant Coach of the Year. Was this their best game coaching, no, no it wasn’t. The Patriots just looked overwhelmed from the start, and with 2 weeks to prepare the offense didn’t seem to have any clue what the defense was doing at any given time. It was a hard task prepping this young, inexperienced team for a Superbowl, but I think even they would be the first to admit, they could’ve done better.

Halftime Show:

I think the tweet by former NFL superstar J.J. Watt summed it up best:

“Did I understand a single word of it. I did not. Was it a vibe? It was.”

Looking ahead:

It’s hard to be optimistic after such a poor showing in the biggest game, but it cannot be lost what the Patriots accomplished this season and what they are capable of achieving with this young core in the future. Vrabel clearly has the pulse and respect of the room, and will continue to get the very best out of his players. I think they have transformed themselves into a legit destination for free agents which is important in filling holes and developing the roster further. I don’t believe this run was a fluke by any means, and fully expect them to contend in the near future.