One of the most unpredictable NFL seasons in living memory ended in Santa Clara on Sunday, 8th February. At the home of their NFC West rivals (the San Francisco 49ers), the Seattle Seahawks shut down Drake Maye and the New England Patriots to claim a one-sided 29-13 victory.
Twelve years on from the “Legion of Boom” Super Bowl success, it was again the Seahawks’ defence which stole the show in front of the 70,823 crowd and millions watching around the world. Known as “The Dark Side”, the relentless pass rush and outstanding coverage left New England with nowhere to run. In winning the Super Bowl for the second time, the Seahawks denied the Patriots a record-setting seventh win and avenged their Super Bowl defeat to New England in 2015.
Dark Side Overshadows Patriots Offence
Came out to play. pic.twitter.com/V9o6HhixAp
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 9, 2026
New England quarterback Drake Maye has been one of the stories of the season. Ending the year with the league’s highest completion percentage and impressing with his ability to escape pressure, Maye only narrowly missed out on MVP honours to Matthew Stafford of the LA Rams. At 23 years and 162 days old, he entered the field as the second youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history. The Seattle Seahawks’ defence ensured that Maye’s dream sophomore season ended in a pass-rushing nightmare.
The Patriots’ offensive line simply had no answers to the Seahawks’ schemes and all-out aggression, as Maye found himself under pressure time and time again. The assault came from all angles; nose tackle Byron Murphy II recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble; outside linebacker Derick Hall grabbed two sacks, including a pivotal strip sack late in the third quarter; rookie Rylie Mills sacked Maye in the second quarter, and even cornerback Devon Witherspoon got in on the sack act following a brilliantly designed play early in the game.
Rarely afforded the luxury of setting his feet to pick out a pass, a rattled Maye was picked off by Julian Love and Uchenna Nwosu in the fourth quarter, with Nwosu taking his interception to the house to effectively end the contest.
To his credit, Maye did briefly get something going in the fourth quarter, with back-to-back 24-yard and 35-yard throws to Mack Hollins, taking the Patriots to their first touchdown. That effort saw the Patriots reduce the deficit to 12 points, but Maye was picked off on his next two possessions to extinguish any hopes of a comeback. Maye possesses so much talent that he will come back stronger, but this was a chastening experience for the Carolina native.
Darnold Completes Comeback
Since being taken with the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, Maye has enjoyed a relatively smooth rise to the top. The same can’t be said for Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold. Also taken with the third overall pick, back in 2018, Darnold was the latest in a string of quarterbacks who failed to shine with the New York Jets. Leaving New York in 2020, he showed signs of improvement in Carolina but still started the 2023 season as a backup in San Francisco.
Making the move to Minnesota in 2024, Darnold emerged as one of the season’s biggest surprises when leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Snapped up by the Seahawks ahead of the 2025 season, he showed that all of that first-round talent remained. Continuing his resurgence, Darnold became the first quarterback in history to post back-to-back 14-3 seasons with two different sides. Carrying that form into the playoffs – including a near career-best performance in the NFC Championship game – the 28-year-old is now a Super Bowl winner and a fine advertisement for persevering in the face of adversity.
Reflecting on his journey from San Francisco backup to Super Bowl winner in the home of the 49ers, Darnold stated, “I think if anything, it just shows people that as long as you believe in yourself, anything’s possible.”
Walker III Rushes to MVP Honours
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With the Seahawks’ defence running riot, Darnold needed only to be efficient rather than spectacular. He played his part to the tee in throwing for 202 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. That clean performance helped provide the platform for Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for 135 yards on his way to Super Bowl MVP honours.
Myers and Durde into the Record Books
With only one offensive touchdown, the Seattle Seahawks relied on kicker Jason Myers to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Thankfully, Myers was in electric form. In converting from 39, 41, 41, 41, and 26 yards, Myers set a new Super Bowl record with five successful field goals. With his two touchdown conversions, Myers scored 17 of the Seahawks’ 29 points and became the first player in NFL history to score over 200 points in a single season.
Away from the players, a notable first was found within the Seahawks coaching staff. Born in London in 1979, Seattle’s defensive coordinator Aden Durde became the first British coach to pick up a Super Bowl ring.
“This is an unbelievable moment”
London-born Aden Durde became the first overseas coach to win a Super Bowl after playing a huge role in masterminding Seattle Seahawks’ ‘darkside defence’ 🏉 pic.twitter.com/ma5M07L4Ur
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 9, 2026