2013 Seahawks have a case as best Super Bowl champion of the last 25 years

Before you know it, two teams will be squaring off in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to decide the NFL’s 106th champion. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of football ahead. In this instance, an NFL writer is looking back.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently ranked the past 25 Super Bowl champions. That’s the NFL title holders from 2000 to 2024, hence Super Bowls XXXV to LIX. “Looking primarily at records,” explained Gagnon, “scoring-, yardage- and turnover-based statistics, efficiency in key spots, and All-Pros, Pro Bowlers and eventual Hall of Famers…”

At No. 25, there are the 2011 New York Giants. They eventually knocked off the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. At the top spot are the 2004 Patriots, a very complete team on both sides of the ball who would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Jacksonville.

What about Pete Carroll’s 2013 Seattle Seahawks? They finished 13-3 that season, knocked off the Saints and 49ers in the playoffs, then manhandled a Denver Broncos’ team, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium? Only the aforementioned ’04 Pats were better.

Percy Harvin XLVIII — Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin (11) returns a kick for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“Pros: They outscored their opponents by 11.6 points per game,” explained Gagnon, “which is second-best among the winners in this exercise. The “Legion of Boom” was legendary as Russell Wilson shined for a team that dominated all year before crushing the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Cons: They were only 4-3 against teams with winning records and the offense wasn’t historically good. That’s honestly all I’ve got.”

Of course, that defense could be considered historically good. For the second straight year and what would be four consecutive seasons from 2012-15, Carroll’s team allowed the fewest points in the league. The 2013 Seahawks came up with a league-high 39 takeaways—including 28 interceptions. Seattle gave up only 20 offensive TDs during the regular season and just five more in their three-game postseason sweep of New Orleans, San Francisco, and Denver.

That rout of the Broncos on Super Sunday, which saw Carroll’s club score on offense, defense, and special teams, came against a team that still holds the NFL record for the most points scored in a season (606) in league annals.

More Seahawks on SI stories