By Audrey Elwood, Campus News Editor

The Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 in the Super Bowl this Sunday, 12 years after the Patriots beat the Seahawks with a famous interception on the one yard line.

Both teams were set for the matchup at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, home of the San Francisco 49ers. Coming into the post season, each team only had three regular season losses. The Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams at home in the NFC Championship, and the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX. 

In the 2024 season, the Patriots had a 4-13 record. After a historically poor year for New England, the team saw one of the most impressive comebacks of the season after a 10-win swing. Drake Maye found his footing within the team, utilizing talent like wide receiver Stefon Diggs on offense and cornerback Christian Gonzalez on defense. 

Sam Darnold, the quarterback for the Seahawks, was the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl after playing on five or more teams. Darnold was traded from the Vikings to the Seahawks last year and this was his first season with them. 

Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft by the New York Jets, famously threw a pick-six with his first career pass attempt. He was deemed a failure by the Jets, which led him to a backup role with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, before he was unexpectedly thrown into a starting role with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 after their rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy went down in a preseason game with a torn meniscus. Darnold shined in his season in Minnesota, and it earned him an expensive contract in Seattle this past offseason. 

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was the MVP of the Super Bowl, rushing for 135 yards. With 29 touches and 161 total yards, this was the third best game yardage wise for Walker in his career. 

The first three quarters did not have a single touchdown. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers kicked four field goals. The fourth quarter saw both the Seahawks and the Patriots score touchdowns.

Seahawks tight end AJ Barner scored the first touchdown of the game with a 16 yard pass from Darnold, making the score 19-0.

Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins scored the next touchdown with a 35 yard pass from Maye, finally putting the Patriots on the board. This was followed by a 7-yard touchdown catch by running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots failed the two-point conversion attempt. 

The Patriots came close to mounting a dramatic comeback, but in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks “Dark Side” defense exploited some of the inexperience from the Patriots. Left tackle Will Campbell gave up 14 pressures, an NFL record. The Seahawks sacked Maye six times. In the fourth quarter, they reached Maye who tried to get the ball out, but he got hit as he threw. The ball ended up in linebacker Uchenna Nwosu’s hands, who returned it for a touchdown. 

After 12 years, the Seahawks strong defensive performance made up for the famous one-yard line pass in the 2014 Super Bowl. 

Seattle fans are finally able to celebrate after 12 years.