Sam Darnold embellished his incredible comeback story to once-unimaginable glory, Aden Durde made British NFL history and the Seattle Seahawks became Super Bowl champions for the second time after beating the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
It would be very fitting that Mike Macdonald’s No. 1 scoring defense took a final, defining masterclass in the 2025 NFL season, as he sacked Drake Maye six times and intercepted him twice, putting up a breathtaking performance against the second-year Patriots quarterback.
Uchenna Nwosu had a 44-yard interception return, Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Jason Myers kicked a Super Bowl-record five field goals and Julian’s fourth-quarter pick of Love extinguished Maye’s comeback threat.
In his eighth season with his fifth team, Darnold buried his past and early career obituary as a third overall pick in 2018 and embarked on an unlikely life of football immortality, reaching the pinnacle of football after signing a $105 million contract with the organization last offseason.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold found AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown as the Seahawks pulled ahead against the New England Patriots.
Durde, the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator in London, became the first British-born coordinator to coach in a Super Bowl. The former London Warriors coach and founder of the league’s International Player Pathway program played a key role in steering Seattle’s rampant ‘dark side’ defense.
Kenneth Walker starred on the ground with 135 rushing yards while earning Super Bowl MVP honors, Derick Hall and Byron Murphy II each had two sacks and Darnold Barley had to call on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s receiving leader, as California’s defense was at its best.
Bad Bunny made history as the first Latino and Spanish-speaking artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show with a solo performance. This highlighted Levi’s as a sign of California’s diversity and the NFL’s commitment to its global audience.
The Puerto Rican artist concluded the performance by serenading the Latin American flag with the phrase “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” on a large screen. It is a symbol of unity that comes at a time of heightened tension across the United States due to concerns surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
New England quarterback Drake Maye suffered his second fumble of the game when Seattle’s Uchenna Nwosu took advantage by running unopposed for a 44-yard touchdown.
Stats Leader:
Seahawks
- passing: Sam Darnold, 19/38, 202 yards, 1 TD.
- rush: Kenneth Walker III, 27 carries, 135 yards.
- transmission: Cooper Kupp, 6 catches, 61 yards.
patriot
- passing: Drake Maye, 27/43, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT.
- rush: Drake May, 5 catches, 37 yards.
- transmission: Mac Hollins, 4 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
New England quarterback Drake Maye somehow found Mack Hollins for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the Patriots some hope of a late comeback.
One of the few blemishes in Maye’s stellar campaign, Maye’s back-to-back turnovers came back to haunt him late in the third quarter when Hall was stripped for giving up possession.
Darnold was one-handed in punishing his second-year opponent with a 16-yard touchdown strike to Barner. Barner moved across the formation into a tight split alignment before sneaking out on a corner route and hauling in the quarterback’s pass for a 19-0 lead with 13.24 left.
On the first sign of the Patriots offense all game, Maye hit a tight window over the middle of the field with a beautifully placed dagger to Mack Hollins for a 24-yard gain. He then went back to his preferred splash play target on the next play with a back-shoulder fade to Hollins for a 35-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 19-7 with 12.27 remaining.
Suddenly Maye and Josh McDaniels provided a spark, and confidence seemed to be growing until disaster struck when the former was blocked by Love at the Seahawks’ 27 with 8.49 to play.
He then gift-wrapped a pick-six that would become the epitome of Seahawks football with full speed and terrifying top speed. Devon Witherspoon burned the rim, spurring a Maye fumble that found the sharp hands of Nwosu, who swung back for a 44-yard house call.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold found AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown as the Seahawks pulled ahead against the New England Patriots.
Maye’s final statement on a difficult day was a late consolation touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson, but the damage was long done. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick has been trying to become the first quarterback since Tom Brady in 2001 to make his NFL playoff debut and win a Super Bowl in the same year.
Charlie Puth’s vocals are combined with thundering Air Force flights, beautiful fireworks and a raucous ‘Is this Seattle?’ The crowd gathered for the perfect Super Bowl cocktail before kickoff. The emergence of Tom Brady among fellow Super Bowl MVPs, including Joe Montana, sparked an outpouring of patriotism for the Patriots. Levi’s Stadium was filled with unpredictability, with an aura of mystery sweeping Santa Clara ahead of the most unexpected matchup of all time.
What followed was what many expected. A determined and stubborn dual offense combining two of the league’s best defenses, with some physical Walker running and three Myers field goals gave Seattle a 9-0 lead at the break. Seattle soon extended its kick-heavy cushion with Myers’ 41-yard field goal at the end of a 10-play drive early in the second half.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde is in high spirits after becoming the first British coach to win a Super Bowl.
The defensive tone of the day was highlighted on the final drive of the second quarter when Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez delivered a touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba on the edge of the end zone.
It was his second crucial break-up in the first half after a stunning leap and tip to deny a soaring Rashid Shahid with one of the few deep shots in the opening two stanzas.
The Patriots had little presence on offense during the first half, with Maye being sacked three times and recording just 48 passing yards.
The loss prevented the Patriots from winning an NFL-record seventh Super Bowl title, while the Seahawks avenged their loss to New England in Super Bowl 49, which ended with Malcolm Butler’s iconic goal-line interception.
This brought the curtain down on one of the most promising NFL seasons in recent memory. The Seahawks are at the top of the tree at the end of one of the most unexpected Super Bowl matchups in history, based on the odds.
