Seattle's Uchenna Nwosu celebrates his pick six in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on Sunday night. (AP photo)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The New England Patriots found out in Super Bowl LX exactly why the Seatte Seahawks defense labeled itself The Dark Side.

That’s because the Patriots stepped into it and never saw the light of day in terms of an offense in a 29-13 loss at Levi Stadium.

It’s the Seahawks’ second Super Bowl victory, and the Patriots sixth Super Bowl loss in their 12 appearances.

Seattle was able to take advantage of five Jason Myers field goals, a defensive score and one Sam Darnold TD pass.

Drake Maye had two TD passes for New England in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. He went 27 for 43 for 295 yards, two TDs, two interceptions and was sacked a whopping six times for 43 yards.

The Patriots had no answer on how to combat what was for the first three quarters a defensive performance for the ages.

“Every year somebody’s going to lose this game,” Vrabel said, later adding “We had a really, really good year and one that I’m proud of. But in this game, I don’t think it’s a reflection of our year. We lost and we were beat – outcoached and out played. Give (the Seahawks) credit.

Seattle’s defense was so dominant that the Patriots were just the fifth Super Bowl team to be shut out through three quarters.

It was so dominant that New England was just the fifth Super Bowl team to be shut out through three quarters.

“I said ‘I’ll be damned if we get to one game left in the year and our defense doesn’t show up like it’s supposed to,” Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “It’s a bunch of bad boys, and for me to be the leader of that group, I’m blessed.”

“With our defense playing the way it’s playing, my job is to take care of the football,” Darnold said.

The parade of field goals began when the Seahawks took the opening kickoff and marched 51 yards in eight plays, settling for Jason Myers’ 33-yard field goal. Myers, thanks to a couple of long Kenneth Walker III runs, hit on a 39-yard field goal and the Seahawks increased the lead to 6-0 with 11:16 left in the first half. Walker finished with 135 yards on 27 carries.

Seattle made it 9-0 just before the half on a 41-yard field goal, and then, after a Patriots three-and-out, Seattle drove 69 yards in 10 plays, and Myers was automatic, another 41-yard field goal to make it a 12-0 lead. While the Patriots defense was bending but not breaking, the Seahawks defense was bending the Patriots in two.

The dam finally appeared to break when Maye fumbled and Byron Murphy recovered in New England territory at the 37 near the end of the third quarter for the game’s first turnover. After three periods, the Seahawks had outgained the Patriots 271-78. Incredible.

And then the dagger: A Sam Darnold 16 yard wide open touchdown pass to A.J. Barner to help make it a 19-0 lead with 13:24 remaining. For the Patriots, the 19 points had to feel like 50. Darnold finished the game 19 for 38 for 202 yards and a touchdown.

“Our coaches stay up late working on play designs,” Darnold said. “(Barner) kind of got lost in the shuffle and was wide open and made a great catch.”

The Patriots, through the first 47 minutes, had not gotten inside the Seattle 43 yard line.

Suddenly Maye came to life, hitting two passes to Mack Hollins, the latter a 35-yard TD pass that cut the Seattle lead to 19-7 with 12:27 left.

Was it too little, too late?

Yes, as Maye tossed an interception down the middle to Seahawk defensive back Julian Love on a pass intended for Patriots receiver Kyle Williams. Williams returned it to the New England 30 and six plays later the Seahawks nearly sealed the deal on another Myers field goal (26 yards) and a 22-7 lead.

But the final nail in the coffin came when Uchena Nwosu intercepted a heavily rushed Maye and returned it 45 yards for a scoop and score and a 29-7 lead with 4:27 to play. Game, set, match.

“There’s so many plays that can decide and change the game,” Maye said. “I think, what was it, 19-7, 22-7, that fumble returned for a touchdown. There was plays in the first half where I could have made a better throw or made a better decision. It comes down to who makes the plays and who doesn’t. And they made the plays tonight.”

The Seahawks then backed off and allowed an 8 play, 65-yard Patriots scoring drive culminating an 7-yard scoring pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. A two-point converion pass was broken up.

The disparity could have been worse but a 49-yard TD run by Walker just before the two-minute warning was called back for holding.

That’s the only break the Patriots got all night.

“To do it with this team, I woudn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”

Vrabel says this can be a lesson learned.

“We have to remember what it feels like,” he said, “and make sure it’s not repeatable.”

“It’s going to sting,” Patriot cornerback Christian Gonalez said. “It’s definitely going to sting.”