On Sunday, February 8, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots met on the country’s greatest stage in Santa Clara, California to battle it out for the Lombardi trophy.
Upon entering Levi’s stadium, the Patriots won the kickoff, and elected to differ, meaning the Seahawks and QB Sam Darnold would receive the ball first. They drove down the field, and settled for a field goal, putting them up 3-0.
This pattern would continue for much of the half, with great defensive football from the Patriots and DB Christian Gonzalez, holding the Seahawks to score only 2 more field goals through the first half. However, the Seahawks defense played much better than even that, allowing no points over the entire half themselves, leaving them with a 9-0 lead.
The third quarter would entail much of the same, with the Seahawks scoring 3, and the Patriots none, however with one key detail. LB Derick Hall made a game defining play, sacking QB Drake Maye whilst stripping him of the football. The fumble was recovered by breakout star DT Byron Murphy II, which would lead to a Seahawks touchdown to TE AJ Barner only 5 plays later in the 4th quarter, building the lead up to 19-0. The Patriots would respond quickly with a 3-play scoring drive ending with a TD to WR Mack Hollins closing the lead to 19-7.
After getting the ball back after forcing a stop on the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots committed the mistake that would seal their game. Veteran Safety Julian Love knows exactly what to look for in every play, like a surgeon, only dissecting the opposing team. Despite all the success the young QB has had this season, in the words of Love, he is still just a “classic young quarterback”.
As such, Maye forecasted an easy tell to Love, which he exploited for an interception that would lead to yet another Jason Myers (Kicker) Field Goal, leaving the score 22-7. The Patriots would then march down the field, attempting to narrow this almost impossible margin, where they’d run into the nail which would ensure their casket remained closed. Superstar CB Devon Witherspoon came screaming in on a blitz for QB Drake Maye and hit him hard enough for the ball to be propelled airborne. Veteran playmaker, LB Uchenna Nwosu would find himself in the perfect spot to act, securing the ball, and returning it for yet another Seattle TD, score 29-7.
The Patriots and RB Rhamondre Stevenson would score once more, leaving the final score 29-13; the Seattle Seahawks are champions once more.
Significant Seattle Selections
With the season all said and done, there is certainly lots that can be said about the Super Bowl LX champions out of Seattle. The SamDarnold-led Seahawks became the first team in league history to hoist the illustrious Lombardi trophy without committing a single turnover throughout the entirety of the postseason. This win marks only the second Super Bowl won in Seahawks franchise history (LX and XLVIII).
Seattle General Manager John Schneider becomes the first GM in league history to have built two separate Super Bowl winning teams without a single carried over player or coach. Having won Superbowl XLVIII with Coach Pete Carroll and the Legion of Boom, and once again now with coach Mike Macdonald and the Darkside, units he drafted himself. With this success, he cements himself atop the GM rankings across the league.
The Seahawks trailed for only 1:35 seconds over the entire length of the playoffs– an insane stat considering that means that through three 60-minute games, they spent only such a measly period of time behind.
Running Back Kenneth Walker III, otherwise known as K9, rushed for 135 yards and was crowned Superbowl MVP. This marks the first time since Terrell Davis in 1998 that a running back has won Superbowl MVP, and he racked up the most rushing yards in a SB since 1998.
With his 5 field goals made in the Super Bowl, Jason Myers became the player with the most field goals scored in the Super Bowl ever. Not only that, but also the player with the most points scored in a season, passing Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson for the all-time record.