Super Bowl 2026: Seahawks show their ‘Dark Side’ and crush Patriots
FATHER CLARÉE — They are not the infamous Legion of Boom.
There are not many All-Pros. Individual personalities lean more toward quiet confidence rather than brashness.
But this Seattle Seahawks defense adopted its own “Dark Side” identity en route to Super Bowl LX. And on Sunday in front of 70,823 fans at Levi’s Stadium, the unit showed the world that there’s room for more than one hard-hitting, stifling defense in Seahawks history.
The Seahawks knocked off the New England Patriots in a 29-13 victory that gave the Seahawks their second Super Bowl title and first since 2014.
“They lived up to the dark side today,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said as he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the winner’s stage. “This is going to go down in the history books. We love our players. Look, they made this happen. They brought it to life – and we won the game.”
The defense forced three turnovers, Jason Myers made a Super Bowl-record five field goals, and running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards to become the most valuable player as the Seahawks finished the season with 10 straight wins.
On a night where neither Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold nor Patriots quarterback Drake Maye found a consistent rhythm, the Seahawks defense dominated.
Make no mistake about the mantra of Macdonald and his team: “we don’t care.” They care about each other. They care about their legacy.
And now they will take care of the Lombardi Trophy.
“It’s been such a special journey with these guys,” Darnold said. “So much hard work went into this… Just a job well done.”
It was the second title in four years for Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV, receiver Cooper Kupp and running back Cam Akers, all of whom started in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory in 2022.
On Sunday, Jones led a unit that harassed Maye and never let him get comfortable in or out of the pocket.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye throws an interception while being hit by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 29-13 victory in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
(Adam Hunger/Associated Press)
Linebacker Derick Hall and lineman Byron Murphy sacked Maye twice. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon sacked Maye in the first half and in the fourth quarter he hit his arm on a pass that resulted in linebacker Uchenna Nwosu’s interception return for a touchdown. Defensive end Rylie Mills was also sacked.
Hall was instrumental late in the third quarter when he sacked Maye and stripped the ball for a fumble that was recovered by Murphy at the Patriots’ 37-yard line. Five plays later, Darnold connected with tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown pass – and it looked like the Seahawks were on their way to the first shutout in Super Bowl history.
But Maye came back and found Mack Hollins for a 24-yard gain, then again on a 35-yard touchdown pass that brought the Patriots within 12 points.
Patriots fans may have envisioned a repeat of Super Bowl LI in 2017, when Tom Brady brought the Patriots back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
But the Seahawks made sure that didn’t happen.
Safety Julian Love caught a pass from Maye with 8:37 left, and Myers kicked his final basket to increase the lead to 22-7.
Late in the fourth quarter, Witherspoon hit Maye and Nwosu caught the ball out of the air and returned it 45 yards for a 29-7 lead.
The Patriots got a late touchdown on Maye’s seven-yard pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson with 2:21 left. But that was all the Patriots could muster.
No Seahawk was happier than Darnold.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
(Doug Benc/Associated Press)
The former San Clemente High star became the first USC quarterback to win a Super Bowl as a starter.
Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, went through tough times with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers before spending a season as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers. He led the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins in 2024, but they didn’t re-sign him.
The Seahawks welcomed him with open arms and he helped them win a Super Bowl title. Darnold completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Kupp, the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl LVI, caught six passes for 61 yards while Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Offensive Player of the Year, was held to four catches for 27 yards.
Maye, runner-up to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award, completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
The Seahawks’ victory capped a season that began with an NFC West loss to the 49ers at Lumen Field. The Seahawks bounced back and won their next three games, including wins at Pittsburgh and Arizona, before losing again at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But a victory in Jacksonville started a four-game winning streak that ended in a 21-19 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium when Myers’ last-second 61-yard field goal attempt failed.
The Seahawks haven’t lost again.
Seattle Seahawks returning Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots.
(Doug Benc/Associated Press)
They beat the Titans in Tennessee to start a seven-game winning streak, during which they clinched first place in the NFC. A thrilling 38-37 overtime win over the Rams at Lumen Field in Week 16 solidified their status as the team to beat en route to a 14-3 record.
The Seahawks took advantage of a first-round bye to rest, heal and prepare, then routed the 49ers in a divisional game before beating the Rams, 31-27, to advance to the Super Bowl.
“We went through a lot of adversity this season, but we came together…and this is what we got,” Walker said.
