SEATTLE'S DEFENSE RULES AS SEAHAWKS POUND PATRIOTS FOR A 29-13 SUPER BOWL WIN
- Al Thompson
- 9 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 10 minutes ago
SANTA CLARA: On a night when Bad Bunny performed in front of 142.3 million real humans bringing us Lady Gaga … and Kid Rock bringing us Chicks with Beepers in front of 6.1 million alleged “viewers” on YouTube, the NFL staged its 60th Super Bowl in what was largely an evening of boring football.
For three quarters, defense ruled Levi's Stadium with both the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots failed to put a man in the end zone.
The Seahawks (17-3) did produce four drives that resulted in Jason Myers field goals and laid the foundation for Seattle's 29-13 win over New England (17-4).
Running back Kenneth Walker produced most of the yards to account for those 12 points.
Second year quarterback Drake Maye showed signs the shoulder he injured in the AFC Championship two weeks ago was still bothering him.
The 23-year-old out of North Carolina was 27 of 43 for 295 yards with two late touchdowns and three turnovers. One of Maye's interceptions, by Uchenna Nwosu, was returned 45 yards for a touchdown.
Many of his throws were way off the mark and several were impeded by relentless pressure by the Seattle defense that sacked Maye six times.
After the game, he offered no excuses.
“Credit to them,” said Maye, who finished with a quarterback rating of 79.1. ”We were moving sound in the first couple drives and just had a couple of negative plays that put us behind the chains.
“From there we just couldn’t stay ahead of the chains – some third and shorts we couldn’t pick up some first downs.
“They had applied some pressure where they got us a few times, and we got be better with the football and make better decisions and I got to make better throws when the game goes like that. I got to make some throws to help us move the football.”
The first half was a snooze fest with both teams unable finish drives.
Maye started 4 of 5 but went cold.
The difference was Sam Darnold was able to drive deep enough for Myers to boot three relatively easy field goals by halftime.
Big Bunny did not help get either offenses in gear. The Patriots first drive of the third quarter went nowhere.
Darnold drove the Seahawks 69 yards on ten plays before the drive fizzled like a Kid Rock lyric. Myers booted a 41-yarder to make the score 12-0 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.
Another disappointing Patriots drive forced a punt.
The Seahawks started their inside their 20-yard line. Former Eagles defensive lineman Milton Williams sacked Darnold for an eight-yard loss that crushed that drive.
Michael Dickson punted for 47 yards. Marcus Jones had a big return but New England committed 10 yard penalty (Illegal Block) that
After the special teams penalty, Maye's unit started at their own 27. That drive ended after a three-and-out.
It was like that all day until Maye fumbled on the last play of the third quarter, setting up Darnold and the Seahawks at the Patriots 26-yard line.
Five plays later Darnold hit tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown pass to make the score 19-0 with 13:24 left in the fourth quarter.
Maye's offense woke up to produce a three-play, 65 yard drive that ended with a terrific 35-yard touchdown pass to former Eagles receiver Mack Hollins.
But what little spark that produced, was doused by a Super Bowl record fifth field goal by Meyers and the interception return by Mwosu.
The Pats scored on a garbage time TD on a seven-yard pass from Maye to running back Rhamondre Stevenson with 2:21 left in the fourth and the game decided.
RUNNING BACK EARNED MVP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 28 YEARS
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was voted the winner of the Pete Rozelle Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player.
Walker rushed for 135 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and added 26 receiving yards on two receptions, totaling 161 yards from scrimmage in helping the Seahawks to a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.
The last running back to earn the award was Denver's Terrell Davis in 1998.
Walker was asked about the offensive game plan going into the game and the offensive line.
“It was very detailed,” Walker said. “We worked at it all week, last week and this week. We worked on our run game. We knew it was going to make an impact on this game and I give all the credit to those guys.”
Walker was asked if, as a kid, he could have envisioned this day.
“If I would tell myself as a kid right now, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be the one to win MVP, so this is a surreal moment,” he said. “It doesn’t happen without the guys in the locker room.”
MORE STATS AND QUOTES
Linebacker Ernest Jones 1V recorded 11 tackles (ten solo) in the Seahawks win. He talked about the chemistry they have with each other that transfers to the pressure they can put on a signal caller.
“Once we get in front of you, we're a different group,” Jones said after the game. “We were able to get out there and get pressure, get after the quarterback.”
How does he feel to live up to the hype?
“Man, it feels good,” said Jones, “ But it was what I imagined, what I expected from us. We've been doing this all year. We've been battle tested. This is nothing.”
Jones talked about the journey Darnold has had through his career. He has played on five different NFL teams
Sunday, he did not put up big numbers going 19 of 38 for 202 yards and one TD pass to tight end AJ Barner. He was sacked once and did not turn the ball over. He was there when they needed him.
Darnold's journey included the New York Jets (2018–2020), Carolina Panthers (2021–2022), San Francisco 49ers (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024) before landing in Seattle.
Those first four teams gave up on him.
“It's a beautiful story,” Jones said. “I'm super bless that guy is my quarterback. I think he just models what everybody on that team's been through. We've all been rejected, nit been respected. He's just a hell of a player, and I'm just super thankful he's my quarterback.”
Safety Julian Love was asked about how coach Mike MacDonald said he wanted the defense to be loose and focused. Love, who came up with three tackles, a defended pass and the game-sealing interception, said the secondary has two different personalities.
“If you have eyes on us in the locker room and us on the sideline, man we love each other,” Love said. “We are constantly messing around...not too serious. We don't take ourselves too seriously. But when that whistle sounds, and we step across those white lines, then it's focused. That's the kind of message he meant.
“We love to have fun. Mike allows us to have fun. The coaching staff is always laughing and having a good time. But wen there's work to be done, we go to work.”
Darnold was asked about how he feels to finally get redemption.
“I don't think its really hit me yet to be honest with you,” Darnold said after the game. This is about the connection we all have as players, coaches...the love that we have for each other. Everybody in the building, from the top down.“
The love that we shared throughout the building, it's special. I've never been in a place like this.”
Darnold kept talking.
“It’s special. I shared a great moment with my parents and my fiancée Katie after the game and I think that’s what kind of got me a little bit. Me and my dad don’t really cry very often (laughter) and I told my dad and my mom, I’m here because of their belief in me.
“They believed in me throughout my entire career, and I think that’s why I was able to believe in myself almost at nauseam (laughter).
“Some people called me crazy throughout my career for believing in myself so much and having so much confidence, but it was because of my parents. Because of the way that they believed in me throughout my entire career, and it allowed me to go out there and play free and have a ton of confidence.”
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who was listed on the stat sheet with one assisted tackle, talks about the chemistry head coach MacDonald created this year.
“The loose and focusing that Mike talks about, I think this team really buys that,” Williams said after the game. “I've been telling everybody as as I started working with Mike, the rest of the coaches and being part of this team, it reminded me of my young days when I was in college and in high school.
“Guys were playing for the love of the game. In the NFL sometimes you see people on different agendas...sometimes it's about money, sometimes their family...all these different things.
“It's a bunch of grown men. They have their won agendas. But on this team, our agenda is each other and this team.” *
Note: Some information was taken from wikipedia.com
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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