The Seattle Seahawks finished as a 14-3 team. Prior to the season, most didn’t expect such a stellar performance, with 60-1 betting odds of making the Super Bowl, implying a 2% probability of winning the championship before the season began. This statistic proves that the team defied all odds and proved haters all around the world wrong.
From the opening kickoff, Seattle’s defense set the tone. Making defensive stops throughout the entirety of the game, solidifying their spot as a top defensive team in the league, and solidifying their nickname as “the dark side”, some even thought this team’s defense was better than their previous top defense in 2014. “They run their defense better than ever.” Senior Dylan Phinney They showed this by holding the Patriots to 13 points when their season average was 28.8 points.
“I think this defense could even be argued as better than the Legion of Boom,” Robert Billingsley said.
The last time they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl, they lost with a devastating pick at the 1-yard line, granting the Patriots the 28-24 win in 2015. For many, coming back and winning that game, 12 years later, meant something more than just another football game.
“As a little kid, watching the games with my whole family, I’ve been a fan for a long time, and watching them win it in 2014 was pretty awesome, so seeing them win it again was so cool,” senior Caleb Connolly said.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker entered a flow state, rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries. Seattle outclassed New England in the run game, as they had a total of 79 rushing yards in the Super Bowl compared to Seattle’s 141.
Head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense was simply too good for the Patriots to run the ball. Kenneth Walker did the dirty work to get good field position, but the offense couldn’t convert in the red zone, relying on kicker Jason Myers to finish the job. Myers set a Super Bowl record scoring 17 points for the Hawks.
“I already knew they were going to win,” Billingsley said.
Following the Super Bowl, a parade in Seattle took place. An estimate, upwards of 1 million people attended. The players and coaches celebrated with fans, and interacted with many of the fans.
Many factors contributed to the Seahawks dominance. For one, Seahawks fans are notorious for being the best fans in the NFL, which explains the nickname “12” for being the “12th man” and playing a big role in games. The noise that 12 brings discombobulates the opposing team and their efforts to run their offense. Disrupting their communication with overwhelming noise results in a lack of execution in many offensive plays. The state of Washington loves the Seattle Seahawks and is proud that the team gets to hold the Lombardi trophy and enter next season as the defending champs.
