Good, Bad and Ugly, Super Bowl LX: Time to Crown the Seahawks

Super Bowl LX was a coronation for the Seahawks.

On Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, Seattle crushed New England from the start. The Patriots amassed only 51 first-half yards while failing to enter the red zone at any point before garbage time. The Seahawks got big games from the entire defense and running back Kenneth Walker III, who was named MVP after rushing for 131 yards on 5.2 yards per carry while also catching two passes for 26 yards.

As for the Patriots, it was a frustrating end to an immensely successful season. After winning only four games in 2024, New England finished 14–3 to win the AFC East. The Patriots then ripped through the AFC playoffs, allowing only 26 points in wins over the Chargers, Texans and Broncos, earning the franchise’s record-extending 12th Super Bowl appearance.

But Sunday night was all about Seattle and coach Mike Macdonald, who, in his second season as a head coach, won his first ring. Throughout the Super Bowl era, only six other coaches have won a title in either their first or second year at the helm, a group that is headlined by Mike Tomlin and Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs. Macdonald is also the third-youngest coach ever to raise the Lombardi Trophy, eclipsed by only Sean McVay and Tomlin.

All that said, we begin with Macdonald’s running back, who led the way on a night with offense in short supply.

Good: Kenneth Walker III’s next contract figures

If any offensive player came out of Super Bowl LX beaming about his performance, it’s Walker.

Walker, 25, is set to hit free agency in a month and looked the part of someone who could reset the running back market. After posting his second 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025, Walker then put forth a pair of 100-yard games this postseason, including a 161-total yard effort to help beat the Patriots.

With Darnold struggling and Jaxon Smith-Njigba posting only four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets after leading the league in receiving, Walker became the bellcow of an offense in dire need of one. Despite New England ranking tied for 10th in yards per carry allowed (4.2), Walker pounded away, rushing for 75 yards on his first seven carries to set the game’s tenor.

With the league increasingly leaning on the run game, Walker is in line for a payday that could eclipse $15 million per year. To date, the only players to do that are Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold — Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 202 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks's win over the Patriots on Sunday night. | Jamie Schwaberow/Sports Illustrated

Bad: Anybody trying to sell the Sam Darnold biopic

Darnold enjoyed a dream season, and his story will be talked about for years to come. But Super Bowl LX wasn’t the exclamation point he was looking for.

On the sport’s biggest stage, Darnold largely struggled. On the game’s first drive, he missed Smith-Njigba for a would-be 86-yard touchdown. Through the first half, he was 9-of-22 for 88 yards. Overall, Darnold went 19-of-38 for 202 yards and a touchdown in an underwhelming showing. Of course, Darnold will take the result, giving him the ring many thought he’d never win.

After being a bust with the Jets, Darnold was an afterthought with the Panthers and 49ers before signing a one-year deal with the Vikings. In Minnesota, Darnold was tremendous, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, but was allowed to hit free agency.

Signing a three-year, $100 million deal with the Seahawks, he was given another chance to be the long-term starter for a team. He responded emphatically with another 4,000-yard season and 25 touchdown passes, helping Seattle earn the top seed.

It was a great year for Darnold, just with a somewhat anti-climactic performance to cap it.

Ugly: New England’s rookie left side trying to block

The Patriots came into the Super Bowl knowing they needed quality performances from their rookie left side. Tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson had struggled in recent weeks, part of the reason New England surrendered 15 sacks across three games in the AFC playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the left side was a disaster. The right side wasn’t much better, either. New England allowed six sacks and 11 quarterback hits, including one resulting in a scoop-and-score by Uchenna Nwosu. Drake Maye was harassed and battered throughout the game, throwing two interceptions while going 25-of-40 for 262 yards in a heavily padded line.

During the regular season, Maye was sacked 47 times, less than only Justin Herbert, Geno Smith and Cam Ward. The hope was the unit would improve as it gained experience after bringing in four new starters this offseason, including right tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury. Instead, it got worse as the games grew in importance.

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald — Seattle coach Mike Macdonald called a masterful game on Sunday night in the Seahawks' Super Bowl win. | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

Good: Fans who loved a defensive battle

For those who tuned into the game hoping to see a defensive showcase, Super Bowl LX didn’t disappoint.

The initial 30 minutes ended with the Seahawks leading 9–0, giving us only the fifth first half in Super Bowl history that didn’t produce a touchdown. The last time it happened was Super Bowl LIII, when the Patriots led the Rams 3–0 before winning their sixth and final title with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

The passing games were primarily held down throughout the night. Darnold completed only half of his attempts, while Maye didn’t get into triple digits for yardage until the fourth quarter, when matters had long been decided.

While this Super Bowl wasn’t the aesthetically pleasing showcase we’ve seen over the years, such as the Chiefs-Eagles and Rams-Bengals in the early portion of the decade, it featured tough defense and great scheming from two coaches steeped in that side of the ball.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye — Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked six times in New England's loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night. | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

Bad: The idea that Drake Maye was robbed of MVP honors

Postseason numbers don’t determine the NFL MVP award. The vote is turned in before the postseason begins.

That said, while the playoffs and the numbers within them don’t factor into the race, those figures can certainly provide some proof as to whether the voters’ decision was correct.

While Maye had a fantastic season, including second-team All-Pro honors due to 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, he was a shell of that player after the regular season ended. In four postseason games, Maye completed 58.3% of his attempts for 828 yards with six touchdown passes and eight turnovers.

In fairness, Maye was constantly under duress. In those four games, he was sacked 21 times behind a horrid offensive line featuring the aforementioned two rookies on the left side. Still, for a player who was so brilliant behind that same group during the first 17 games, he was subpar when it mattered most.

Ugly: The next meaningful NFL game is in September

One of the weirder, more unpredictable seasons of NFL football is behind us.

While each season is different, it’s always a bit tough to see those final seconds tick off the clock of a Super Bowl (unless you happen to be rooting for the winning team). With the confetti falling on the field, the reality sets in that for the next seven months, there won’t be a lick of meaningful NFL football.

Of course, free agency and the draft are coming up. The schedule release will be here in May. OTAs and minicamps will keep us occupied in the spring. Training camp and all the updates that come with it will be here in the summer.

But the lack of games on the weekend, the absence of all-day football on Sundays, is always an unfortunate reality.