A new champion is crowned. Super Sunday has come and gone, and we are left with one champion and months of no football, which saddens my heart. So many storylines intersect at the Super Bowl and bring the football season to an end. The Seattle Seahawks reign supreme, defeating the Patriots quite handily, 29-13, a score that feels closer than the game actually was.
Total domination is what we saw on display. The Patriots just seemed to be outmatched. Drake Maye was the one seeing ghosts on this day, haunted by a relentless pass rush that sacked him six times in the Big Game. The Seahawks were not going to fall to the Patriots in the biggest game of the year this time around. Sam Darnold was poised to complete his comeback story, overcoming so much to get to football’s biggest stage and come out victorious. This is what dreams are made of.
The stage was set beautifully in Santa Clara. After an opening that included Green Day, Brandi Carlile, Coco Jones and Charlie Puth, it was finally time for football. The Seahawks wasted no time, scoring the first three points of the game on their opening drive. This would serve as the only points scored in the first quarter, as defense played a major role for both teams. The Seahawks would add another field goal on their first drive of the second quarter and one more right before halftime, giving them a 9-0 lead going into the break. The Patriots struggled heavily. Drake Maye seemed to be under duress the entire time, constantly being sacked or knocked down just as he got rid of the ball.
This game was intense and very much favored defense, which may not be entertaining to your average fan, but I was very much enjoying it. Plus, it was time for Bad Bunny, and for around 15 minutes, he took over the field, performing hits like “Tití Me Preguntó”and “Yo Perreo Sola.” His set design featured scenes paying homage to Puerto Rican heritage, including coconut stands, a group playing dominoes and piraguas (shaved ice). There was also a wedding that took place during his performance, rumored to have been a real couple who was legally married during the show. Bad Bunny also had guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin and on-set cameos by Karol G, Pedro Pascal, Cardi B and Jessica Alba. This was the perfect break in the game.
The Seahawks would again add another three points on their first possession of the second half, pushing their lead to 12-0. At this point, it wasn’t clear if the Patriots would even score, and as the third quarter came to a close, Maye fumbled the ball. Nothing was going right. The Seahawks took advantage, scoring the game’s first touchdown and pushing their lead to 19-0. While there were some late scores, this game was effectively over at that point — just a lot of window dressing.
The first commercial after the game featured running back Marshawn Lynch with Nike and as he said, “Nothing tastes as good as getting your lick back,” letting us all know they did not forget about that previous loss to the Patriots in 2015 – even if this win did come more than 10 years later.
It wasn’t only about redemption for the Seahawks, but also their new QB. Darnold was thought to be a bust after being drafted third overall by the New York Jets in 2018 and struggling for his first several years in the league. Despite that, he got a fresh start with the Seahawks and emerged victorious as a Super Bowl champion. He proved he has what it takes to be successful, shutting down all the doubters who said he would never be on top.
The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl LX champions, and running back Kenneth Walker III was the game’s MVP. Now the football season is over, and I’m sad to see you go. Every team will be gunning to make a coaching change or bring in that new player who can help them get closer to this stage next year. Sadly, for me, my favorite team, the New York Jets, doesn’t have much hope of making a Super Bowl anytime soon — but a man can dream, right?