Matt Calkins: Seahawks defense turns in masterpiece vs. Patriots

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Feb 9, 2026

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Perhaps posterity will see that the New England Patriots still managed 13 points and not give the performance the flowers it deserves.

Maybe a casual observer of the box score will see that New England posted 331 yards and think, Good defense, but not necessarily historic."

But anybody who watched Super Bowl LX on Sunday — anybody who saw the pressures and the sacks and the picks and the stops — knows what that was: A defensive masterpiece that defined a team's season.

After a 29-13 victory over New England (17-4), the Seahawks are champions again. They won their 10th consecutive game — the majority of which have been by double digits — and prompted a parade that will have the Seattle streets flooding with 12s.

Nobody celebrating really cares how their team rose to the top of the NFL, only that they did. But the truth is, like that Legion of Boom squad before them, these Seahawks got here with their "D."

"Defense has been a problem all season. We know what they're capable of, and they know what they're capable of," said Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, who earned Super Bowl MVP honors. "They held us in the game. They kept us in the game when we weren't scoring touchdowns."

Rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori put it a little more bluntly when talking about what the "D" did to the Patriots: "We cut their water short and killed their dreams and aspirations of whatever they thought was going on."

The contributions came from every angle of the roster.

In the first quarter, linebacker Derick Hall sacked New England quarterback Drake Maye two plays before cornerback Devon Witherspoon's pressure forced Maye to throw it away. The Patriots punted. Later that quarter, Witherspoon sacked Maye on a third-and-15 that forced another punt.

There was a Patriots three-and-out at the beginning of the second quarter and another in the middle. There were two sacks and a fumble recovery from Byron Murphy II, a forced fumble by Hall, a near strip sack by DeMarcus Lawrence and an interception by Julian Love. Even rookie defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who had played just four regular-season games due to an ACL injury, got a drive-killing sack by overpowering left guard Jared Wilson and taking down Maye.

The result was this: The Patriots — who were second in the NFL in scoring this season — either punted, turned the ball over or took a knee (end of the first half) on their first 10 possessions.

These stops came as the Seahawks struggled to find the end zone, taking a 9-0 lead into the locker-room on three first-half field goals by Jason Myers. Seattle (17-3) finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up 19-0, making it seem as if a shutout was coming.

It wasn't, much to multiple players' chagrin. A 35-yard pass from Maye to Mack Hollins early through the fourth ended that goal — but not before two more interceptions. The first was by safety Julian Love and the second by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to put Seattle up 29-7. It was over at that point.

The Patriots racked up most of their yards when the game was decided. Maye, who finished second in the NFL MVP voting this season, took six sacks, threw two picks and lost a fumble.

A Seahawks defense that led the league in fewest points allowed was at its best when it mattered most. Lawrence wants everyone to know that.

"Y'all was able to witness it all year long, what we was able to do as a defense, as a unit, but I don't feel like nobody still gave us that respect," the defensive end said while shouting out the defense's nickname: The Dark Side. "When everybody's in Cancún and nobody is on TV to watch but the Hawks, that's when you get so see a real show — and we proved it tonight.

It's pretty remarkable how quickly Seattle improved on that side of the ball after finishing 30th in total defense in 2023. First, Seahawks general manager John Schneider hired Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to be the team's coach. Then, whether it be through the NFL draft, free agency or a trade, Seattle brought on players such as Emmanwori, Lawrence and linebacker Ernest Jones IV (11 tackles Sunday). And with established Seahawks defenders such as Witherspoon, Nwosu, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and cornerback Riq Woolen — they became the best defense in football.

That's no longer up for debate.

This Seahawks team is buzzing with storylines — namely the ascent of quarterback Sam Darnold, who was cast off my multiple teams before leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl. Their accomplishments in the running game and special teams are also elite. This is the most complete team in football — but the defense is their defining characteristic.

So now they and their fans get to celebrate. It took just about every man on the roster to get this done. But this season isn't just about what these players took — it's about what they refused to give away.

____