Grading the New England Patriots' Super Bowl LX performance

Maye's supporting cast, though, did him few favors. The Patriots allowed six sacks for a loss of 43 yards and ran for just 79 yards on 18 carries. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs — who finished with three receptions for 37 yards — was a non-factor. 

Grade: D-

Patriots defense 

Sure, the Patriots surrendered a 16-yard TD pass from QB Sam Darnold to tight end AJ Barner late in the fourth quarter. But the unit kept New England in the game for the most part. And the team could've lost by more had cornerback Christian Gonzalez not deflected a would-be TD pass intended for WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba near the end of the second quarter when New England was trailing 6-0. 

More importantly, it wasn't a dominant offensive performance from Seattle. The Seahawks averaged a below-average 4.7 yards per play (335 yards on 71 plays). It's safe to say the defense was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing Super Bowl for New England. 

Grade: B-

Patriots special teams

Special teams rarely stand out, unless they recover an onside kick like the New Orleans Saints did in the second half of a 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots didn't do that on Sunday.

The unit made a key mistake early in the fourth quarter as well. The return team let a Michael Dickson punt land at New England's four-yard line instead of attempting to return it. Maye subsequently threw an interception to safety Julian Love at Seattle's 27-yard line. A better field position would've certainly helped the offense. 

Grade: C

Patriots coaching

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel won the 2025 Coach of the Year Award and deserved it. He helped a team that went 4-13 in the regular season in 2024 go 14-3 this season and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2018 season. Sunday's performance shouldn't detract from that. 

That said, his team didn't perform up to expectations on Sunday. Perhaps this will serve as another lesson for Vrabel, and he'll use it to prepare his team better if it makes the Super Bowl again. 

Grade: C