SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A defensive slugfest is brewing, with the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks leading the AFC champion New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX.

That’s not a great sign for the Patriots, as teams are 0-14 in Super Bowl history after scoring zero points in the first half, according to CBS Sports Research. In NFL history, no team has ever won a championship game when shut out and trailing at halftime, per CBS Sports Research.

Seattle’s No. 1 scoring defense is flexing its muscles with three sacks of New England quarterback Drake Maye — by cornerback Devon Witherspoon on a blitz, edge rusher Derick Hall and rookie edge rusher Rylie Mills. Maye has now been sacked 18 times this postseason, one short of the record of 19 held by Joe Burrow in 2021, when his Bengals lost Super Bowl LVI 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Maye completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards in the first half. Across their first five drives, all punts, the Patriots ran 24 plays and gained just 52 yards, a woeful 2.2 yards-per-play average. The NFL-worst Cleveland Browns averaged 4.3 yards per play this season, meaning New England was nearly half as efficient in the first half of Super Bowl LX.

Super Bowl LX is also the first Super Bowl without a touchdown in the first half since Super Bowl LIII, when the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 to conclude the 2018 NFL season. The offensive bright spot for Seattle has been running back Kenneth Walker III, who has 94 rushing yards on 14 carries through two quarters — the second-most rushing yards in an opening half in Super Bowl history. Only Washington running back Timmy Smith had more, with 131 yards in a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII to conclude the 1987 season.

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold completed 9 of 22 passes for 88 yards at the half. New England has taken 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of the game, as he has just one catch for four yards on seven targets.

Darnold got away with a near-interception on his final throw of the half to Smith-Njigba, as Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez dropped the turnover-worthy pass. Darnold also missed what would have been an 86-yard touchdown to Smith-Njigba on an overthrow on a third-and-6 blitz from inside his own 20-yard line.

Will the Patriots be able to get on the scoreboard to start the third quarter following Bad Bunny’s halftime show? Or will the Seahawks put this game away early on the West Coast at Levi’s Stadium? Stay tuned to our live blog below to find out.

We’re also providing live coverage of Bad Bunny’s halftime show, the best commercials and celebrity moments in our Super Bowl entertainment live blog.

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