SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The confetti falling at Levi’s Stadium wasn’t just blue and green; it was a shroud over a New England offense that never woke up. In a game defined by bruising runs and relentless pressure, the Seattle Seahawks claimed their second world championship Sunday night, dismantling the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
This wasn’t the aerial circus the modern NFL loves. It was a street fight. And Kenneth Walker III threw the hardest punches.
The Walker Workload
Quarterbacks usually hoard the glory on this stage. Not this year. Kenneth Walker III became the first running back this century to capture Super Bowl MVP honors, slashing through the Patriots’ defensive front for 135 yards on the ground.
While Patriots quarterback Drake Maye struggled to find rhythm against a ferocious Seattle pass rush, Walker served as the Seahawks’ battering ram. He kept the clock moving and the Patriots’ defense gasping for air. When Seattle needed a yard, Walker got three. When they needed a clock-killing first down, he broke a tackle and got ten.
“We knew they wanted to make us throw,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said post-game. “We decided to run right at them instead.”
“They kept waiting for us to get cute. We didn’t get cute. We just hit them. Again and again. Running backs don’t get this award anymore, man. This is for every back in the league grinding in the trenches.” — Kenneth Walker III, Super Bowl LX MVP
The Kicker’s revenge
If Walker was the hammer, Jason Myers was the dagger. In a game where touchdowns were scarce early on, Myers etched his name into the record books. He drilled a Super Bowl record five field goals, punishing every New England stall in the red zone. The Patriots’ defense bent but rarely broke, yet Myers ensured Seattle walked away with points on virtually every possession.
On the other side, the Patriots’ offense looked lost. Drake Maye’s stat line—295 yards on 27-of-43 passing—looks respectable on paper, but it’s a mirage. Most of those yards came in “garbage time” with Seattle already planning the parade. The Seahawks’ defense, led by Byron Murphy II and Uchenna Nwosu, sacked Maye five times and forced quick punts that left New England’s defense exhausted.
Where Does Super Bowl LX Rank?
With 60 years of history in the books, we’ve updated our definitive rankings. Does a defensive clinic like Sunday’s game crack the top tier? Or does the lack of offensive fireworks drag it down?
The Verdict: No. 53
53. Super Bowl LX (2026): Seahawks 29, Patriots 13
There have been bigger blowouts, but few Super Bowls have lacked the visceral excitement of this one. It was a rough night for a Patriots offense kept off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. The game’s first touchdown didn’t occur until the 47th minute of action.
While Kenneth Walker’s MVP performance was a throwback joy for rushing purists, and Jason Myers’ five field goals were a technical marvel, the game lacked drama. Seattle grabbed control early and simply refused to let go. Clinical? Yes. Thrilling? No.
The Gold Standard: Top 5 All-Time
If Sunday’s game was a defensive grind, these five classics remind us why we watch.
5. Super Bowl XLIII (2009): Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
This game defied logic. It gave us James Harrison’s lungs-burning 100-yard interception return and Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown that seemed to win it for Arizona. But Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes had other plans. Roethlisberger’s pass to the back corner of the end zone—and Holmes’ toe-tap catch—remains the gold standard for clutch execution.
4. Super Bowl XLIX (2015): Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
The game that haunts Seattle forever. Tom Brady erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Legion of Boom, but the story will always be the yard line. Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. One yard to go. And Malcolm Butler jumping the route. It remains the most shocking singular play in NFL history.
3. Super Bowl LI (2017): Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT)
28-3. Those numbers are shorthand for “never give up.” The Falcons dominated for 40 minutes, but Tom Brady engineered the greatest comeback in sports history. Julian Edelman’s defiance of gravity with his fingertip catch kept the drive alive, and James White’s overtime touchdown completed the miracle.
2. Super Bowl XLII (2008): Giants 17, Patriots 14
The night perfection died. The 18-0 Patriots were an unstoppable machine, but the Giants’ defensive front battered Brady all night. Then came the play that defied physics: Eli Manning escaping a sack and launching a prayer to David Tyree, who pinned the ball against his helmet. Plaxico Burress sealed the upset, but the “Helmet Catch” remains the sport’s most iconic image.
1. Super Bowl XXV (1991): Giants 20, Bills 19
The masterpiece. Played amidst the tension of the Gulf War, this game had everything. Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick crafted the perfect defensive game plan to slow down Buffalo’s “K-Gun” offense. The Giants held the ball for over 40 minutes. Yet, it still came down to one swing of the leg. Scott Norwood’s 47-yard attempt sailed wide right, preserving the Giants’ victory and setting the standard for tension that no Super Bowl has matched since.
What’s Next for the Champs?
Seattle enters the 2026 offseason with a target on their back. With a young core locked in and a defense that just suffocated an AFC champion, the question isn’t if they can return, but who can stop them. For the Patriots, the Drake Maye era has hit its first major speed bump. They have the quarterback; now they need the protection.
