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Tag: Mike Macdonald

  • Seattle Seahawks lead New England Patriots at half time in Super Bowl LX

    It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX. Bad Bunny Half Time ShowBad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.“Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium. Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the groundThe Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.New England has just 51 yards of offense in first halfNew England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.‘Backstreet’s back’ tonightTwo different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”“By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”Vrabel: Pats need to protect MayeDrake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.“From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”Score alert: Seattle boots another field goalJason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.Seahawks 9, Patriots 0The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much timeIf the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle movingWhile the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.Injury updates for Seahawks, PatriotsBoth the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.Score alert: Seattle adds another field goalJason Myers connects from 39 yards.Seahawks 6, Patriots 0Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-lineThe Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noiseFrom the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impactSeattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.Score alert: Seahawks kick field goalJason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.Seahawks 3, Patriots 0Super Bowl 60 is underwaySeattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

    It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.

    After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

    The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX.

    Bad Bunny Half Time Show

    Bad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.

    From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.

    He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.

    Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.

    “Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”

    The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.

    It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.

    Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.

    Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.

    Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”

    He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium.

    Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?

    The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.

    It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.

    The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.

    Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.

    With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the ground

    The Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

    It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.

    The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.

    Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.

    New England has just 51 yards of offense in first half

    New England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.

    The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.

    ‘Backstreet’s back’ tonight

    Two different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.

    T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

    “By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”

    Vrabel: Pats need to protect Maye

    Drake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.

    “From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”

    Score alert: Seattle boots another field goal

    Jason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.

    Seahawks 9, Patriots 0

    The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much time

    If the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.

    Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.

    Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.

    Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle moving

    While the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.

    Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.

    Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.

    Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.

    Injury updates for Seahawks, Patriots

    Both the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.

    Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.

    Score alert: Seattle adds another field goal

    Jason Myers connects from 39 yards.

    Seahawks 6, Patriots 0

    Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-line

    The Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.

    Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.

    It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.

    Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noise

    From the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.

    Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.

    Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impact

    Seattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.

    Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.

    Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.

    Score alert: Seahawks kick field goal

    Jason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.

    Seahawks 3, Patriots 0

    Super Bowl 60 is underway

    Seattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.

    The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.

    There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

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  • Dolphins turn focus to Skylar Thompson at QB with Tua out, heading West to face the 2-0 Seahawks

    Dolphins turn focus to Skylar Thompson at QB with Tua out, heading West to face the 2-0 Seahawks

    SEATTLE (AP) — Having spent the past two seasons as his teammate, Seattle center Connor Williams struggled to watch what happened to Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.

    He’d much rather see Tagovailoa on the field Sunday when the Seahawks host the Dolphins than watch his former teammate deal with yet another concussion.

    “It was awful. I mean, you never wish for something like that, and definitely with his history,” Williams said. “Just prayers out to him and his family.”

    The latest concussion suffered by the Miami quarterback and his uncertain future has centered the storylines around the Week 3 matchup.

    Tagovailoa was injured last Thursday night in a loss to Buffalo, his third diagnosed concussion in the past two years. The Dolphins have spent the week trying to get Skylar Thompson ready to make his first start since the 2022 season while also answering unknowns about when Tagovailoa — who has been placed on injured reserve — will return.

    For now, Miami is placing its faith in Thompson.

    “When I tell you that the confidence that the team has for Skylar is real and it’s earned, and it’s based upon thousands of hours that as a backup quarterback most people don’t see,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said.

    The last time Thompson started was the 2022 playoffs against Buffalo. He never saw the field last season and his limited career opportunities thus far make it difficult to get a read on what exactly may be different with Thompson under center.

    “It’s tough because it’s not a huge sample size to see, and it’s been a long time, and you’re talking about a couple of years of growth from when he started last in a playoff game, being in the system,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s where we’re at right now.”

    While it’s a bit of an unknown how Thompson will step in, the Dolphins still have a dangerous set of skill talent like Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane.

    “One of my favorite parts about this game is going to play with the guys next to me. It’s been that way since I was a little kid, and I just find joy in going to battle with guys that I know have put so much into it to do their job,” Thompson said.

    In the backfield

    Seattle played last week without top running back Kenneth Walker III and his status against the Dolphins is uncertain due to an oblique injury. Whether it’s Walker or backup Zach Charbonnet carrying the load, Seattle’s offensive line must do better blocking up front.

    “We’ve got to move people. Right now we’re not moving them,” Macdonald said.

    The Seahawks had only 46 yards rushing and averaged 2.4 yards per rush against New England, which made the 103 yards Walker had in Week 1 against Denver that much more impressive.

    The guard spot has been the problem thus far and Seattle could continue to rotate at right guard where Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes split time against the Patriots.

    Bring the noise

    Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks knows how loud it can get inside Seattle’s home stadium after spending the first four years of his career as a Seahawk.

    Brooks said the best way for the Dolphins to quiet the noise from Seattle’s passionate fans is to stymie the Seahawks’ offense and for Thompson and the Dolphins’ offense to make big plays of their own.

    “It gets as loud as the team can make it,” Brooks said. “So if we’re stopping them, it won’t be that loud. If we don’t, it will be pretty loud.”

    Thompson also has experience playing in hostile environments. He started a road playoff game against the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 season.

    “For me, that’s what you want,” Thompson said. “That’s why football is such a great game, and being able to go on the road, having a road opportunity with the guys and get to go in there and go to battle with them in that environment is fun. We’re really excited for that opportunity.”

    The other QB

    Geno Smith is coming off one of the best games of his career, completing 75% of his passes and throwing for 327 yards in the win over the Patriots. Smith was 17 of 25 passing in the second half and overtime, and carried Seattle’s offense on a day there was no run game.

    “Y’all been calling this man underrated for three years, and when is it going to stop?” Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf questioned. “But he’s not underrated by any means.”

    Homecoming

    There was a huge smile on Tyler Huntley’s face Wednesday when he described the feeling of playing football in Miami.

    Huntley, signed this week by Miami off the Ravens’ practice squad, was born in Dania Beach, Florida, about 20 miles north of Miami and attended high school in South Florida. He went to college in Utah before signing with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

    “Man, it’s just like a dream come true,” Huntley said. “As a little kid, you’re looking up seeing the NFL and your home team being right there, you just want to be a part of it. I get the chance to be a part of it.”

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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