The New England Patriots didn't wait very long to see an officiating call go against them in fairly surprising fashion in Super Bowl LX, as the Seattle Seahawks managed to benefit from a questionable officiating call that helped them nab an early lead.
On the first drive, Sam Darnold connected with wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a 23-yard pass play that brought the Seahawks' offense down to the New England 17-yard line. The catch was praised by the broadcast team, but it didn't look like a no-doubt grab.
Not only did it take a very long time for Kupp to regain control of the football, but the broadcast didn't show a ton of angles of him getting two feet down in bounds beyond a shadow of a doubt. Seattle quickly hurried to the line and threw an incomplete pass to prevent a replay.
The Patriots would go down 3-0 in the early going, as the Seahawks stalled out in the red zone before a Jason Myers field goal gave them an early lead over the AFC Champions. The fact that this play wasn't even looked at as a possible reviewable call is a bit questionable.
Patriots screwed by refs as Seahawks benefit from Cooper Kupp catch
Kupp may be the X-factor in this game. With Christian Gonzalez limiting the effectiveness of Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp's ability to make plays against the rest of the Patriots' secondary is going to be vital if the Seahawks want to win.
New England was notably aggressive on that first drive of the game, trying to sell out for interceptions and big plays. Against a quarterback that is prone to making some bonehead plays from time to time in Darnold, Mike Vrabel's strategy makes a ton of sense.
The Patriots' attempt to answer on their first possession of the game helped get them into Seahawks territory, but a sack from Derick Hall set them back and ultimately led to a punt. In a game that seems very evenly matched, plays like the Kupp one may end up having quite an impact on the final score.