Top 5 Defensive Performances in Seahawks' Super Bowl History

With Super Bowl LVI on the horizon, Ty Dane Gonzalez looks back on the Seahawks' five best defensive performances in the big game.

Since entering the conference in 2002, no NFC team has appeared in more Super Bowls than the Seahawks. And with a Bengals win over the Rams this Sunday, they would remain the only NFC West team to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in that time.

Though two of their three trips to the big game have ended in disappointment, there have been several individual performances worth remembering from each one. Let's take a step into the ol' time machine and look back at the Seahawks' five best defensive outings in the Super Bowl. 

5. LB Bobby Wagner, Super Bowl XLIX

Fresh off his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, Wagner once again reaffirmed his position atop the NFL's linebacker hierarchy with a stellar performance in Super Bowl XLIX. He led the Seahawks in tackles with 12, but his biggest contribution on the night came in the form of a clutch interception halfway through the third quarter. With Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looking to hit tight end Rob Gronkowski in the middle of the field, Wagner jumped the route and snared the ball out of the air before returning it to New England's 40-yard line. Six plays later, Seattle extended its lead to 10 points following a touchdown connection between quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Doug Baldwin. Unfortunately, that lead would not hold as the defense surrendered 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, overshadowing a signature night for the surefire future Hall of Famer.

4. DL Michael Bennett, Super Bowl XLIX

With a little over four minutes to go in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIX, NBC sportscaster Cris Collinsworth declared to a viewing audience of 114.4 million: "Michael Bennett has taken over this football game." Indeed, Bennett was virtually unstoppable for most of the night, recording a team-high seven pressures with five hits on Brady, per Pro Football Focus. One of the blows he delivered resulted in a huge shift in momentum for the Seahawks, leading to a red zone interception by nickel cornerback Jeremy Lane during the first quarter. But not even his gaudy numbers paint the full picture of just how dominant the versatile defensive lineman was in Glendale; he completely overmatched New England's interior offensive line, consistently finding his way into its backfield.

3. LB Malcolm Smith, Super Bowl XLVIII

Being on the receiving end of cornerback Richard Sherman's iconic pass deflection in the 2013 NFC championship game was only the start of Smith's magical postseason run. Nabbing his second interception in as many games, the former seventh-round pick out of USC put an exclamation point on the Seahawks' historic dismantling of quarterback Peyton Manning and the Broncos' record-setting offense in Super Bowl XLVIII. By taking it the distance for a pick-six, Seattle extended its lead to three scores and completely took the wind out of Denver's sails for the rest of the night. Any remaining doubt of where this game was ultimately headed had been erased when Smith crossed the goal line, capping it off with what proved to be the last legal "goalpost dunk" before the NFL banned the popular celebration the following offseason. On his way to winning the game's MVP award, he recorded 10 tackles and recovered a forced fumble by cornerback Byron Maxwell for good measure. 

2. DE Cliff Avril, Super Bowl XLVIII

After enduring five years of mediocrity in Detroit, Avril finished his first season in Seattle by playing a massive role in one of the most lopsided victories in Super Bowl history. Not only did he lead the Seahawks with nine pressures, two of them led to both of Manning's interceptions. On the first, the Purdue product blew past Broncos right tackle Orlando Franklin, forcing Manning to step up into the pocket to make an uncomfortable throw in the direction of safety Kam Chancellor. His ceaseless presence in Denver's backfield later made Smith's pick-six possible, bull-rushing Franklin and swiping Manning's throwing hand to force the errant pass. From start to finish, No. 56 refused to take his foot off the gas in an all-time effort for Seattle. 

1. S Kam Chancellor, Super Bowl XLVIII

Right out of the gate, Chancellor put Seattle on course for its legendary thrashing of Denver. Bearing down on a crossing route up the middle, the intimidating strong safety flattened receiver Demaryius Thomas before he could turn upfield, limiting the damage to just two yards and emphasizing the chasmic divide in physicality between the two teams from the first quarter forward. On the very next drive, he hauled in an ugly floating pass off the arm of Manning to set up the Seahawks' first touchdown of the night. Both from a volume and tonal standpoint, Chancellor would have been another excellent choice to take home Super Bowl MVP honors. 

Honorable Mentions

DE Chris Clemons, Super Bowl XLVII: Along with Avril, Clemons constantly overpowered Denver's offensive line. Pro Football Focus had him down for six pressures and the team's lone sack of Manning. 

LB Lofa Tatupu, Super Bowl XL: Making it to the big game as a rookie, Tatupu did not fold under the bright lights. His nine tackles led the Seahawks, and he added a pass deflection as well. 

CB Richard Sherman, Super Bowl XLIX: Playing with a torn UCL in his left elbow, Sherman was targeted just twice by Brady. He allowed both to be completed, but only for six combined yards. 

CB Kelly Herndon, Super Bowl XL: Already down 14-3, the Seahawks had their backs against their own end zone once more. In desperate need of a momentum-shifting play, Herndon jumped in front of a throw to the goal line by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, picked it off and sprinted all the way down to the Pittsburgh 20-yard line. Three players later, Seattle got on the board with its first and only touchdown of the night.