This game was never as close as the score might suggest, and by the time the last New England pass fell harmlessly to the turf, the Seattle Seahawks had done what they came to do. They won Super Bowl LX, 29–13, the way hard teams win in cold months and loud stadiums: with defense that traveled and a running game that stayed. It was a night built on collisions and patience, on six sacks and hurried throws, on a pick-six that turned belief into certainty.
At 38, head coach Mike Macdonald stood on the sideline with the calm of a man who trusted his plan. His defense justified that trust, closing space and collapsing pockets until the Patriots were left chasing answers that never arrived.
Sam Darnold did not need to be heroic. He needed to be steady, and he was. Nineteen completions in thirty-eight attempts for 202 yards and a touchdown will not live in bronze, but zero turnovers will. After leading the league in giveaways during the regular season, Darnold finished the postseason without one, a statistic that tells the story better than any speech. His January began with a 41–6 dismantling of San Francisco and crested with 346 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. Once labeled a draft mistake in New York and Carolina, he walked off this field a champion, his $100.5 million contract no longer a wager but a receipt.
Still, this night belonged to the defense and to Kenneth Walker III. The Seahawks hit with purpose and ran with intent. The defense forced turnovers, set the edge, and dictated the rhythm until New England played on its heels. Walker supplied the steady drumbeat, pressing the line, waiting for daylight, then cutting through it with force. His runs did not always break the game open, but they bent it Seattle’s way, chewing clock and spirit alike.
It was a familiar formula in the Pacific Northwest: defend every blade of grass, run until the other side softens, and let the quarterback finish what the others begin. The Seahawks have known this kind of football before. On this night, it brought them their second Lombardi Trophy.