The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions for the second time in franchise history, issuing a commanding beatdown to the New England Patriots in a rematch 11 years in the making.
Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards and Seattle's top-ranked scoring defense scored the decisive blow in a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on Monday (PH time).
The Seahawks, who led the NFL in allowing an average of 17.2 points per game during the regular season, held the Patriots scoreless until the fourth quarter. And when New England twice appeared to have generated significant momentum, twice the Seahawks' defense responded with turnovers.
The final blow came with the Patriots trying to rally from a 22-7 deficit with 4:27 remaining in the game. Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon hit Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on a blitz, popping the ball in the air.
It was intercepted by Uchenna Nwosu, who returned it for his first career touchdown, all but cementing the second Super Bowl title in Seahawks history.
The final tally for Seattle's defense was 6.0 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, a pair of forced turnovers and the touchdown.
Sam Darnold threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, and Jason Myers connected on all five of his field-goal attempts.
Three came in the first half, when Seattle took a 9-0 lead to the locker room while New England managed only 51 yards of total offense.
However, the Seahawks left the Patriots in the game by failing to reach the end zone despite two trips inside the red zone.
With less than 100 yards in total offense and just 12:58 left in the game, the Patriots quickly capitalized in a break in the action when a fan streaked across the field.
After the fan was wrestled to the ground and removed by several security personnel, Maye hit Mack Hollins with a 24-yard completion on the next play.
It was the biggest play of the game for New England's offense to that point, and Maye immediately went back to the well.
He hit Hollins again on a perfectly-thrown 35-yard touchdown strike to the left side of the end zone, beating tight coverage from Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
The Patriots appeared to have fully switched the momentum when they forced a punt and Maye marched them to their 44-yard line on the ensuing drive with a 16-yard scramble and a 7-yard toss to Kyle Williams.
However, he threw an ill-advised pass into coverage on the next play that was intercepted by Seahawks safety Julian Love.
Love returned it to the Patriots' 38-yard line. Six plays later, Myers connected on his fifth field goal of the game to extend Seattle's lead to 22-7.
New England quickly moved the ball back into Seattle territory. But that's when the Seahawks' defense struck the decisive blow with Nwosu's touchdown.
New England's first first down of the second half didn't come until Seattle was flagged for defensive holding with 1:23 left in the third quarter. It was also the Seahawks' first penalty of the game.
The Seahawks opened the scoring on a 33-yard field goal by Myers on their opening drive.
Seattle took the kickoff and moved the ball 51 yards in just over three minutes, with Darnold sharp on completions to tight end A.J. Barner and Cooper Kupp in tight coverage, but the drive stalled on the Patriots' 14-yard line.
That proved to be the only scoring of the opening quarter. New England penetrated Seattle territory on both of its first two drives, only to suffer three negative plays -- including a pair of sacks -- that resulted in two punts.
The Seahawks managed only one more first down in a pair of drives after the field goal.
--Derek Harper, Field Level Media