SANTA CLARA, Calif.— In this case, on this night, the ‘D” did not stand for Darnold.
It stood for Defense.
Menacing, ornery defense. Dominant defense.
Not every championship can be delivered with a burst of drama and an avalanche of points. Not every title can be attained with a barrage of touchdowns and brilliant catches and passing heroics and points galore.
There was nothing elegant and everything pulverizing about the way the Seahawks took care of business Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium. They came out hitting and never quit, pounding the Patriots into submission in a punishing 29-13 victory in Super Bowl 2026 that will send a second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.
This was a fitting victory for a team that allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season. This was the appropriate conclusion for a 38-year old head coach, Mike Macdonald, who came up through the ranks as a defensive guru.
Sam Darnold did not have to do much heavy lifting but he did far more than overmatched Drake Maye, the second-year Patriots quarterback who was downright dreadful.
Maye turned the ball over three times — one lost fumble, two interceptions — to put a damper on what was a brilliant regular season for the 23-year old.
Darnold, the former Jets first-round pick, is now a Super Bowl champion, a statement that seemed unfathomable not long ago. He would not be without the exploits of running back Kenneth Walker, who was named MVP after rushing 27 times for 135 yards. He also caught two passes for 26 yards.
Those who doubted the worthiness of the Patriots pointed to the well-cushioned path they enjoyed to get here.
Their regular-season schedule was the easiest in the league since the 1999 Rams – they faced three teams with winning records and their opponents had a winning percentage of .391.
In the playoffs, good fortune continued. The Chargers were without their two starting offensive tackles, C.J. Stroud threw four first-half interceptions for the Texans and the Broncos were without quarterback Bo Nix and the second half of the AFC Championship Game was played on a snow-filled field.
The Seahawks represented a step-up in competition and the Patriots were not up to the task. Maye (27 for 43, 295 yards) was sacked six times and often looked skittish in the pocket.
His third and final turnover came with 4:47 to go, when Devon Witherspoon on a blitz put a hit on Maye, separating him from the ball. Uchenna Nwosu came up with the loose ball for an interception and sprinted 44 yards for the touchdown that made it 29–7 and turned the proceedings into a rout.
Jason Myers went 5 for 5 on field goals for the Seahawks.
Late in the third quarter, Maye had time in the pocket and threw a sinker that Kayshon Boutte had no chance to catch. That meant that with 3:38 left in the third quarter, the Patriots had more punts (eight) than Maye had completions (seven).
Darnold completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. The most important aspect to his game is what he did not do: Turn it over, which was huge for a player who led the league in the regular season with 20 turnovers.
The Seahawks are back on top of the NFL world, more than a decade after they won their last Super Bowl after the 2013 season. They were favored to win this game and they did it with Darnold, one of the most unlikely title-winning quarterbacks, considering the way he got here. From “bust’’ with the Jets to stints with the Panthers and 49ers and Vikings, Darold amassed critics, silenced doubters and his remarkable resilience allowed him finally take a team that fully believed in him all the way.
Macdonald, 38, becomes the third-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl – behind only Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin. Macdonald’s 17 wins in one season are the most-ever for a head coach under 40 years old. He also becomes the first head coach who makes the calls on defense to win a Super Bowl.
The Pats were playing lousy but hanging around just enough that one spark would have at least made the game somewhat compelling. Instead of a spark, they wilted when Maye, hounded, had the ball punched away from him by linebacker Derick Hall for the first turnover of the night, with Byron Murphy making the recovery on the Seattle 37-yard line with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.
Finally, the Seahawks were able to cash in and reach the end zone, with Darnold with 13:24 remaining found a wide open AJ Barner for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 19-0.
The Pats were reeling – until Maye located his composure and accuracy and hit Mack Hollins for a 35-yard scoring hookup, with Hollins getting a half-step on cornerback Riq Woolen to make it 19-7. The next time the Patriots got the ball, Maye gave it right back, sailing a pass intended for Kyle Williams that went directly into the hands of safety Julian Love.
That is the way it went for the Seahawks. That is why they are the champs.
