Super Bowl 2026: Patriots have another slow start in trend dating back to dynasty in first quarter vs. Seahawks

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The New England Patriots have once again gotten out to a slow start in the Super Bowl.

The Seattle Seahawks held the Patriots scoreless in the opening quarter of Super Bowl LX on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. That, remarkably, is very on brand for the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots have managed just three combined points in their last 10 Super Bowl appearances. The lone field goal over that stretch came in Super Bowl LII, when Stephen Gostkowski hit a 26-yard field goal late in the first quarter of that contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles ended up winning that game 41-13 back in 2018.

Other than that, they’ve been completely shut out.

But incredibly, the Patriots haven’t been blown out, either. They’ve only given up a combined 27 points over those 10 quarters dating back to Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. That was the first that longtime quarterback Tom Brady won with the franchise. 

And, most importantly, the Patriots have won six of those nine Super Bowls. So their first quarter success, or lack thereof, is in no way a metric of how the game will end up.

But the Seahawks are a perfect 11-0 when scoring first so far this season, including in the playoffs. They’ve scored first in six straight games now, dating back to Week 16 of the regular season. Jason Myers got them on the board in the first quarter with a 33-yard field goal on Sunday night.

Only time will tell who hoists the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night. But the Patriots' trend, even now with the Brady dynasty well behind the franchise, is alive and well in the Super Bowl.