SANTA CLARA, CA – Go ahead, say it again: Defense wins championships.
TheSeattle Seahawkslived up to the mantra inSuper Bowl 60with a smashing performance that left little doubt about their status as a special unit.
Sure, theNew England Patriotsrallied in the fourth quarter to finally get on the scoreboard and Seahawks running backKenneth Walker III nabbed MVP honorsin tallying 161 yards from scrimmage. But the way it went down at Levi's Stadium inthe 29-13 verdictwas undeniably all about Seattle's defense,aka "The Dark Side."
How fitting. Mike Macdonald got his big shot to become Seahawks coach in 2024 because of his prowess as a defensive whiz.
Look at him now. His Seahawks defense, which allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the regular season, finished the job with one big play after another.
How many times would they sack poor Drake Maye?
That would be six, reflecting all the heat they constantly put on the Patriots quarterback. And that was just one measure of domination. Maye was intercepted twice – including a fourth-quarter pop-up that Uchenna Nwosu returned 45 yards for a touchdown – and lost a fumble.
Check out the biggest defensive moments from Patriots vs. Seahawks
Who was the defensive MVP?
Well, that's a crapshoot – in the sense that there were so many candidates.Derick Hall had two sacksand forced a fumble. Devon Witherspoon had a sack and forced the pop-up pick to Nwosu. Byron Murphy had two sacks and a recovery.
Any chance they'd collapse down the stretch and allow the New England Patriots to rally and make a game of it?
No chance. In fact, for much of the game the Seahawks flirted with the possibilityof becoming the first defense to pitch a shutout in a Super Bowl.
As it stands now, they'll have to settle for a spot alongside some of the greatest championship defenses ever.
There's the Steel Curtain and Doomsday. No one can forget the 1985Chicago Bears. Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor led remarkable defenses for theRavensandGiants, respectively.
And of course, the Seahawks won their last Super Bowl a dozen years ago with the "Legion of Boom."
Now "The Dark Side" deserves to take a bow.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Seahawks defense destroys Patriots and earns place in NFL history
