Yardbarker
x
Grading the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl LX performance
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald embraces quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Grading the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl LX performance

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated Feb 8, 2026 11:25 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks are once again Super Bowl champions.

On Sunday, the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX to secure their second Lombardi Trophy and first since the end of the 2013 season.

How did Seattle pull it off? Our grades of the Seahawks offense, defense, special teams and coaching staff help tell the story.

Seahawks offense

It wasn't the prettiest game for Seattle's offense, which settled for four field goals through the first three quarters before the dam broke with quarterback Sam Darnold's 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner early in the fourth.

Before that, the Seahawks moved the ball well between the 20s but stalled in the red zone, where it finished with one touchdown in four trips. Darnold tried to give the Patriots the ball early with some careless plays, and he finished 19-of-38, posting the fifth-worst completion percentage by a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in the game's 60-year history. His best attribute was not taking negative plays, with Darnold doing just enough with his legs to avoid drive-killing sacks.

Running back Kenneth Walker III, the game's MVP, was much better, gaining 135 yards — tied for the eighth-most in Super Bowl history — on 27 carries. Per Sumer Sports data, he totaled 87 yards after contact and was just as potent on inside runs (six carries, 50 yards) as those designed to the outside (10 carries, 65 yards).

Grade: B

Seahawks defense

That was a masterclass. The Seahawks put together one of the best defensive performances in Super Bowl history, keeping the Patriots scoreless through three quarters and holding the No. 2 scoring offense during the regular season 15.8 points below its season average.

Seattle overwhelmed New England's offensive line, notably rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, and finished the game with six sacks.

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon made several big plays, including a sack on 3rd-and-15 to stop a first-quarter Patriots possession.

He essentially sealed the game with a fourth-quarter sack that resulted in a fumble returned for a touchdown by edge-rusher Uchenna Nwosu.

Seattle's defense was the clear best unit on the field. The performance was reminiscent of the franchise's first Super Bowl win, a 43-8 triumph over the Denver Broncos 12 years ago. With the way the defense played, the Seahawks weren't going to be denied.

New England couldn't do anything, being forced to punt on its first eight possessions, as Seattle turned into a boa constrictor, slowly draining the life out of its latest and final victim.

Grade: A+

Seahawks special teams

The Patriots wisely kept dynamic kick and punt returner Rashid Shaheed from making much of an impact, but Seattle still won the special teams battle thanks to strong performances by punter Michael Dickson and kicker Jason Myers.

With the offense having trouble reaching the end zone, Myers was huge, making all five of his field goals and finishing with 17 points, the most by a kicker in Super Bowl history. 

Dickson was just as consequential, averaging 47.9 yards per punt on his seven kicks, with three landing inside the Patriots 20-yard line, putting New England in multiple impossible situations.

another beautiful punt

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) 2026-02-09T02:46:22.221Z

It took a complete team effort to win the Super Bowl, and the special teams unit more than held up its end of the bargain.

Grade: A

Seahawks coaching

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, hired after two seasons as Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, put together an excellent game plan to hold the Pats offense in check. With rookie safety Nick Emmanwori less than 100 percent with an ankle injury, Macdonald wisely moved Witherspoon into more of an attacking role, a significant change from the first two rounds of the playoffs.

As ESPN's Bill Barnwell noted on social media, Witherspoon rushed quarterbacks 21 times during the regular season but had zero blitzes in the divisional round and AFC Championship Game.

Witherspoon's defensive activity was arguably the difference of the game. And he was only given those opportunities thanks to his coaches.

Grade: A

Eric Smithling
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.