It wasn't close. It wasn't competitive for three quarters. And it wasn't even remotely what New England envisioned when they capped one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NFL history. The Seattle Seahawks absolutely demolished the Patriots 29-13 at Levi's Stadium, riding their ferocious "Dark Side" defense and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.
The Patriots, who came in as 4.5-point underdogs, were held scoreless through three full quarters of football. Drake Maye, the league's regular-season passing efficiency leader, was sacked six times, threw two interceptions, and lost a fumble. The Seahawks' defense didn't just win this game. They made a statement.
That scoreboard tells the story. Three quarters of absolute suffocation from Seattle's defense, followed by garbage time. The Patriots didn't score until the fourth quarter, and by then it was 19-0 and the game was effectively over.
First running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII (1998)
For the first 30 minutes of Super Bowl LX, Kenneth Walker III was the only player generating any offense on either side. While both quarterbacks struggled to find rhythm against aggressive defenses, Walker just kept pounding the rock. His 94 first-half rushing yards were the second-most in Super Bowl first-half history.
Walker ripped off runs of 30 and 29 yards on a critical drive that broke the game open. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry against a Patriots defense that came in allowing the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the league. The man simply could not be stopped. He added two catches for 26 receiving yards, giving him 161 total scrimmage yards on the night.
Walker becomes the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis did it for the Denver Broncos following the 1997 season. In a league that has increasingly devalued the running back position, Walker just reminded everyone that the ground game still wins championships.
Seattle's defense, which led the NFL in points allowed per game during the regular season at 17.2, saved their best performance for the biggest stage. The "Dark Side" unit lived up to the nickname in every possible way, turning Drake Maye's night into a horror show.
The sack breakdown tells you just how versatile this pass rush is. Derick Hall and Byron Murphy II each recorded two sacks, while Rylie Mills and Devon Witherspoon each added one. Six sacks on the night, just one shy of the all-time Super Bowl record. Maye came in having been sacked just 29 times in the regular season. Seattle got 20% of that total in a single game.
Derick Hall's strip-sack in the third quarter was the play that broke the game open. With the Patriots trying to mount their first real drive, Hall came off the edge untouched, ripped the ball from Maye's hands, and Seattle recovered. That turnover set up another Jason Myers field goal and pushed the lead to 12-0.
Then the fourth quarter became a nightmare. Julian Love came up with an interception. Minutes later, Devon Witherspoon forced a fumble that Uchenna Nwosu scooped up and returned 45 yards for a touchdown, effectively ending the game and putting Seattle up 29-7.
Look, Darnold's stat line doesn't jump off the page. Nineteen of 38 for 202 yards. That's not winning any beauty contests. But you know what that stat line also says? Zero turnovers. Zero interceptions. Zero fumbles. In a Super Bowl. Against a defense that was forcing turnovers all season long.
Darnold didn't need to be a hero. He needed to manage the game, move the chains when it mattered, and let Walker and the defense carry the load. He did exactly that. His 16-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barner early in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 19-0 and officially slammed the coffin shut.
The former Jets bust, the guy everyone wrote off after his disastrous tenure in New York, is now a Super Bowl champion. He's the second QB ever to post back-to-back 14-win seasons, joining Tom Brady. That's Sam Darnold. In 2026. You can't make this stuff up.
Drake Maye came into this game with the best passer rating in the NFL (113.5) and the best completion percentage (72.0%). He left with six sacks, three turnovers, and a shoulder that reportedly required a pre-game injection just to play.
Maye finished 27-of-43 for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble. The yardage was respectable, but it's misleading. Most of that came in garbage time when Seattle was already up 22-7 and playing prevent.
The offensive line deserves a massive share of the blame. They couldn't handle Seattle's pass rush schemes all night. Maye had no time, no clean pockets, and no ability to use his legs because the Seahawks had containment dialed up to perfection. When he did have time, the secondary was blanketing his receivers.
New England's only real highlights came late: a 35-yard touchdown bomb to Mack Hollins (who finished with 4 catches for 78 yards) and a short touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. By then, the scoreboard read 29-7 and the outcome was decided.
Jason Myers connected on five field goals in Super Bowl LX, setting the all-time Super Bowl record for field goals made. Myers was the difference in a first half where neither team could reach the end zone, converting three field goals to build Seattle's 9-0 halftime lead.
First Half: 3-for-3 FG (9-0 lead)
Full Game: 5-for-5 FG (SB record)
When your offense can't find the end zone, you better have a kicker you can trust. Myers was money all night, drilling five field goals to account for 15 of Seattle's 29 points. More than half of Seattle's scoring came off the leg of their kicker, and you know what? That's totally fine when your defense is putting up a goose egg for three quarters.
Here's the wildest part of this game: the total yardage was almost identical. Seattle had 335 yards. New England had 331. The Patriots actually converted third downs at a higher rate (40% to 25%). And yet the score was 29-13.
The difference? Three words: turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Seattle committed zero. New England coughed it up three times. When you're giving the ball away against a defense this ferocious, you're not winning a Super Bowl. Period.
Spread (SEA -4.5): Seahawks won by 16. The favorite covered with room to spare. Those who laid the points were never sweating after the third quarter. The underdog Super Bowl trend that had been so profitable over the past decade took a beating tonight.
Total (45.5): The combined 42 points went Under. The defense-dominated first three quarters (12-0) made the under a virtual lock before garbage time scoring padded the total.
Moneyline (SEA -230): Seahawks bettors cashed comfortably. The -230 line looks like a bargain in hindsight.
Anyone who bet the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl at any point this season is having an excellent night. The Dark Side delivered exactly the kind of performance that made them the betting favorite since mid-November.
The Seahawks have their second championship, and this one was earned through pure defensive dominance. Mike Macdonald's defense, built around Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Devon Witherspoon, and a supporting cast that plays possessed, is the best unit in football. It's not close.
For the Patriots, this hurts, but the future is blindingly bright. Drake Maye is 23 years old and just played in a Super Bowl. The turnaround from 4-13 to 14-3 and a Super Bowl appearance in one year under Mike Vrabel is historic regardless of tonight's result. They'll be back.
For bettors? File this one away. The Seahawks were the right side all along. When a team leads the NFL in points allowed, has a running back capable of grinding out 135 yards on the biggest stage, and commits zero turnovers, they're going to win the Super Bowl. It's that simple.
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks, your Super Bowl LX champions.