It was a good night for the “defence wins championships” crowd.
On the backs of a stifling defensive performance, the Seattle Seahawks crushed the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
It’s the Seahawks’ second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, and their first in 12 years.
And just like in their first Super Bowl title with the “Legion of Boom,” it was their defence — now labelled the “Dark Side” — that played the leading role.
Head coach Mike Macdonald put on a defensive playcalling masterclass and had Patriots QB Drake Maye looking like a shell of the player who finished second in MVP voting this season.
The Patriots sacked Maye six times and forced him into three turnovers — one of which was a game-sealing pick-six by Uchenna Nwosu in the fourth quarter.
Seattle’s defensive depth was on display all night, as four different players finished with sacks, including one from star corner Devon Witherspoon.
Everything the Seahawks defence tried on Sunday, the Patriots seemed to have no answer for.
New England was forced to punt on eight of their first nine offensive possessions, with its only non-punt being when Maye took a knee to end the first half.
It was a fitting conclusion for a defence that was one of the best units in football all season, led by their second-year head coach.
“We never waver, man. We believe in each other. We love each other, and now we’re world champions,” Macdonald said after the game.
At 38 years old, Macdonald is the third-youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl.
For years now, teams have been searching for the next Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay — a young offensive mind capable of changing the direction of the franchise.
But with what the Seahawks did this season, maybe it’s time to start looking for the next Macdonald instead.
Here are some other takeaways from Seattle’s Super Bowl LX victory:
Patriots’ weakness exposed
The prevailing feeling heading into Sunday’s game was that Maye was going to have to do something special for the Patriots to pull off the upset.
He didn’t, and he wasn’t even given much of a chance.
An offensive line that had shown some holes in the post-season was no match for the bevy of talented pass rushers the Seahawks had at their disposal.
Maye had been sacked 15 times through the team’s first three playoff games, and went down another six times on Sunday.
The Seahawks finished with a 52.8 per cent pressure, which is the highest in a Super Bowl since at least 2018, according to Next Gen Stats.
The high-pressure rate clearly rattled the second-year QB, as even on the dropbacks he wasn’t pressured, Maye missed some easy throws.
“If you don’t make plays, you’re sitting at a podium crying,” a dejected Maye told reporters after the game.
The future still feels extremely bright in New England, especially with Maye and Mike Vrabel leading the charge.
But if Sunday’s loss showed one thing, it’s that the Patriots have some problems to address, particularly on the offensive line.
Storybook ending for Darnold
From seeing ghosts to Super Bowl champion, it’s hard not to feel good for Sam Darnold.
The No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft, it felt like his career was destined for a disappointing end after he was traded to the Carolina Panthers after three lacklustre seasons in New York.
But after two forgettable years in Carolina, and one as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold’s career trajectory did a full 180 when he joined the Minnesota Vikings last season.
His 14 wins with Minnesota made him one of the most desirable QBs on the free agent market, and it was the Seahawks who decided to bet on the USC product.
With a Lombardi Trophy in the first season of his three-year deal, it’s safe to say Seattle’s bet has already been a smashing success.
Darnold’s numbers in Sunday’s win don’t jump off the page, as he finished 19-of-38 for 202 yards and one touchdown.
But like he’s done all post-season, the one thing he was excellent at against a stellar Patriots defence was avoiding the back-breaking mistakes.
With another turnover-free game on Sunday, Darnold finished with zero turnovers over Seattle’s three playoff victories.
Let’s also remember that in the NFC Championship game, it was Darnold and the offence that carried the Seahawks on a rare off night for the defence against the Los Angeles Rams.
So, as for the narrative that he can’t show up in the biggest moments? Time to put that one to bed.
Because Darnold has won on the biggest stage of them all.
“As long as you believe in yourself, anything is possible,” Darnold said on the field after the win.
Walker sparks Seahawks offence
For a game that lacked star offensive performances, Seahawks runningback Kenneth Walker III was the lone bright spot.
In the lead role after Zach Charbonnet’s season-ending injury in the divisional round, Walker finished the game with 135 yards on 27 carries while adding two catches for 26 yards. It was the third straight playoff game that the 25-year-old RB had over 100 yards from scrimmage.
He was rightfully named Super Bowl LX MVP, becoming the first running back to win the award since 1998.
With a patient running style, Walker was able to pick his spots and gash a stout New England run defence for the biggest offensive plays of the opening two quarters.
With Darnold a tad off and an unusually quiet game from offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Walker was the driving force for the Seahawks’ offence on Sunday.
It was a well-timed playoff run for Walker, who heads into the off-season as a pending free agent.
With a Super Bowl MVP trophy now in his pocket, his price tag just went way up.
Patriots’ defence hangs tough
Though the final score was a tad lopsided, it could’ve been a lot worse if it weren’t for the play of the New England defence.
With the Patriots’ offence only able to muster just four first downs through the first two quarters, the defence stood strong to give them a fighting chance heading into the second half.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez was particularly impressive on Sunday, as he made two touchdown-saving breakups that stopped the game from entering blowout territory before Bad Bunny even took the stage.
Matched up with Smith-Njigba for a large part of the game, Gonzalez was a key reason the leading receiver in the league this season was held to just 27 yards on four catches.
The Patriots’ defence held the Seahawks to just 4-of-16 on third downs and just one offensive touchdown.
With the lack of support they got from the other side of the ball, the defensive players on the Patriots should hold their heads high after what they accomplished on Sunday.
