In the electric glow of Levi’s Stadium, under a cascade of navy and lime confetti, the Seattle Seahawks etched their name deeper into NFL immortality. Super Bowl LX, played on February 8, 2026, before a roaring crowd of 70,823 in Santa Clara, California, ended with Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in franchise history—a 29-13 dismantling of the New England Patriots. It was a rematch 11 years in the making, echoing Super Bowl XLIX’s infamous goal-line pick-six by Malcolm Butler that denied Seattle glory.
This time, revenge was sweet, served cold by a defense that suffocated New England’s prodigy quarterback Drake Maye and propelled journeyman Sam Darnold into the pantheon of champions.
The game was no aesthetic masterpiece. A defensive slugfest defined by sacks, turnovers, and field goals, it lacked the fireworks of recent Super Bowls but brimmed with stakes. Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense, the NFL’s No. 1 unit all season under coordinator Mike Macdonald, lived up to its billing. They sacked Maye six times for a staggering 43 lost yards, forced three turnovers—including a back-breaking 45-yard pick-six by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu—and held New England scoreless through three quarters.
Running back Kenneth Walker III earned Super Bowl MVP honors with 135 rushing yards on 26 carries, his vision and elusiveness slicing through Patriots gaps like a hot knife. Kicker Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record with five field goals (33, 39, 41, 28, and 47 yards), accounting for 19 of Seattle’s points.
Sam Darnold, the 2018 No. 3 overall pick once mocked as a Jets bust, authored a redemption arc for the ages. Signed by Seattle in the 2025 offseason after stints in Carolina, Minnesota, and San Francisco, he completed 19 of 32 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown—a 16-yarder to tight end A.J. Barner in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to 19-0. No interceptions, no sacks taken. “We’ve been through hell together,” Darnold said postgame, confetti still clinging to his dreadlocks.
“This defense carried us, but tonight, we all believed.” His error-free play silenced doubters, turning a career 0-8 playoff record into a ring. Walker added 26 receiving yards, while receivers Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba stretched the field just enough.
For the Patriots, it was heartbreak in Foxboro blue. Drake Maye, the 23-year-old second-year phenom out of North Carolina and NFL MVP runner-up, entered as the youngest starting QB in Super Bowl history, eyeing Ben Roethlisberger’s record. His regular season? Electric: over 4,500 yards, 35 TDs, a top-5 offense fueled by Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and Rhamondre Stevenson. But Seattle’s blitz packages—led by corner Devon Witherspoon’s sack, Derick Hall’s two takedowns, Byron Murphy II’s pair, and rookie Rylie Mills—unraveled him.
Maye went 27-of-43 for 295 yards, two late TDs (35-yard strike to Hollins, 7-yarder to Stevenson), but two picks and a fumble. Most yards came garbage-time; through three quarters, he was 6-for-11 for 48. A shoulder injury from the AFC title win over Denver lingered—he admitted to pregame injections—but owned it: “No excuses. They beat us up front. I’d like to redo it.”
New England’s path to Santa Clara was improbable. Under coach Mike Vrabel, hired post-Bill Belichick, they went 14-3, topping the AFC with road playoff wins over the Chargers (upset), Texans, and Broncos (Maye’s game-winning scramble). Defense shone with Christian Gonzalez’s pass breakups and Milton Williams’ sack on Darnold. But Sunday exposed flaws: eight punts, no red-zone trips until garbage time, and a line that crumbled. Vrabel: “They deserved it. We fought, but their D was relentless.”
Halftime belonged to Bad Bunny, whose Puerto Rican-rooted spectacle—waving flags amid “Together We Are America” motifs—drew cheers amid national divides. Charlie Puth’s anthem set a poignant tone. Yet the field’s drama peaked post-whistle.
As Seahawks celebrated—Darnold hoisting the trophy, Macdonald dousing GM John Schneider—Maye sat alone on the Patriots’ bench. Helmet off, towel over his face, head bowed amid enemy confetti. The 29-13 finality crushed a season’s dream. He thought himself invisible.
Wrong.
Through the chaos, a figure emerged: Sam Darnold. Not toward cameras or tunnel, but across the field. The new champion knelt beside his old AFC East foe—no, brother. They’d never been teammates; the prompt’s “New England brother-in-arms” was poetic license, but their paths intertwined. Darnold, a Jets-Patriots rival; Maye, the heir Belichick eyed. Rivalry fueled by respect. Darnold placed a hand on Maye’s shoulder, whispered. No grand speech—just presence. Maye lifted his head, wiped tears, stood. Cameras froze; the stadium hushed.
It wasn’t performative. In football’s ego-driven coliseum, Darnold chose loyalty. “I saw him there,” Darnold later explained. “We’ve battled—wins, losses, pressure. Pain. He’s 23, carried his team here. Couldn’t leave him alone in that.” Maye: “Meant more than stats. That’s leadership. Family beyond teams.”
Postgame chaos swallowed handshakes; video showed Maye scanning for Darnold amid confetti, guided away by staff. Seahawks’ Mike Morris hugged him instead. No slight—pure frenzy. Yet the kneel defined character.
This wasn’t mere sportsmanship. Seattle’s win avenged 2015, Macdonald (ex-Ravens) outscheming Vrabel. Seahawks finished 14-3, sweeping NFC playoffs over 49ers and Rams. Patriots’ loss: their sixth Super Bowl defeat, tying record.
Broader echoes: Darnold’s odyssey—from “seeing ghosts” memes to champ—vs. Maye’s speedbump. At 23, Maye’s painkiller shots, turnovers? Lessons. “Character revealed,” as one analyst tweeted. Social media exploded: #DarnoldRedemption trended; X clips of the kneel went viral.
Super Bowl LX: Championships remembered, but moments eternal. Seahawks party in Seattle; Patriots rebuild. Yet Darnold’s cross-field walk? Brotherhood above score. In noise, loyalty endures.
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