Patriots Country

Patriots Make NFL Infamy in Crushing Super Bowl LX Defeat

The day after the conclusion of Super Bowl LX has brought about more infamous history records for the New England Patriots.
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Unfortunately for the New England Patriots, Super Bowl LX marked a crushing 16-point defeat to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Patriots traveled over 3,000 miles and to the opposite side of the country to watch the Seahawks hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Failures from the New England offensive line resulted in stumbles from quarterback Drake Maye — which were simply too much to overcome despite generating some offense throughout the fourth quarter. In fact, on Feb. 8 the Patriots became the first team to go scoreless through the first three quarters of a Super Bowl since the Minnesota Vikings in 1973. 

The 29-13 loss hit New England hard, but it also hit Maye harder.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) exits the field after the loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

"Tonight, I'd like to have [it] back," Maye said bluntly to the media postgame. "I'd like to go back to the beginning and redo it. There are so many plays that can decide and change the game ... There are numerous plays in the first half where I feel like I could have made a better throw or made a better decision. It really just comes down to who makes the plays and who doesn't. And they [the Seahawks] made plays tonight."

16-Point Loss to Seahawks Marks Historic Super Bowl Loss for Patriots

However, going scoreless throughout the first three quarters of a Super Bowl was not the only negative landmark the Patriots set against Seattle.

With the Pats now having earned their sixth Super Bowl loss of all time, Adam Schefter is currently reporting that their number of losses is now more than any other NFL franchise. In addition, with Maye being sacked a total of 21 times in the playoffs this year — that marks the most for any QB in a single postseason in league history.

Despite the negative storylines, though, there is a silver lining for the Patriots.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel was still able to come in and completely turn things around for the New England franchise. He led the Patriots to an incredible 14-3 record after they were 4-13 just the season prior, he still managed to get on the Super Bowl LX sideline in the midst of only having coached Maye for a single season.

"He was the heartbeat. No doubt about that. He was a big reason why we're here," Maye said of Vrabel postgame with emotion. "He was always the same and I'm looking forward to my relationship with him for a long time. He's a great person and a hell of a football coach."

For Vrabel, it is known that as a former member of the New England Patriots himself, he understands the mindset the players on his roster have. For him — next season will likely be about using these negative milestones as more fuel for the future.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!


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Jennifer Streeter
JENNIFER STREETER

Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.

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