In a Super Bowl defined by smothering defensive performances, the "Dark Side" proved too much for a franchise once known as the NFL's "Evil Empire."
The Seattle Seahawks flustered the New England Patriots throughout Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif., to secure a 29-13 win and the second title in franchise history.
Though the Seahawks fell short of recording the first shutout in the game's history after holding the Patriots scoreless through three quarters, the team notched six sacks, falling just short of a Super Bowl record.
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Coach Mike Macdonald's overpowering defense served as the engine behind the team's run to the NFC's top playoff seed. Yet it was the dominant display on football's grandest stage that would go down as the unit's crowning achievement.
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Second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who missed out on winning the NFL MVP Award by a single first-place vote, was thoroughly rattled by a diverse and unpredictable Seattle pass rush. The Seahawks repeatedly overwhelmed rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson on the left side of New England's line in the early going, bagging three first-half sacks.
As the onslaught of rushers kept up, Maye and the rest of an offense that had ranked in scoring during the regular season couldn't find a comfort zone. At halftime, the Patriots had just 51 total yards – the third fewest of any team in Super Bowl history – and four first downs.
Seahawks defense keeps the big plays coming in Super Bowl
The Seahawks seemed to break the game open with Derick Hall's strip-sack of Maye late in the third quarter. Five plays after Byron Murphy II recovered the fumble, Seahawks tight end AJ Barner hauled in a 16-yard scoring strike for the game's first touchdown.
Maye responded by delivering two downfield darts to wide receiver Mack Hollins, the latter a 35-yard touchdown, to deny Seattle the first Super Bowl shutout in league history. But any lingering hopes of a comeback bid seemed to be snuffed out when he lofted an interception to safety Julian Love on the ensuing possession.
Late in the fourth quarter, edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu punctuated the evening with a 45-yard interception return off a big pressure from cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who kept New England off balance throughout the game as a frequent blitzer.
Patriots defense makes their mark, but Seahawks stay the course
The nerves inherent to the Super Bowl platform were on display early for the Seahawks when returners Rashid Shaheed and Velus Jones Jr. lined up in the wrong end zone for the opening kickoff. From there, however, Seattle managed to keep its composure.
Quarterback Sam Darnold faced a similar outlook to his counterpart, with the Patriots' unrelenting blitzes affording him little time to work. But while Darnold completed just 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards, he frequently sidestepped the rush and avoided the game-altering setbacks that he proved susceptible to committing in the regular season, during which he led the NFL with 20 turnovers.
Seattle sought further offensive stability through running back Kenneth Walker III, whose handful of big gains on the ground helped his team take a 9-0 lead at halftime thanks to three Jason Myers' field goals. Myers booted two more to set the record for the most converted field goals in a single Super Bowl.
Seahawks, Patriots shift perceptions
In taking over two years ago for Pete Carroll, who led the Seahawks to their first title in the 2013 season, Macdonald began his work operating in the long shadow cast by the iconic "Legion of Boom" defenses. While the "Dark Side" group lacks the brand recognition or star power of its predecessor, the unit now has carved out a unique place in franchise lore.
Carroll's team, of course, last reached this stage against the Patriots in the 2014 season, falling to the Patriots in crushing fashion with Russell Wilson's goal-line interception to Malcolm Butler. Now, Macdonald's crew charted a new course against the same franchise.
The Patriots, meanwhile, had been seeking a record-setting seventh Lombardi Trophy. While optimism was peaking as NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel engineered a 10-win turnaround, New England entered the game as a clear underdog – and exits it with a record sixth Super Bowl defeat.
Perhaps the weight of the task awaiting New England was foreshadowed by the pregame comments of San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, whom Vrabel beat out for Coach of the Year.
Said Shanahan in a pregame interview with NBC: "I know you guys want my expert opinion, but I haven't scored a touchdown on these guys the last two times we've played them, so I don't know how good that is."
On Sunday, the Seahawks left Vrabel and the Patriots similarly stumped.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seahawks swarm Patriots for second Super Bowl title in franchise history
