Pats come up short in Super Bowl

• Despite Sunday's defeat, a new golden age may be dawning under quarterback Drake Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel.

Driving the news: The Seahawks crushed the Pats, finishing 29-13.

• The Pats were facing a historic shutout before Maye threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins in the fourth quarter.

Catch up quick: The Pats entered the season tied for the ninth-longest odds of winning the Super Bowl among the NFL's 32 teams.

• But Vrabel, who was named AP coach of the year at last week's NFL Honors, led the Pats to a 14-3 regular season.
• Key to the revival was a defensive turnaround, led by players like Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.
• Maye, meanwhile, was an MVP finalist. The 23-year-old entrenched himself as one of the NFL's brightest young stars.

What we're watching: While the team's young core sets the Patriots up for sustained success, New England won't catch anybody by surprise again.

• The Pats enter the offseason as defending AFC champs, with sky-high expectations — and the pressure that comes with.

What's next: New England will seek to reload for another playoff run by heaping talent around Maye and the rest of the team's core.

• That starts when free agency kicks off next month. Then comes the NFL Draft, which starts April 23.

The bottom line: Cheer up, Pats fans. The future is bright.