The Super Bowl LX , where the Seattle Seahawks (14-3) defeated the New England Patriots (14-3) on Sunday, ended with a final score of 29-13. The match was held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home to the San Francisco 49ers. This was the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl win in more than a decade, with their last appearance in 2015, where they also played the Patriots. The Patriots won their last Super Bowl in 2019, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2015 rematch started slow, with four field goals by the Seahawks in the first three quarters, and no score from the Patriots. Both offenses struggled to score against the sixth and eighth ranked defenses in the National Football League (NFL).
That began to shift in the final quarter, when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed a touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner, putting the Seahawks up 17-0. The Patriots responded with a touchdown of their own when quarterback Drake Maye threw a 35-yard pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins. However, the Seahawks quickly stopped New England’s newfound offensive momentum. Seahawks safety Julian Love intercepted a pass from Maye, which ultimately resulted in another field goal for Seattle. On the next drive, Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu caught an interception and ran it to the endzone for a touchdown, setting the score to 29-7. The Patriots eventually scored another touchdown, but their efforts came up short, and the Seahawks took home the championship.
“I think the Seahawks won because they had … a better [offensive] line, but the Patriots just had a terrible game plan,” Chase Olesky (12), a safety on the varsity football team, said.
Sebastian Iniguez, defensive end on the varsity football team, is a Seahawks fan.
“I liked how the Seahawks performed,” Iniguez said. “Their defense, especially. [The] only thing is that it felt pretty slow, especially at the start, but other than that, it was a great game for me to watch.”
For the Seahawks, players from all groups of the team put on winning performances, particularly in the running game and in the secondary.
“[Running back] Kenneth Walker III had a really good game,” Olesky said. “The entire Seahawks defense played really [well]. Drake Maye [and] the Patriots didn’t play too well.”
Still, there were also standout performances on New England’s side, mostly from the defense.
“From the Patriots, I think [safety] Christian Gonzalez played pretty well,” Iniguez said.
Matthew Livingston, biology teacher and head coach of the junior varsity football team, agreed with Iniguez and Olesky.
“Other than the offensive line [for] the Seahawks, [the] running back was awesome,” Livingston said. “But, I did love the defensive play by Gonzalez … shows how even in football, one guy can still make a big difference.”
The Seahawks’ offense used a strategy that contrasted with most modern football tactics. Seattle relied heavily on rushing and kicking, as kicker Jason Myers scored 15 points in field goals and two points in extra points. Walker III became the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) after rushing for 135 yards.
Olesky said Myers was a “good kicker,” while Livingston explained that he enjoyed the game.
“I liked how it was kind of an old-school football game,” Livingston said. “When [Seattle] got to third down, they just ran the ball because they knew they were going to kick a field goal. They had such trust in their defense. They didn’t have to go for the first down … you don’t see that very often, and if you compare it to last year, when the Eagles dominated with the run game and totally shut down the passing game, [you think] ‘Is this pendulum swinging from this wide-open, prolific offense to more of a defensive-minded ground game [with] ball control?’”
Meanwhile, Iniguez pointed out the coaches’ long-term role in developing a winning team.
“[Without] Mike Macdonald’s defense … the Seahawks wouldn’t have won,” Iniguez said. “I think he did a really good job developing them over the last two years, completely rebuilding their defense and their defensive scheme.”
On the other side of the field, the Patriots walked home without a trophy. Even before the championship game, some argued that New England did not truly have the talent to go to the Super Bowl or win it. Despite defeating winning teams like the Buffalo Bills (12-5) and the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), they had one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.
Livingston agreed with that sentiment.
“I don’t see New England back in the Super Bowl [next year],” Livingston said. “Because their schedule’s going to be so much tougher next year and they kind of backed into it with not having to play Bo Nix in the [AFC Championship game]. Then the Chargers weren’t that tough of an opponent; they didn’t play very well. So it seems like [the Patriots] … got lucky with the schedule.”
Ultimately, the Patriots were unable to prove that they were more than just “lucky.” Iniguez pointed out their offensive gaps that were exposed during the game.
“Drake Maye … wasn’t good,” Iniguez said. “He threw some really bad passes. Then [the Patriots’] offensive line, obviously, with six sacks allowed, I think that was really bad.”
Even though the Seahawks are now NFL champions, they have expiring contracts for former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, as well as players like Walker III and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
“Find a good replacement for Kubiak in the off-season,” Iniguez said. “I think if they do that, they keep offensive momentum and their defense can just take it to another level. They’ll be just fine, they might go back to back … [Also] get Sam Darnold to stop committing as many turnovers, and I think this team could be even better next year.”
Livingston pointed out a different step that the Seahawks would need to take to get back to the Super Bowl.
“They’re going to have to stay dynamic with their offense,” Livingston said. “People scheme against that and whatever you’re doing right this year, people are going to have an answer for next year, so they’re going to have to find a way to stay dynamic and come up with new ways to cause problems when the [defense] comes up with answers.”
The halftime show for Super Bowl LX featured Bad Bunny as the main performer, with special guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
“I thought the halftime show was awesome,” Livingston said. “That was one of the best halftime shows I can ever remember, even though I don’t speak a lot of Spanish. It was such a cool thing that you could … see what they were saying without understanding the language, which means it was a universal message we could all identify with.”
