NFL: Seahawks lead Patriots 9-0 at halftime in Super Bowl

SANTA CLARA, California – The Seattle Seahawks held a 9-0 lead over the New England Patriots at halftime of Super Bowl LX on Sunday in a tightly contested defensive showdown.

Neither quarterback could find much rhythm, as the teams combined for eight punts on 11 possessions, with defenses and special teams dominating the first half.

Patriots’ second-year quarterback Drake Maye was sacked three times for a loss of 30 yards, and New England punted on all five of their first-half drives. Seattle, meanwhile, got all their points from kicker Jason Myers.

Seattle opened the game with an eight-play drive, capped by a 33-yard Myers field goal for the first points. The Seahawks came close to scoring again in the first quarter when Sam Darnold escaped a sack and nearly connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for what would have been an 86-yard touchdown, but the ball was out of reach.

In the second quarter, Seattle extended their lead with a 39-yard field goal from Myers after Kenneth Walker III’s 29-yard run brought them to the Patriots’ 17-yard line. Myers added another 41-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half to make it 9-0.

Both teams entered the season with 60-1 or worse odds to win the Super Bowl, making their appearance one of the season’s biggest surprises.

The Seahawks, favored by 4½ points, are aiming to avenge their Super Bowl loss to New England 11 years ago, when Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception denied them a repeat championship.

For the Patriots, the game offers a chance to capture an NFL-record seventh Super Bowl title and their first since February 2019.

-Reporting by Frank Pingue; Additional reporting by Angelica Medina and Max A. Cherney; Editing by Toby Davis and Peter Rutherford/Reuters