Seahawks Wins 2nd Super Bowl Title, Pounding Patriots 29-13/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Seattle Seahawks captured their second Super Bowl title by overpowering the Patriots 29-13. Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense dominated, with six sacks and a pick-six sealing the win. Sam Darnold managed the game efficiently, while Kenneth Walker III earned MVP honors with 135 rushing yards.
Seahawks’ Dark Side Defense Rules Super Bowl Quick Looks
- Seattle beat New England 29-13 to win its second Super Bowl
- Defense sacked Drake Maye six times and forced two interceptions
- Sam Darnold threw one TD and committed no turnovers
- Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and won MVP — the first RB to do so in 28 years
- Jason Myers hit a Super Bowl-record 5 field goals
- Patriots QB Drake Maye played through a shoulder injection
- Uchenna Nwosu scored on a 45-yard pick-six
- Christian Gonzalez made two clutch end zone breakups for New England
- Seattle’s defense echoed the dominance of the “Legion of Boom”
- Bad Bunny headlined the halftime show with Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin
- Patriots missed a chance at a record-setting 7th Super Bowl title
Deep Look: Seahawks Wins 2nd Super Bowl Title, Pounding Patriots 29-13
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks returned to the NFL’s summit on Sunday, powering past the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60 behind a smothering defensive effort known as the “Dark Side.” Head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive unit stole the spotlight, holding the Patriots scoreless for nearly three quarters and sealing the team’s second-ever Super Bowl victory.
Defensive Domination
Seattle’s defense relentlessly pressured Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye, recording six sacks — two each by Derick Hall and Byron Murphy — and limiting New England’s offense to a string of first-half punts. Uchenna Nwosu delivered the exclamation point, intercepting a deflected pass and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown.
“We never waver,” Macdonald said. “We believe in each other. We love each other. And now, we’re world champions.”
Darnold Delivers, Walker Wins MVP
After being written off by multiple teams, Sam Darnold completed 19-of-38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown to AJ Barner, while playing turnover-free football through the postseason. Darnold’s steady hand helped the Seahawks cap a 17-3 season in championship fashion.
Star running back Kenneth Walker III carved up New England’s front, rushing for 135 yards to become the first running back since Terrell Davis (1998) to win Super Bowl MVP honors.
“This is everything,” Walker said. “To bring this title back to Seattle, with this team — it’s unreal.”
Field Goals and Field Position
Seattle’s scoring consistency came largely from the leg of Jason Myers, who converted all five field-goal attempts (33, 39, 41, 41, and 40 yards), setting a Super Bowl record. His kicks built a 12-0 lead before Darnold connected with Barner to extend it to 19-0.
Patriots’ Cold Start
The Patriots, led by first-year starter Drake Maye, managed just 13 points — most of which came too late. New England punted on its first eight drives (not counting a first-half kneel down), and Maye’s TD pass to Mack Hollins came after Seattle already held a commanding lead.
Maye later threw a second touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson with under two minutes remaining, but also tossed two interceptions, one into triple coverage.
After the game, Maye revealed he received a pain-relieving injection in his throwing shoulder, injured in the AFC title game. He insisted it didn’t affect his performance, saying, “They played better than us tonight.”
Goal-Line Denials
One of the few bright spots for the Patriots was Christian Gonzalez, who broke up two potential Seahawks touchdowns — including a 76-yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed and a red-zone dart to Jaxon Smith-Njigba — showcasing his elite coverage skills in crucial moments.
Defensive tackle Rylie Mills also registered a memorable sack by driving Seattle’s left guard into Maye, taking both to the turf in a highlight-worthy collision.
Historical Context and Heartbreak
Seattle avenged their previous Super Bowl heartbreak against the Patriots — a loss remembered for Malcolm Butler’s last-minute interception in Super Bowl 49. This time, it was the Seahawks who sealed the deal with defense.
For Mike Vrabel, who was attempting to become the fifth person to win a Super Bowl as both a player and head coach (and the first with the same team), the loss was especially painful. New England failed to clinch a record-setting seventh Super Bowl, remaining tied with the Steelers at six.
Maye, the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl, fell short of Ben Roethlisberger’s record as the youngest to win one.
Halftime & Beyond
Halftime featured an electrifying show from Bad Bunny, who turned the stadium into a tribute to Puerto Rican culture. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin joined the performance, which was delivered entirely in Spanish — a rare first for the Super Bowl.
Final Stats Snapshot
- Seattle Seahawks 29 – Patriots 13
- Total Sacks: Seahawks 6, Patriots 1
- Turnovers: Patriots 2 (INTs), Seahawks 0
- Time of Possession: Seahawks 34:19, Patriots 25:41
- Field Goals: Jason Myers 5/5
- Rushing Yards: Walker III (SEA) – 135
Seattle fans can now rejoice — the Legion of Boom has officially passed the baton to the Dark Side.
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