History Stands on Seahawks’ Side Entering Super Bowl LX
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Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (0) shadow box at the San Jose Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images [/caption]
Mike Macdonald has built a force to be reckoned with in Seattle. Defense is cool again in the Emerald City. Much like the Legion of Boom days, the defense is the driving force behind the success of the Seattle Seahawks. And once again, it has gotten them to the Super Bowl. Sure, this unit is different in many ways from the L.O.B., but the “Darkside” still runs the show.
The Seahawks ranked first in scoring defense, first in rushing yards per attempt allowed, first in passing yards per attempt allowed, second in yards-per-play allowed, and second in EPA per play.
It’s safe to say, Seattle had the best overall defense in 2025.
They say “defense wins championships.” It’s become cliche. Why do cliches become cliches? Because they are said so often. Often, that is because they have rung true time after time. That certainly was on full display during Seattle’s first (and to this date, only) Super Bowl title in the 2013 season. The MVP-winning Peyton Manning and the No. 1-ranked offense in Denver could do absolutely nothing against the Legion of Boom, leading to one of the biggest blowouts in the modern era of the Super Bowl.
Let’s put that to the test throughout the history of the Super Bowl. Let’s explore the history of when the No. 1 scoring defense plays in the Super Bowl, since the merger of 1970.
Since 1970, the No. 1 scoring defense has played in the Super Bowl 18 times. They are 14-4 in those Super Bowls. The last team with the No. 1 scoring defense to lose the Super Bowl? You guessed it. The Seahawks, to the Patriots, in a game that we won’t divulge into the ending on.
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*red indicates the losing team [/caption]
By simply being the No. 1 scoring defense, the Seahawks have history on their side. However, that is not all. In all four cases where the No. 1 scoring defense didn’t win the Super Bowl, their offense ranked outside the top five in scoring.
The seven times in which the No. 1 scoring defense was paired with a top five scoring offense on the same team (Seahawks rank third), that team is a perfect 7-0 in the Super Bowl.
Indeed, history seems to favor the Seahawks on Sunday. By having, not only the top defense in points allowed in the NFL, but also complementing it with a top-five scoring attack, Seattle is in pole position to hoist a second Lombardi Trophy. Granted, the Patriots don’t care about any of this. They also have both a top five scoring offense and defense. Teams with that distinction are 16-9 historically in the Big Game.
Another notch in the “defense wins championships” belt is the team that simply has the higher ranked scoring defense, regardless of ranking, is 38-17 overall in the Super Bowl since 1970. Quite simply, the defense has, historically, won championships in almost 70 percent of the Super Bowls.
Both Seattle and New England can lay claim to great defenses. However, statistically, the Seahawks have the edge almost across the board defensively and should be declared the superior defense in this matchup. They certainly hope that will lead to a parade in Seattle next week.
