> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ‘Battle Tested’ Seahawks Suffocate Patriots, Cement Place as All-Time Great Defense in Super Bowl Win - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/battle-tested-seattle-seahawks-cement-all-time-great-defense-super-bowl-win/ - Published: 2026-02-09T07:08:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:35:56.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Game Day, Features, Seahawks, Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Julian Love, Byron Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_28190871-format-original.jpg) SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Approaching kickoff for Super Bowl LX, there wasn’t cloud in the sky as temperatures hovered around the low 70s, presenting idealistic conditions for the ultimate event in sports. But then, the Seattle Seahawks’ “Darkside” defense took the field, bringing with them a violent storm that the New England Patriots simply weren’t prepared for and couldn’t weather. It started with a flash in the form of a Derick Hall sack on the opening series, forcing a punt, followed by thunder as Devon Witherspoon came in unabated to hit Drake Maye and coax an ugly throwaway downfield, again forcing a punt. Lightning struck on the next possession as the cornerback got home this time with teammate Nick Emmanwori also collapsing the pocket, corralling the quarterback after shooting the B-gap untouched for a 10-yard sack that led to a third consecutive punt. From there, the proverbial rain started to come down after halftime, rapidly transforming from a mere sprinkle into a monsoon as Seattle generated a trio of turnovers in the final 15 minutes, headlined by Witherspoon’s quarterback hit on Maye that resulted in a 45-yard interception return for outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. Unleashing a hurricane unlike anything seen during a Super Bowl - aside from a couple lapses in the final quarter when the game already seemed to be well in hand - the Seahawks turned in a defensive onslaught for the ages behind a masterful game plan from coach Mike Macdonald to silence the No. 2 ranked scoring offense in a 29-13 victory and bring a second Lombardi Trophy home to the Pacific Northwest. “Once we get in front of you, we’re a different group,” linebacker Ernest Jones said post-game, proudly sporting his Super Bowl champion tee. “We were able to get out there, get pressure, and get after the quarterback. It’s what I expected from us. We’ve been doing this all year. We’ve been battle tested. This was nothing.” Eager to make one last statement after several days hearing about New England’s potent attack and keeping the focus on the task at hand internally, the Seahawks left no doubt with the top-ranked defense from the regular season putting an exclamation point on a phenomenal campaign that should rank among the best ever. Giving up two first downs on the opening drive of the game, Seattle brought out the handcuffs from that point on, leaning on a suffocating pass rush coming in waves from all three levels as Macdonald put an increased emphasis on cutting his versatile defensive backs loose. Along with bottling up Rhamondre Stevenson and New England’s run game, Hall, Witherspoon, and Byron Murphy all got to Maye for sacks in the first half, helping force five consecutive punts to open the game before Bad Bunny took the stage for the halftime show, including a pair of three-and-outs. Life only became more challenging for Maye and the Patriots after the lengthy intermission with their adjustments not making a difference at all, as they failed to pick up a single first down on their first three possessions that all ended with punts. Finally moving the chains on the fourth possession, that baby step in the right direction wound up yielding even worse results, as Hall wrapped around tackle Will Campbell and collapsed down on the quarterback on 3rd and 6, punching the ball out of the quarterback’s hands with Murphy diving on the loose ball for a fumble in New England territory. Equaling his season total for sacks in one night and nearly finishing off a third sack in the fourth quarter, Hall couldn’t have picked a better moment for a breakout game, taking out some of his frustrations while dominating Campbell off the right side all night. “It’s been a little crazy of a year for me,” Hall said. “Obviously, the pressures and the hits have been there, but no sacks. Man, what a more rewarding time to be blessed and have the opportunity to go out in this game and help lead this team to success tonight. So, I really can’t put into words.” Five plays after Hall’s strip sack on Maye, Sam Darnold made the Patriots pay the maximum price for their mistake, launching a deep ball to tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown reception on a corner route that pushed the Seahawks’ lead to 19-0 in an instant. And that was just the start of what turned into a nightmare of a quarter for Maye. Though New England’s second-year quarterback responded to the fumble by orchestrating a three-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a 35-yard strike to Mack Hollins, who had beaten Riq Woolen in the front left corner of the end zone, that sliver of hope turned out to be little more than that. After Seattle went three-and-out offensively, Maye failed to capitalize, launching an ugly arm punt that landed into the hands of safety Julian Love, who might as well have called for a fair catch as momentum sprinted back to the other sideline. The Seahawks turned Love’s pick into a fifth field goal by Jason Myers, again cashing in on a turnover with points, and the torrential downpour continued on the next possession. Past midfield and facing 1st and 10, Maye took the snap and barely had time to blink before Witherspoon came crashing down on him on the blitz, jetting through the B-gap untouched and laying the wood on the quarterback as he tried to unload the football. “We had a great game plan. We executed that game plan,” a smiling Witherspoon said. “We handled our business the way we did all year.” Unable to put any mustard on the throw with Witherspoon hitting his arm and preventing him from following through, the ball squirted out of his right hand into Nwosu’s grasp and the veteran took off with nothing but green in front of him for a pick six, calling game as the lead ballooned to 29-7 with under five minutes left to play. As Macdonald acknowledged in his post-game availability, though the player would have appreciated more opportunities to go after the quarterback in the regular season, Witherspoon set the tone as the lightning rod for the rest of the Seahawks defense from the jump and happily seized the opportunity to blitz a bit more against a suspect Patriots offensive line, emitting enough energy to likely power the entire bay area on his own that the rest of the unit fed off of. “Incredible,” Macdonald gushed. “Spoon had a phenomenal game, affected the quarterback, made the play on the ball. We haven't blitzed him that much this year. He hasn't made that many plays on the quarterback, not for a lack of wanting to on his end, but called his number today, made it happen. He’s a tremendous player.” Even with a couple mistakes down the stretch that allowed the Patriots to score a pair of touchdowns and make the score appear closer in the waning moments, just as they had done all year long wreaking havoc on opposing offenses, the Seahawks simply were too much to handle from the defensive line all the way back to the secondary. By the time the confetti started to plummet from the sky and Macdonald hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on the podium, Seattle had sacked Maye six times and hit him a grand total of 11 times, limiting New England to six third down conversions on 15 attempts and under five yards per play. They also held Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to 42 combined rushing yards along with winning the turnover battle by a plus-three margin to put the cherry on top of a signature defensive masterpiece. As for where this Seahawks defense lies among the all-time greats, Witherspoon hasn’t had time to ponder the possibility just yet, stating the obvious that they were the best this season and that’s “all that matters.” With a massive parade set to commence later this week, it will be a little while until he and his teammates have a time to reflect on such a question before transitioning to preparation for next season. “I'm not really worried about what everybody else got going on. I'm just living in the present right now,” Witherspoon stated. But in time, considering the team’s remarkable consistency and the final storm that nearly blanked one of the league’s most explosive offenses, such an unforgettable performance to cap it all off with a Super Bowl title and a 17-3 record should undoubtedly place them in the discussion as one of the greatest of all-time.