MON SIX

APTOPIX Super Bowl Football

Walker capped a prolific postseason with another big performance on the ground to help the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots29-13 Sunday nightfor a championship.

While the defense carried Seattle for much of the postseason, Walker was once again the engine of the offense by rushing for 135 yards and adding 26 receiving for his third straight 100-yard game from scrimmage in the postseason. He became the first running back since Terrell Davis 28 years ago to win Super Bowl MVP.

Walker stepped up his game after backfield mate Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury and it couldn't have come at a more important time for the Seahawks or a more opportune time for Walker.

The 25-year-old running back is in the final year of his rookie contract and is slated to become a free agent in 2026. Thanks to his playoff run, Walker figures to be in line for a significant pay bump.

Walker gained 413 yards from scrimmage in the three wins for Seattle this postseason. He became the first player to top 100 yards from scrimmage in every playoff game for a Super Bowl champion since Terrell Davis did it in back-to-back seasons in 1997-98 for the Broncos.

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While fantasy football owners and Walker were sometimes frustrated that he didn't carry a bigger load of the offense, especially in the red zone, in the regular season, the job share with Charbonnet did mean Walker was fresh for the playoffs when he was at his best.

Walker averaged less than 15 touches from scrimmage per game in the regular season when he delivered his first 1,000-yard rushing season since his rookie year.

But he averaged nearly 25 touches per game in the playoffs when he showed he's capable of being a bell-cow back.

Walker started fast with a 10-yard run on the opening snap and had 55 yards in the ground on a field-goal drive later in the first half for the most by any player on one drive in the Super Bowl in 20 years.

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New England managed only four first downs and 51 yards of total offense in the first half. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards and was sacked three times while Seattle's defense racked up five tackles for loss.

However, the Patriots stayed within striking distance by twice limiting the Seahawks to field goals in the red zone. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez also nearly intercepted Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold at the goal line just before the half, but did prevent a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

New England receives the second-half kickoff.

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The Seahawks opened the scoring on a 33-yard field goal by Myers on their opening drive. Seattle took the kickoff and moved the ball 51 yards in just over three minutes, with Darnold sharp on completions to tight end A.J. Barner and Cooper Kupp in tight coverage, but the drive stalled on the Patriots' 14-yard line.

That proved to be the only scoring of the opening quarter. New England penetrated Seattle territory on both of its first two drives, only to suffer three negative plays -- including a pair of sacks -- that resulted in two punts. The Seahawks managed only one more first down in a pair of drives after the field goal.

The teams combined for only 104 total yards in the first quarter.

NOTES: Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Rylie Mills, who entered the game with 1 career solo tackle, recorded his first NFL sack when he dropped Maye for a 10-yard loss in the second quarter. Mills suffered a torn ACL toward the end of his 2024 season at Notre Dame, causing him to slide to the fifth round of last year's draft. Mills was activated by the Seahawks in November, but played only a modest role in the line rotation. ... The first penalty of the game wasn't called until 3:09 remaining in the second quarter, when Patriots left tackle Will Campbell was flagged for a false start.

--Derek Harper, Field Level Media

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New England Patriots

2025 season record:14-3, (o 8.5 wins), first in AFC East,lost Super Bowl LX, ninth in DVOA

Overview

All expectations were exceeded for the first year of Mike Vrabel's tenure in New England. The Patriots immediately turned back into a contender after just a few down seasons and now they have one ofthosequarterbacks who can be among the tier of players who will keep their team competitive regardless of the surroundings.

Drake Maye emerged as one of the league's best quarterbacks during his second season. He led the league in EPA per play at the position and was a close runner-up for MVP. Maye was second in the rate of "boom" plays that accounted for 1.0 EPA per play or more, while he also avoided negative plays and ranked seventh in "bust" plays that went for -1.0 EPA or worse. He led the league in completion percentage while he had the league's highest average depth of target.

[Get more Patriots news: New England team feed]

Maye's play made up for a running game that was 21st in DVOA and a defense that ranked 23rd. The Patriots have a path that can allow the other units to catch up to the quarterback and passing game, but they also have a path to contention just because the quarterback steps on the field.

Cap/cuts outlook

The Patriots have $39 million in effective salary cap space, perOver The Cap,the ninth-most in the league. New England could clear about $8 million more with the release of Anfernee Jennings and Mack Hollins. Mike Onwenu is in the final year of his contract and an extension would lower the $25 million cap hit he's slated to have next season. The Patriots have all of that cap space while still having 50 players currently under contract for 2026 — the top 51 count against the cap in the offseason.

Key pending free agents

LB K'Lavon ChaissonDT Khyiris TongaS Jaylinn HawkinsTE Austin Hooper

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Chaisson had a career resurgence in his one year with New England. He ranked 26th in pressure rate while he set career highs in pressures, hits and sacks. The Patriots were a better run defense when Tonga was on the field, sporting a rushing success rate that would have been in the top 10 for a full season. The 335-pound lineman also added a career high 14 pressures. Hawkins spent most of his time playing deep and came down into the box on 24% of his defensive snaps. He was tied for 18th among safeties in pass defeats, per FTN.

Positional needs

EdgeLinebackerSafety

The Patriots were 12th in pressure rate but often relied on the interior players to break through. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams combined for 37.9% of New England's pressures. Another 44.9% came from Chaisson and Harold Landry. If Chaisson leaves, just Landry remains. Even if Chaisson is re-signed, that doesn't leave a lot of depth behind them.

The Patriots had linebackers who could tackle, but they did not have ones who could cover. New England's top two linebackers ranked 55th and 65th in yards allowed per coverage snap at the position, among 96 qualified linebackers.

With Hawkins a free agent, the Patriots are left with 2025 fourth-round draft pick Craig Woodson and 2024 UDFA Dell Pettus at safety.

2026 NFL Draft picks

1st round, pick No. 312nd round3rd round4th round (CHI)4th round5th round6th round (KC)6th round (PIT)6th round (SF)6th round7th round

Good draft fit

CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

Allen can be the leader of the Patriots' defense for the next decade. He's good in coverage, good against the run, tackles well, can play inside and outside the box, and has just enough pass rush potential to be refined by Mike Vrabel and his staff.

Betting nugget

An easy schedule – ranked the third-easiest since 1978 by FTN Fantasy – meant New England was favored a lot this season. The Patriots thrived in that role, going 7-3-1 against the spread in the regular season. —Ben Fawkes

"The Adventures of Cliff Booth," the follow-up film toQuentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"starringBrad Pitt, debuted a surprise first trailer during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The footage starts by referencing the fiery climax of the 2019 original, in which Pitt's stuntman Cliff Booth andLeonardo DiCaprio'sRick Dalton battled followers of Charles Manson during a home invasion.

"So you helped Rick subdue those hippy intruders?" a character played byElizabeth Debickiasks, to which Pitt's Cliff Booth, who is now sporting a mustache, tells her, "Something like that." He adds, "I don't possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story."

The rest of the footage is light on plot but teases the movie's cast of characters and establishes its throwback tone, ending with a retro "coming soon" graphic, but without the movie's title.

Netflix has not yet posted the trailer online.

Pitt starred alongside DiCaprio in 2019's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Tarantino's most recent film as a director. The plot centered on the life of fading actor Rick Dalton and his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth (Pitt), who wind up inadvertently saving the life of actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in 1969 Hollywood.

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Tarantino wrote the screenplay for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," though this time, he isn't directing it himself. He instead handed off directing duties to "Fight Club" filmmaker David Fincher. The follow-up movie has also made the jump to Netflix, whereas the original "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was a Sony theatrical release that grossed almost $400 million worldwide.

Review: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood'is a fairy tale only Quentin Tarantino could tell

Tarantino previously expanded the storyline of the movie in a novelization of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" released in 2021. The filmmaker, who has said he plans to direct only one more movie, explained onthe "Church of Tarantino" podcastlast year why he was drawn to the idea of another director bringing his screenplay to life.

'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'is being re-released with 10 minutes of new footage

"I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors," Tarantino said. "So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work to me shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account."

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Greenland 2: Migration" (Jan. 9 in theaters): Ten years after a comet destroyed most of Earth, the Garrity family (Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis and Gerard Butler) leave the safety of their bunker to find a new home.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "People We Meet on Vacation" (Jan. 9 on Netflix): Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) are college friends who go on holiday every summer in the romantic comedy based on the Emily Henry novel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Internship" (Jan. 13 video on demand): Ollie Roddy (far left), Alix Villaret and Lizzy Greene star as young assassins trained in a secret CIA program in the action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Night Patrol" (Jan. 16 in theaters): Dermot Mulroney stars as the leader of a LAPD task force that's also a group of vampires in the action horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Rip" (Jan. 16 on Netflix): Ben Affleck (left) and Matt Damon play Miami cops figuring out what to do with a load of cartel money in the twisty action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mercy" (Jan. 23 in theaters): Chris Pratt stars as a detective on trial for murdering his wife who has 90 minutes to convince an AI judge of his innocence.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mother of Flies" (Jan. 23 on Shudder): Toby Poser co-writes, co-directs and stars in the horror film as a dark witch sought out by a young woman who gets a deadly diagnosis.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Untitled Home Invasion Romance" (Jan. 27 video on demand): Jason Biggs (right, with Justin H. Min) directs and stars in the comedy as a husband who fakes a break-in to save his marriage.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Moment" (Jan. 30 in theaters): British pop star Charli XCX plays a fictionalized version of herself preparing for a headline tour in the mockumentary.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Send Help" (Jan. 30 in theaters): Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her sexist boss Bradley (Dylan O'Brien) get stuck on a deserted island after their plane crashes in the dark comedy/survival thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Strangers – Chapter 3" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Masked serial killers Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl return to menace their prey one last time in the horror trilogy closer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Whistle" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Nick Frost stars in the horror movie as the teacher whose students find an ancient Aztec death whistle that, when blown, will summon their future deaths to hunt them down.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Honey Bunch" (Feb. 13 on Shudder): Jason Isaacs stars as a father whose daughter is a patient at a facility for experimental memory treatments in the horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Wuthering Heights" (Feb. 13 in theaters): The romance between Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) gets dark and complicated in the adaptation of the Emily Brontë novel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "I Can Only Imagine 2" (Feb. 20 in theaters): Trace Adkins (far left) stars as manager of the Christian rock band MercyMe (Mark Furze, Ezra Proch, Jason Burkey, Aaron Benward and John Michael Finley) in the biopic sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Psycho Killer" (Feb. 20 in theaters): James Preston Rogers plays the Satanic Slasher, a serial murderer pursued by a police officer after the brutal death of her husband in the horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "In the Blink of an Eye" (Feb. 27 on Hulu): Kate McKinnon (left) and Yeji Kim star in a sci-fi drama featuring three stories that explore themes of humanity and connection across thousands of years.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Scream 7" (Feb. 27 in theaters): Guess who's back? Masked maniac Ghostface haunts an old foe in the latest installment in the long-running slasher franchise.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Bride!" (March 6 in theaters): Frank (Christian Bale) and his reanimated bride (Jessie Buckley) are the Bonnie and Clyde of Maggie Gyllenhaal's outlaw monster movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Hoppers" (March 6 in theaters): Thanks to some newfangled technology, Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda, center) gains new perspective on the animal world in the Pixar animated comedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" (March 6 in theaters, March 20 on Netflix): Cillian Murphy reprises his role as soldier-turned-criminal Tommy Shelby in a continuation of the British period drama series.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Reminders of Him" (March 13 in theaters): Fresh out of prison, Kenna (Maika Monroe) comes home to rebuild her life and connects with local bar owner Ledger (Tyriq Withers) in the Colleen Hoover adaptation.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Project Hail Mary" (March 20 in theaters): Ryan Gosling stars as a junior high science teacher who goes to space to save humanity and befriends an alien in the sci-fi adventure.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" (March 27 in theaters): Grace (Samara Weaving, left) and her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) have to survive being hunted in the horror-comedy sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Drama" (April 3 in theaters): Robert Pattinson and Zendaya star as an engaged couple whose wedding week goes seriously awry after some information is revealed in the romantic dramedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" (April 3 in theaters): Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day, right) throws down with new villain Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) in the animated adventure sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Apex" (April 24 on Netflix): In the survival thriller, Charlize Theron plays a grieving woman seeking solace in the Australian wilderness who's hunted by a ruthless serial killer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mother Mary" (April in theaters): A pop star (Anne Hathaway, right) reunites with her estranged best friend and ex-costume designer (Michaela Coel) in the psychosexual thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Mandalorian and Grogu" (May 22 in theaters): The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his little buddy Grogu star in a "Star Wars" movie continuation of their Disney+ show.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Disclosure Day" (June 12 in theaters): Colin Firth has an alien encounter in Steven Spielberg's mysterious sci-fi movie, also starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Toy Story 5" (June 19 in theaters): Old-school toys Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen, second from right) and Woody (Tom Hanks) face new technology in the Pixar animated comedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Supergirl" (June 26 in theaters): After debuting in "Superman," Milly Alcock reprises her role as the Man of Steel's party-girl cousin in the DC superhero movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Motor City" (2026 in theaters): Ben McKenzie (far left) and Pablo Schreiber star as Detroit cops on different sides of the law in the 1970s-set action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

From 'Scream 7' to 'Super Mario 2,' get a sneak peek at 2026 movies

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026.

Pitt won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which received 10 Oscar nominations in 2020, including best picture. It also won the Oscar for best production design.

DiCaprio is apparently not returning for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," which hasn't been given an official release date, though it's expected to debut sometime in 2026.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Brad Pitt returns in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' sequel trailer