SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The “Dark Side” defense carried the Seattle Seahawks to a Lombardi Trophy.
Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of second-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled quarterback Drake Maye, and the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium to win the franchise’s second NFL championship.
“We never waver, man. We believe in each other. We love each other, and now we’re world champions,” said Macdonald said, the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens for two seasons before taking over in Seattle.
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards, and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.
“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Darnold, who joined the Seahawks ahead of the season — his eighth as a pro, with Seattle his fifth stop in that span. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”