The writing was already on the wall. The Seattle Seahawks just had to make it official. Mike Macdonald’s squad walked into Levi’s Stadium as favorites against the New England Patriots. Backed by a defense many now refer to as the “Dark Side,” and powered by Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Seattle finished the job and crowned itself a two-time Super Bowl champion. For the Patriots, though, as the dust settled and the sting of defeat set in, Mike Vrabel didn’t shy away from calling out his team’s shortcomings.

“Nobody played good enough for us to win,” the Patriots’ head coach said while noting it down that the team is “disappointed, not discouraged,” by the Super Bowl loss on Sunday.

On paper, the stage was set for two of the league’s best teams to collide. In reality, Seattle’s defense completely smothered Drake Maye and company. Right from the start, the Seahawks dictated terms, holding New England to a 3-0 scoreline after the first quarter. And before the crowd settled in for the halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, kicker Jason Myers drilled two more field goals in the second quarter, sending Seattle into halftime with a 9-0 lead.

The third quarter didn’t change much. If anything, things got worse for New England. The Patriots managed just one first down in the entire quarter (it’s first since the opening frame), and after three quarters, Seattle still held a 12-0 cushion. That stretch summed it up: Maye was under constant pressure, scrambling for survival all night. The box score only reinforced that reality.

The second-year quarterback and MVP runner-up wrapped up his 2025 campaign with a taxing final outing. Maye finished 27-of-43 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. But Seattle’s defense made sure every yard came at a cost, sacking him six times and forcing three turnovers. Linebacker Derick Hall forced the first turnover in the third quarter, before Uchenna Nwosu and Julian Love each added interceptions in the fourth.

On the other side, Walker did the rest of the damage. With Sam Darnold efficiently steering the offense (19-of-38 for 202 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and just one sack), Walker punished New England on the ground, rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries and setting the tone all night.

The Patriots didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter, when Maye connected with Mack Hollins for a 35-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 19-7. By then, it was too little, too late. That score was followed by Nwosu and Love’s fourth-quarter interceptions, and when it was all said and done, the scoreboard told the full story: 29-13. Seahawks.

So when Vrabel said his team didn’t do enough to win, it wasn’t coach-speak. It was reality. New England failed to make a difference on either side of the ball. They’re unable to protect Maye offensively and unable to generate pressure or contain Walker defensively. And after a painful loss for a franchise that waited years to return to the Super Bowl post-Tom Brady era, Vrabel still made sure to leave his players with a message meant for what comes next.

Mike Vrabel is disappointed and upset together

When Mike Vrabel returned to Foxborough, this time as an HC, he didn’t waste much time shaking things up. He oversaw a full roster reset and coaching overhaul, and the reasoning was straightforward. Vrabel was building a Super Bowl–caliber team from the ground up.

And to his credit, he did exactly that, putting together one of the league’s most complete rosters. Still, that group ultimately fell short on the game’s biggest stage. And afterward, Vrabel was candid about the message he delivered to his players.

“I’m proud of everything that they did,” he said. “I’m disappointed just like they are. Reminded them that we’re 307 days into what hopefully is a long, successful relationship and program, and it’s okay to be disappointed. We have to be disappointed and upset together. And I always tell them I’m appreciative of them. I’m thankful, I’m grateful that I get to coach them.”

With this group, Vrabel stood on the verge of Super Bowl history. Had the Patriots pulled it off, he would have become the first head coach to hoist the Lombardi Trophy both as a player and as a head coach with the same franchise. That milestone will have to wait. New England came up short this time with a frustrating performance. But Vrabel and his team head into next season carrying both renewed optimism and the sting of this loss. Now, the focus shifts to what the offseason holds next.