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10 takeaways from Patriots' 29-13 loss to Seahawks in Super Bowl LX

· Yahoo Sports

SANTA CLARA, California  — The New England Patriots' season came to an end on Sunday night, but not in the way they hoped it would.

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The Patriots fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX. And it certainly wasn't New England's best game of the season, as a lot of glaring issues showed up offensively against the league's best defense.

So, let's get into some takeaways from the loss:

1. Drake Maye's turnover issues become major factor

It certainly wasn't Drake Maye's best night, as the quarterback struggled to settle into the big game. And with that, he also had numerous costly turnovers that allowed the Seahawks to run away with it despite the efforts by the Patriots' defense to keep them in the game for so long.

Maye and the Patriots were shut out for three quarters, unable to get any points on the board. He was able to help put up 13 points by the end of the game, but it wasn't enough. The second-year quarterback finished 27-of-47 for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but also recorded two interceptions and one fumble.

2. Defense bends but doesn't break

While the Patriots' offense wasn't able to get anything going, the defense was the reason they remained in the game for so long. Throughout the first three quarters, they allowed Seattle to reach their half of the field, but impressive red zone defense forced them to settle for field goals rather than touchdowns. So, at the end of the third quarter, the Seahawks only held a 12-0 lead over the Patriots, making it just a two-score lead.

3. Left side of the offensive line has lots of struggles

Coming into this game, Maye had been sacked 15 times during the postseason, and Sunday was much of the same as the offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback. Specifically, the Seahawks targeted the left side of the line, which was composed of two rookies. Seattle ultimately sacked Maye six times.

4. Craig Woodson proves the future is bright

Craig Woodson has truly emerged as a key player for the Patriots in this postseason run, having another impressive game despite the final result. He finished with seven total tackles, including three tackles for loss as well as two passes defended.

5. Christian Gonzalez makes multiple big time plays

Christian Gonzalez had arguably his best game of the season, which came at a good time for the cornerback as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is eligible for a new contract. He finished with four tackles and three passes defended.

One of the cornerback's highlight plays came when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold sent a deep pass to Rashid Shaheed. Gonzalez lunged, jumping up high for the pass breakup at the last second.

He also served as the team's game day captain.

6. Patriots didn't have much of an answer for Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker was everywhere on Sunday. While the Patriots' defense was decent at stopping the run at times, Walker proved too much to handle. And he received an even bigger workload with  Zach Charbonnet done for the year.

Walker finished the game with 135 rushing yards on 27 rushes, as well as two receptions for 26 yards. And with that, he was named Super Bowl MVP

7. Patriots make interesting switch involving TreVeyon Henderson

For much of the game, the New England Patriots had running back D'Ernest Johnson back for the kickoffs; however, he wasn't posing much of a threat to the Seahawks as they were able to stop him early each time. So, to try and change things up, the Patriots took out Johnson and had rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson deep instead.

8. Jaxon Smith-Njigba wasn't much of a factor

One highlight of the game for the Patriots was their ability to neutralize NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The wide receiver has proven over and over again this season that he can change the outcome of the game, but New England kept his contributions to a minimum. He was also sidelined for a bit in concussion protocol, but eventually reentered the game.

Smith-Njigba finished with four receptions on 10 targets for 27 yards.

9. Malcolm Butler serves as Keeper of the Light

The Patriots trolled the Seahawks a bit before the game, continuing to have a keeper of the light ring the bell. It is often a former player, so New England had Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler, who was responsible for the goal-line interception that solidified the win for New England against the Seahawks during the 2014 season.

10. What's next for these key players?

Now that the season is over, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, safety Jaylinn Hawkins, and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte are all free agents. Each contributed a great deal this season, so it will be interesting to see what the Patriots do.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 10 takeaways from Patriots' 29-13 loss to Seahawks in Super Bowl LX

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