New quarterback, lower stakes, same old Patriots-Seahawks drama.
Trailing 35-30 with three seconds left at Seattle’s 1-yard line, Cam Newton was upended in the backfield on a game-winning stop by Seahawks defensive lineman L.J. Collier and safety Lano Hill in another series classic Sunday night.
Newton had taken over at the Pats’ 19-yard line with less than two minutes left, then hit N’Keal Harry twice, scrambled and picked up free yards via penalty before finding Julian Edelman at Seattle’s 13-yard line. His next pass sailed just high for Edelman down the right seam, leaving nine seconds on the clock. After a Seahawks timeout, Newton returned to Harry, who was brought down at the 1-yard line, where the Patriots called their final timeout.
The Pats deployed seven offensive linemen, two tight ends and a fullback around Newton. But it wasn’t enough.
Ballgame over. Seattle win.
Newton finished 30-of-44 for 397 yards, a touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 47 yards and two scores. His efforts drove a near comeback that started with a 10-point deficit at less than five minutes remaining.
Before Newton’s heroics, Seahawks Russell Wilson was the story. The only story.
Days after smoke cleared from the Seattle skyline, Wilson lit the Patriots defense ablaze and watched it burn, completing 21 of 28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns. A year after opposing wide receivers scored four touchdowns against the Pats’ secondary all season, four different wideouts hit paydirt Sunday.
None of Wilson’s passes even hit the ground until seconds remained before the 2-minute warning of the first half. Until then, his only incompletion was a Devin McCourty pick-six on the game’s third play from scrimmage. Sitting in short zone, McCourty snatched a tipped pass and won an uncompetitive 43-yard foot race to the end zone.
Down 7-0, Wilson responded by directing a 13-play drive built on steady runs and short passes. His final throw was a pinpoint 4-yard touchdown strike to Tyler Lockett. Lockett beat Jason McCourty in a rare snap of man-to-man defense for the Patriots, who had leaned on their zone calls most of the drive.
But no coverage proved to be anything close to an antidote for Wilson. The only cure was to keep up.
So initially Newton did, commanding his own lengthy drive of his own that covered 72 yards and included a key fourth-down conversion to N’Keal Harry. Three plays later, Newton crossed the goal line running behind a legion of offensive lineman and led 14-7.
After an ensuing trade of punts, Wilson struck again, this time connecting on a cloud-tickling deep ball over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Stephon Gilmore didn’t stand a chance once D.K. Metcalf secured possession downfield, brushed off his 6-foot-4 frame like a fly that could only watch as Metcalf coasted in for a 54-yard touchdown.
The 14-all tie held through halftime, broken finally by a Patriots field goal early in the third quarter.
But the lead hardly lasted. McCourty was victimized again, allowing a 38-yard Wilson bomb to David Moore, who backed into the end zone after flying down the left sideline stride for stride with his defender. Moore knocked the pylon over his right foot while making the catch, then tucked it inbounds as he landed, with McCourty in his lap.
The touchdown pushed Seattle ahead 21-17, a lead they would never relinquish. An ensuing Newton pick set up Wilson’s fourth touchdown, a short crosser taken 21 yards by Freddie Swain.
Crossing into the fourth quarter, Newton finally found some passing rhythm in a drive that ate only 2:46 off the clock and resulted in a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jakob Johnson. Newton’s 2-point conversion then failed, yielding a 28-23 score. One more Wilson touchdown pass followed, dropping into the lap of running back Chris Carson, the score that ultimately kept the Pats at bay after Newton’s final score and failed last-ditch try.
The Patriots played with heavy hearts, learning hours before kickoff that the father of running back James White passed away in a car crash Sunday. White, an offensive captain, was ruled inactive. His mother, Lisa, was hospitalized after the crash and reportedly remains in critical condition.
According to NBC’s Michelle Tafoya, owner Robert Kraft offered to fly White directly to his native South Florida, but he declined, opting to fly home with the team.
Here were the best and worst performances from Sunday:
Best
QB Cam Newton
Newton looked unstoppable for stretches. One of the best statistical games of his career.
RB Rex Burkhead
Burkhead soaked up all the offensive snaps White was forced to leave behind on short notice. He made four catches and took six carries.
WR Julian Edelman
He was a deep threat, weapon in short areas and the receiver Newton needed all night. Edelman finished with a career-best 179 receiving yards.
Worst
CB Jason McCourty
No matter how tight his coverage was, two allowed touchdowns goes down as a down game for the veteran.
CB Stephon Gilmore
Gilmore allowed Metcalf four catches on six targets for 92 yards and a score. He was far from his best Sunday.
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Cam Newton, Patriots fall a yard short in 35-30 loss at Seattle - Boston Herald
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