Who stood out and struggled in Tremendous Bowl
New England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez and Craig Woodson had robust showings within the Tremendous Bowl. Will Campbell and the Patriots’ offensive line? Not a lot.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — An outdated problem flared up as soon as once more within the largest sport of the yr. New England’s offensive line received manhandled by the Seattle protection in Tremendous Bowl LX, resulting in a 29-13 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
The Patriots had been unable to successfully set up the bottom sport, with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson getting swallowed up shortly within the backfield with out a lot room to run.
Drake Maye was hit early and infrequently and appeared rattled from the leap. The Patriots’ receivers, who had been dependable all through the common season, didn’t get sufficient separation to maneuver the needle.
Kenneth Walker III gashed the Patriots’ run protection for giant positive aspects, offsetting a shaky efficiency from Sam Darnold. Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Craig Woodson delivered large stops within the first half, however it wasn’t sufficient to maintain the Patriots from falling right into a 9-0 halftime gap. Seattle stored chipping away with subject objectives, steadily constructing a lead from lengthy distance.
It was all an excessive amount of for Maye, Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, and the Patriots’ offensive line to beat.
Right here’s a have a look at who stood out and struggled in the course of the Tremendous Bowl LX loss.
Inventory Up
Christian Gonzalez
Gonzalez had a extremely robust exhibiting. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was held to 4 catches and 27 yards on 10 targets.
Gonzalez made play after play, reaching again to deflect a deep ball early within the sport, diving in entrance of a throw for one more move breakup on the objective line. He had three move breakups in complete.
On an evening the place the Patriots pass-rush struggled to get to the quarterback (1 sack, 6 QB hits), the secondary was a energy and Gonzalez was a giant a part of that.
Craig Woodson
Woodson capped a productive rookie yr with considered one of his higher performances. He led the crew with ten tackles, together with three for loss. He broke up a pair of passes. He virtually took Sam Darnold out on a blitz.
The rookie security hit the bottom operating this season, incomes a beginning function alongside fellow Cal product Jaylinn Hawkins. The California duo unexpectedly supplanted Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers and earned a visit again to the Bay Space for the Tremendous Bowl.
It didn’t go properly, however Woodson was a vivid spot.
Carlton Davis
Davis had a pair of huge stops early and performed a stable general sport. He had no penalties, helped preserve Cooper Kupp in verify, and was a key piece in an general robust efficiency from the Patriots’ secondary.
The protection had brief fields to work with all night time, and within the first half routinely held Seattle to field-goals. With the offense unable to achieve traction, the dam ultimately broke for the protection within the second half.
However Davis and the secondary had been robust, particularly early on.
Mack Hollins
Holllins was the one Patriots receiver with greater than 50 yards. He solely caught half of his eight targets, however they went for giant performs, averaging practically 20 yards a catch.
He halued in one of many Patriots two touchdowns on a 35-yard deep throw from Maye.
He led the Patriots in receiving yards in each the AFC title sport and the Tremendous Bowl after coming back from an stomach harm.
Milton Williams
Williams received via for the Patriots solely sack and a pair of tackles-for-loss.
Walker grew to become the primary operating again to have a good quantity of success towards this Patriots entrance seven this postseason, and it earned him Tremendous Bowl MVP honors.
The Patriots protection as an entire wore down as the sport went on, however they had been stout up entrance for a lot of the sport. Williams simply essentially the most disruptive participant on the Patriots line of defense, as he often has been this season.
Inventory Flat
Rhamondre Stevenson
It’s arduous to say that Stevenson performed badly when there was so little push from the offensive line, and the Patriots mainly gave up on the run. Clearly the outcomes weren’t nice (7 carries for 23 yards), however Stevenson discovered different methods to contribute within the pass-blocking sport and utilizing his arms for catches.
Maye flicked a brief landing move to Stevenson within the purple zone late within the fourth for the Patriots’ remaining rating.
Marcus Jones
It was a little bit of a weird sport for Jones. The Seahawks tried to select on him early on, however he ultimately settled down and contributed seven tackles.
The often aggressive punt returner watched one roll previous him with the Seahawks downing it deep in Patriots territory, pinning the New England offense again so far as it may.
General, although, the Patriots’ secondary was stable and there wasn’t an excessive amount of harm performed through the Seattle receivers. Jones received a pair of touches on punt returns and wasn’t about to do a lot with them.
Inventory Down
Drake Maye
The Patriots had been already down by two scores at this level, however the second when the sport actually appeared over got here with ten seconds to go within the third quarter when Maye coughed up a fumble for the primary turnover of the sport.
He was by no means capable of settle in and get snug. Seattle threw quite a lot of blitzes at him. They despatched cornerback Devon Witherspoon at him. They despatched linebackers. Typically, they received dwelling with out blitzing.
The Patriots offensive line was not a lot assist in any respect, however Maye additionally appeared timid. He contributed to a few of the sacks by holding onto the ball too lengthy.
He hit his stride as soon as the sport was out of attain, connecting on a pair of late landing passes and ending with 295 yards on 27-for-43 passing. However, the statline doesn’t present how arduous it was for the Patriots to maneuver the ball till it was too late.
In the end, three turnovers and the Seattle factors they led to harm the crew greater than the late touchdowns helped.
Stefon Diggs
After compiling his seventh 1,000 yard season in eight years, Diggs was just about invisible in these playoffs. He by no means had a sport with greater than 4 catches or 40 yards.
Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl was no completely different. The Patriots’ high receiving possibility discovered himself smothered from begin to end.
He totaled three catches for 37 yards. He was thrown to the bottom in a sideline scuffle with c. His catches got here late after the sport was out of attain. He caught all three of his targets, he simply wasn’t open a lot.
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte had one catch on 5 targets. Maybe the Patriots’ most dependable deep risk, Boutte made a variety of large catches all through the season together with the one-handed seize towards the Texans that despatched the Patriots to the AFC title sport.
On this sport, he struggled. The entire Patriots’ receivers did, however the hole between his efficiency and his regular manufacturing was large.
The complete offensive line (particularly Will Campbell)
The place to start with this group? One of many enduring pictures of this sport will probably be Jared Wilson getting pushed straight again into his quarterback for a sack. He additionally shoved Derrick Corridor in the direction of Maye on one other sack.
Will Campbell as soon as once more appeared overmatched at left deal with. In keeping with Subsequent Gen Stats, he yielded 14 stress allowed. Morgan Moses received beat for a strip-sack and appeared away from the play earlier than it was over, permitting Seattle to pounce on the ball.
It was a tough exhibiting all the best way round. Maye was sacked six instances. The Patriots needed to abandon the run within the second half as a result of they couldn’t get something going.
What do the Patriots have to do within the offseason?
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