Everyone expected Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots to be a low-scoring games with excellent defense. Those projections, however, thought both teams would at least score multiple touchdowns with a few explosive plays.
What we got in Santa Clara on Sunday night was a defensive masterclass from Seattle and outstanding performances from running back Kenneth Walker III and even kicker Jason Myers. In what proved to be a one-sided game, with Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after a 29-13 victory, there are a few top performers and ugly showings from tonight.
Let’s dive into our Super Bowl recap, looking at the winners and losers from the Seahawks vs Patriots, with the Lombardi Trophy headed back to Seattle.
Winner: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Coming into Super Bowl LX, Seahawks’ running back Kenneth Walker III had 610 scrimmage yards in his last five games, including 256 scrimmage yards in the playoffs. The dominance from the free-agent-to-be continued on Sunday, as he almost single-handedly carried Seattle’s offense to three scoring drives in the first half. To put Walker’s excellence into perspective, he recorded 100 scrimmage yards on 15 first-half touches, while the Patriots’ offense managed only 51 total yards on 25 plays. Walker is rightfully going to be rewarded handsomely this offseason with a new contract from the Seahawks because they cannot afford to lose him.
Related: Super Bowl LX MVP Winner, Ranking Super Bowl MVP Candidates for Seahawks vs Patriots
Loser: Will Campbell, LT, New England Patriots
It had already been a disastrous postseason for Patriots’ left tackle Will Campbell. Entering the Super Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus, Campbell allowed the most pressures (11), hurries (seven), and sacks (three) among all offensive linemen in the playoffs. Facing one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, Seattle feasted on the rookie. Derick Hall beat Campbell for a sack on New England’s first drive, and the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was beaten in a myriad of ways on numerous occasions thereafter. Campbell’s future is still very bright, but he has arguably been the worst starter in the NFL during the playoffs.
Related: Super Bowl LXI Predictions, Top Super Bowl 2027 Contenders
Winner: Jason Myers, K, Seattle Seahawks
You know it was a low-scoring Super Bowl when a kicker is highlighted among the winners of the biggest game of the year. With that said, it is impossible not to acknowledge the important role Jason Myers played for the Seahawks tonight. When the offense kept stalling inside the red zone, the California native would take the field and bail his teammates out by drilling the field goal attempt. Myers, who led the NFL in scoring during the regular season, gave Seattle’s defense a two-score lead. In a defensive battle, that was critical. In the second half, Myers set the NFL record for most field goals made (five) in a Super Bowl.
Loser: Super Bowl LX Commercials
Remember the days when Super Bowl commercials used to be funny? We would even lower the bar enough for Budweiser to bring back the iconic Clydesdales commercials without trying to do a crossover with faux messages. Instead, we get the NFL and NBC selling out to every sportsbook, AI company, and shady prediction market corporation they can. The downward spiral continues, and it seems evident that it is only going to get worse from here. For those of you who want a reminder of the good ol’ days, we’ll direct you to the Doritos’ Super Bowl 50 ad, the Bud Light’ magic fridge commercial and Snickers spot starring Betty White.
Winner: Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots
On a night when there were not many bright spots for New England, cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked like one of the best players in the NFL. There were countless moments when he provided lockdown coverage, blanketing either Rashid Shaheed or Jaxon Smith-Njigba. What stood out most, of course, were his two biggest plays. With an outstretched arm on a leap that showcased his elite athleticism, Gonzalez’s fingertips prevented a would-be touchdown for Shaheed. Then, before halftime, he made the perfect play at the goal line to prevent Smith-Njigba from scoring a touchdown on third down. Gonzalez’s instincts and ball skills wiped two touchdowns off the board for Seattle. While it is rare for a corner to make two touchdown-saving plays in a single Super Bowl, Gonzalez did it in just two quarters.
Loser: Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator
Ladies and gentlemen, your Assistant Coach of the Year. It felt odd that Josh McDaniels won AP Assistant Coach of the Year by a significant margin (17 of 50 first-place votes) when it was MVP candidate Drake Maye who really carried the offense this season. In Super Bowl LX, we saw McDaniels get taken to school by Seahawks’ coach Mike Macdonald. We’ll acknowledge that the award is determined by regular-season success, but this game certainly demonstrated that McDaniels might not have been the most deserving candidate.
Winner: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl LX was a showcase game for two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. When Christian Gonzalez was not on the field shutting down receivers and making phenomenal plays with his instincts to prevent touchdowns, Seahawks’ corner Devon Witherspoon was making his presence felt. Mike Macdonald’s usage of Witherspoon as a blitzer—two QB hits and one sack—paid off in a big way in the first half. The All-Pro defensive back also made his presence known against the run, and he excelled in coverage. Seattle had the best defense in football this season, and Witherspoon was the best part of it from start to finish.
Loser: Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Drake Maye has played poorly in the NFL playoffs; there is no escaping that. The runner-up for NFL MVP entered Super Bowl LX with a 58.9 percent completion rate and 447 net passing yards in three games, averaging a meager 5.8 net yards per attempt. Weather played a role in the previous rounds, but Maye also had a troubling tendency to take sacks and underthrow passes. It only worsened in the Super Bowl, and the weather conditions cannot be blamed this time. The second-year quarterback entered the fourth quarter with nearly as many sacks taken (five) and sack yards lost (39) as he had completions (eight) and passing yards (60). By the time Seattle took a 19-point lead, Maye had just 21 net passing yards and averaged 1.2 net yards per attempt. The fourth-quarter touchdown drive inspired some hope, but then he threw a dumbfounding interception.
Winner: Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks Head Coach
Let this be a lesson for teams in the NFL coaching carousel next year: There is value in having a defensive mastermind as a head coach. Seattle’s Super Bowl run came against three of the most well-regarded offensive play-callers in the NFL—Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Josh McDaniels—and Mike Macdonald beat all of them. He created an elite defense in Baltimore in just his second season as a play-caller, and this Seahawks’ defense is even better in his second year as head coach. We understand the appeal NFL teams see in pairing a young quarterback with a mastermind schemer who can never be poached, but Macdonald’s defense just carried Sam Darnold to a Super Bowl victory. He’s also the third-youngest head coach to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, so Seattle is in great hands for a long time.
