Seahawks dominate Drake Maye, Patriots to win Super Bowl 2026
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 w...