After three years of watching the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl three-peat appearance, NFL fans were ready for new contenders, this reporter, for one.

Instead, we got a Super Bowl XLIX rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks instead.

Super Bowl LX kicked off with a pre-game performance from Green Day, featuring hit songs — Good Riddance, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and American Idiot.

Despite Green Day’s reputation for changing American Idiots’ lyrics, they held off this time, not even performing the original verse. Which was disappointing, but likely expected.

The Patriots won the coin toss and deferred, giving the Seahawks the ball first in Super Bowl LX. However, this was the last thing the Patriots were going to win this season.

This game was a defensive battle from start to finish, with special teams also playing an important role.

The Seahawks’ defense, dubbed “The Dark Side,” dominated on defense with seven sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one pick-six throughout the entire series.

They did not allow a single score through three quarters.

Although not as intimidating, the Patriots’ defense did well in the first half—holding the Seahawks to four field goals and no touchdowns in the first half.

When things started looking promising for New England, they shot themselves in the foot with avoidable penalties, such as a false start and defensive pass interference.

The ads this year were disappointing at best.

With most of them promoting AI platforms such as OpenAI, Genspark AI, and Meta.

While other commercials were about sports betting or weight-loss meds, or featured bad deepfakes of beloved celebrities.

This year’s ads will not have a spot in my mind for more than a few hours at best.

When the first half ended, America was given the choice to switch channels to Turning Point USA’s halftime show with headliner Kid Rock (clear throat) and Carrie Underwood, or stay tuned in for Apple Music’s Halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.

I was happy to tune in for Bad Bunny’s performance.

Bad Bunny gave America a love letter to diversity, with caring messages like “Together We Are America” and “The Only Thing More Powerful than Hate is Love” on a billboard replica showcased on the Jumbotron.

He left his fans even more devoted to his music by expressing his love for Puerto Ricans and the Latino community overall.

“His performance was to symbolize culture not only Puerto Rico but all Latin culture that is heavily suppressed here in the United States and a statement to pretty much say ‘we’re here’,” Enrique Correa Ortiz, a Puerto Rican and frequent Bad Bunny listener, told Northeast Valley News.

Following the halftime show, the Patriots’ offense continued to struggle.

Their offensive line gave up their seventh sack—which led to a fumble recovery that gave the Seahawks an early fourth-quarter opportunity to score their first touchdown of the game.

In the Patriots’ next possession, their quarterback, Drake Maye, found wide receiver Mack Hollins for their first score of the game. Making the score 19-7.

With a spark of hope in the Patriots, their defense attempted to hold down the fort for an impossible comeback.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and the rest of their offense drove down the field but stalled, giving their kicker, Jason Myers, yet another field goal.

This was his fifth field goal of the game, which is now the record for most field goals scored in a Super Bowl.

Myers also passed Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson for most points scored in the postseason. Tomlinson’s prior record was 198 points—Myers reached 206 points.

The final touchdown of the game went to Patriots’ running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

In an attempt to make it a one-score game, their offense stayed on the field to try for a two-point conversion that was for naught. Which inevitably killed any hopes for a similar outcome like Tom Brady’s impressive 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

As the clock hit zero, the confetti rained down green and blue as the Seahawks secured their second Super Bowl win in team history.

Final score: 29-13.

Super Bowl LX’s most valuable player was running back Kenneth Walker III, who finished the game with 27 carries for 135 yards. A well-deserved award for Walker after having an amazing game on the ground.

He is the first running back to receive MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998.

The Patriots did not walk away with their seventh Lombardi trophy, but they did go home with their sixth Super Bowl loss—a new record.