The five, dominant moments that won Super Bowl 60 for the Seahawks

They did it.

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy, coach Mike Macdonald’s dominant defense, Kenneth Walker’s running with his career at stake — they all did it.

The Seahawks are Super Bowl champions.

Witherspoon, Hall and Murphy carried out Macdonald’s plan to relentlessly pressure and dominate New England quarterback Drake Maye. The defense sacked Maye six times. Seattle forced three turnovers in the second half. The Seahawks had a shutout into the fourth quarter.

Seattle 29, New England 13 in Super Bowl 60.

And it wasn’t really that close.

The five key moments that turned this Super Bowl into a green-and-blue confetti celebration onto the field at Levi’s Stadium Sunday night.

With #Seahawks coaches roaring leaving back of the press box, they did it. Seattle wins Super Bowl 60.

The Seahawks’ 2nd NFL title in 50-year history. ⁦@thenewstribune⁩ pic.twitter.com/JI6VbjziEG

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) February 9, 2026

1. Devon Witherspoon’s hit, Uchenna Nwou’s score

Devon Witherspoon got my vote the NFL afforded me for the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl 60. It was a vote for the three-time Pro Bowl selections in his only three NFL seasons for Seattle having one sack and one forced fumble for the game’s signature turnover.

His hit of Drake Maye’s arm is the play that will forever define Super Bowl 60.

Witherspoon blitzed in on Maye midway through the fourth quarter. The ball he dislodged lofted softly into the arms of Seattle’s Uchenna Nwosu for a 45-yard return and touchdown.

That ended it. It put the Seahawks ahead 29-7 and cemented the second Super Bowl win in Seahawks history.

Witherspoon also had a tackle for loss, three tackles — and my vote as representative of Seattle’s entire defensive dominance Sunday night. After his clinching play, Witherspoon stood on the Seahawks sideline with a massive grin. And a job done as well as any in Seattle’s big-game history. If the votes go the way I saw it, Witherspoon would be just the ninth defensive player to win MVP in 60 Super Bowls.

Both of Seattle’s Super Bowl wins, a defensive player has won MVP. Malcolm Smith won it for the Seahawks’ 43-8 domination of Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos at the end of the 2013 season.

2. Derick Hall’s strip sack

Outside linebacker Derick Hall was a worthy contender for MVP, too.

Hall stormed in on Maye in the first half for one of Seattle’s three sacks on New England’s first four offensive possessions.

Then late in the third quarter, Hall sealed the Super Bowl for the Seahawks.

Hall, born at 23 weeks onto life support and weighing just 2 pounds, 9 ounces, given a slight chance to live 24 years ago, crashed into Patriots right tackle Morgan Moses on a pass rush. Then Hall crashed into Maye. Hall’s second sack caused Maye to lose the ball.

Byron Murphy, who waited two, long months this winter for his newborn daughter born at 2 pounds, 5 ounces to come home from the neonatal intensive care unit of a Seattle-area hospital, recovered Maye’s fumble. It was the only turnover of Super Bowl 60. That set up Sam Darnold’s 16-yard pass to tight end AJ Barner, who’d gone in motion from left to right then was alone in the right side of the end zone.

The first touchdown of Super Bowl 60, thanks to Hall, put Seattle ahead 19-0 with 13 minutes remaining.

3. Mike Macdonald’s relentless pressure

Coach Mike Macdonald blitzed the fifth least-often while winning 14 of 17 games this season, the most in Seattle’s 50-year franchise history.

In Super Bowl 60, Macdonald went wild blitzing Maye early. And often.

And decisively.

The Seahawks’ defensive guru and head coach got consecutive drive stops on New England’s two straight third-and-longs from midfield late in the first quarter. Both times, Macdonald sent Witherspoon tight off the edge.

The first time, blitzing with rookie Nick Emmanwori, Witherspoon broke in on Maye and forced a hurried, poor throw incomplete.

The second time, the 185-pound Witherspoon bulled through a chip block to sack Maye for a 10-yard loss and a second consecutive punt by New England from midfield.

It became a theme. The Seahawks sacked Maye six times. Two by Hall. Two by Murphy. One each by Witherspoon and rookie Rylie Mills.

The total yards after three quarters, when Seattle led 12-0: Seahawks 271, Patriots 78. New England punted eight consecutive times to begin the game.

That’s a salute to Mike Macdonald, the 38-year-old defensive whiz.

3. Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker entered this Super Bowl with the most at stake, personally.

This was the last game of his job. He is now unemployed. His contract just ended.

With a flourish.

Due to be a free agent in about eight weeks, Walker showed the NFL his value. he had 135 yards rushing on 27 carries. His dashes of 30 and 29 yards on consecutive rushes in the first half set up a field goal. He had a 20-yard catch and run in the second half to set up another of Jason Myers’ Super Bowl-record five field goals.

His 135 yards rushing tied Thurman Thomas of Buffalo for eighth-most in a Super Bowl. And he had a 49-yard touchdown run with just over 2 minutes left called by because officials called center Jalen Sundell for holding.

The 25-year-old Walker made himself millions Sunday night, for 2026 and beyond.

Will the Seahawks pay it?

4. Christian Gonzalez saves Patriots

If not for Christian Gonzalez, the Seahawks likely would have led at least 17-0 at halftime instead of only 9-0.

New England’s Pro Bowl cornerback broke up Darnold’s deep pass for Rashid Shaheed early in the second quarter. The deep post pattern that was Seattle’s first try at a home-run pass in the game.

Walker then romped for 30 and 29 yards on consecutive carries, to the left then the right. That set up Jason Myers’ second field goal for a 6-0 lead, instead of 10-0 had Gonzalez not made his play.

Then on the final offensive play of the half for Seattle, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak put three receivers wide right on third down with 15 seconds left. Darnold then threw left, to Jaxon Smith-Njigba one on one against Gonzalez. Gonzalez moved inside the NFL’s offensive player of the year at the goal line to bat down a pass that otherwise would have gone for a touchdown.

Seattle settled again for a short field goal by Jason Myers for a 9-0 lead into the second half, instead of owning two touchdowns and 17 points by then.

The Patriots gained just 51 yards on 25 plays in the first half.

The Seahawks led 9-0, even though Darnold completed just nine of his 22 throws in the half. New England’s pressure on Darnold, particularly blitzing on third downs, affected the Pro Bowl QB’s errant throws.

Darnold just missed what would have been an 86-yard pass for an improvisational touchdown to Smith-Njigba in the first quarter, off a scramble away from more pressure.

Darnold escapes pressure and just misses JSN. 4th down.

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Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/rLTaELh5jV

— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026

Seattle punted instead.

Then Bad Bunny and live, walking shrubs came onto the field at halftime.

Bad Bunny singing while atop a pickup truck among the walking, live shrubs during the Super Bowl 60 halftime show that also included Lady Gaga at Levi’s Stadium.@thenewstribunepic.twitter.com/9bQxhmS5c9

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) February 9, 2026

5. Michael Dickson’s punt to 3 more points

In the second quarter, Walker has third-down pass go off his hands. On the Seahawks’ fourth down from midfield, coach Mike Macdonald let punter Michael Dickson work his magic, instead of going for the first down.

Dickson angled another punt inside the Patriots 2-yard line, as if he was controlling it with a joystick. That’s where New England started their fifth drive of the game, late in the second quarter.

That’s how Macdonald plays: Rely on his top-ranked defense with the opponent backed up to its goal line. And why Dickson is the NFL’s richest punter, tilting field position in Seattle’s favor.

Not sexy. Not a high-scoring, video-game show.

Just effective.

The Seahawks did allow the Patriots one first down on their ensuing possession off their goal line, on a third-down check-down completion by Maye. But then New England punted again, for the fifth time in five drives to begin the game.

The Patriots became the fourth team since at least 2000 season to punt on each of their first five drives in a Super Bowl.

On the ensuing drive, George Holani broke two tackles on a second-down dump-off pass by Darnold, to get Seattle into a third and 2. Holani then ran for a first down.

That got Seattle into position for Darnold to try that third-down pass to Smith-Njigba at the goal line that Gonzalez broke up — and eventually Myers’ third field goal of the half.