Seahawks ride their 'Dark Side' defense to a Super Bowl title, pounding the Patriots 29-13

The Seattle Seahawks captured the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, suffocating the New England Patriots 29-13 in a championship game dominated from start to finish by Mike Macdonald’s defense. Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of the self-styled “Dark Side” unit lived up to their nickname, battering rookie quarterback Drake Maye and turning every Patriots possession into a punishing affair. The relentless pressure resulted in a one-sided affair that vaulted Seattle back atop the NFL after a decade-long wait for another title.

From the opening whistle, Macdonald’s group set the tone. Witherspoon shadowed New England’s top targets, Hall crashed the edge and Murphy clogged running lanes, forcing Maye into hurried throws and costly mistakes. The Seahawks parlayed those miscues into scoring chances, building a lead that swelled as the clock wound down. Each time the Patriots attempted to claw back, Seattle’s defense answered with another crushing stop, keeping the scoreboard tilted firmly in the Seahawks’ favor.

Offensively, Seattle complemented its ferocious defense with a balanced attack that capitalized on short fields and kept chains moving. Though the final tally read 29-13, the outcome felt even more lopsided thanks to the defense’s ability to turn critical downs into momentum-shifting plays. When the confetti fell, the Seahawks had not only secured their second Super Bowl crown but had also etched the 2024 “Dark Side” into franchise lore as one of the most intimidating units the league has seen.