There weren’t many offensive fireworks through the first 30 minutes of play in Super Bowl LX, but the Seahawks produced enough of them to go into halftime with a 9-0 lead over the Patriots.
After forcing a punt with 2:50 left in the half, the Seahawks picked up a first down before the two-minute warning and then another over their next three plays. They used their second timeout with 32 seconds to play and the ball on the Patriots’ 30-yard line, and their third came seven seconds later after a Cooper Kupp catch added seven yards.
Sam Darnold went back to Kupp on the next play and officials ruled that Kupp did not catch another short pass. Replays made it look like he may have corralled the ball before it hit the ground, but officials let the play stand with 20 seconds to play in the second quarter. The Seahawks took a shot for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone on third down and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez broke it up. Jason Myers came in for his third field goal of the half and the Seahawks lead 9-0 at halftime as a result.
Darnold ended the half 9-of-22 for 88 yards and the Seahawks’ only offensive spark came from running back Kenneth Walker. He ran 14 times for 94 yards and added a six-yard catch.
The Patriots have not been able to match the Seahawks’ mediocre offensive showing. They picked up 52 yards and quarterback Drake Maye has been sacked three times so far on Sunday. He is 6-of-11 for 48 yards when he has had enough time to let the ball fly.
It’s the 10th time in a row that the Patriots have failed to score a touchdown in the first quarter of a Super Bowl. The good news for New England fans is that the Pats won six of the last nine times that happened, but their offense is going to need to come up with something much different if they’re going to crack Seattle’s defense at any point in this one.
