How Seahawks defense put on historic performance on way to Super Bowl title | Dave Boling
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Coach Mike Macdonald wanted his Seattle Seahawks to come out and play “loose and focused.”
Yeah, fine. Like, loosen somebody’s teeth, and focus on smashing them in the sternum.
The Seahawks that took on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 were predatory, blood-thirsty dealers of pain and havoc. They took control and only relented after the outcome was decided.
Until garbage time brought the final score to 29-13, the Seahawks held the Patriots to 78 yards through three periods. Under 80 yards in 45 minutes of play is a merciless beat-down. The 250 they added in the fourth was time-filler.
And this was supposed to be a game?
The Pats won 17 games on the way to the Super Bowl, but they were outclassed in the 18th, even with the Seahawks only scoring by field goals, going up 12-0 with the Pats showing no ability to move the ball.
Here’s the point we’re working up to: The 2025 Seahawks unit proved itself one of the true upper level defenses in Super Bowl history, even though the final stats diminish the sense of dominance the Seahawks truly showed.
Maybe they’re not quite the ’85 Chicago Bears, or the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, or the 2013 Legion of Boom Seahawks. But they are very close, and in some ways may seem a lot like the ’84 Bears, or the 1999 Ravens … still ripening into a dynastic defensive force the following season.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stated the obvious: “They’re well coached and very talented.”
“I would say relentless and locked in,” said defensive tackle Leonard Williams, to describe Sunday night’s Seahawks defense.
Williams said playing with this team makes him feel as if he’s back in college. The players have no agenda other than playing hard for each other and winning games.
“It’s just guys playing for the love of the game,” Williams said. “On this team, our agenda is each other, and this team, and I think we really embody that.”
Perhaps even on the level of the great Super Bowl defenses over time?
“I think so,” Williams said. “I mean, I think we did a tremendous job today. We were honestly mad they scored at all. We were trying to get a shutout in a Super Bowl and make history, and put that stamp on the Dark Side Defense that we’ve had all year.”
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who led the team with 11 tackles, said Macdonald’s “loose and focused” mantra was meant to discourage the players from making the Super Bowl more important than just any other game.
“It was insane, and I’ve never been around a bunch of guys that literally didn’t think this was a Super Bowl,” Jones said. “We just literally thought it was the next game. (But) we knew earlier in the year if we were going to win a Super Bowl, it was going to be on (the defense’s) back.”
Safety Julian Love, who had an interception off Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, said the defensive effort was, once again, a combined effort.
“It starts up front with Byron Murphy (defensive tackle), he is the heartbeat of our defense, a real unsung hero. I think his name needs to be mentioned more.”
He called out every contributor, and applied an apt nickname to versatile rookie safety Nick Emmanwori – Demon Warrior.
The biggest credit, Love said, was due head coach Macdonald. “We were installing stuff yesterday, right up to the whistle, chasing that edge.”
Yes, the Hawks’ offense contributed in its way. Back Kenneth Walker was named MVP for his 135 yards rushing. And the unit led by quarterback Sam Darnold made it through three playoff games without committing a single turnover.
But the real MVP was the entire defense.
As a whole, they’re very young, hyper-aggressive, and they know what it takes to not only get to a Super Bowl, but knock the heck out of a really good team like New England.
This really could be just the start.