When the Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald to be their head coach two years ago, it came at a time when most teams were looking for the next young offensive genius to lead their team.

But Macdonald had a reputation. The “defensive Sean McVay” was mentioned a few times about Macdonald, who was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator before he was hired by Seattle.

In Super Bowl LX, Macdonald proved the Seahawks right. Betting on coaches who know how to slow down the NFL’s best offenses can also be a championship formula.

The Seahawks won the second Super Bowl championship in franchise history, and followed the same formula as the first title under the “Legion of Boom” with a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

The feat, however, had a Nigerian angle to it as the game saw Nigeria’s Uchenna Nwosu at his best for the winning side.

For those who do not know the NFL star, here’s what Google has to say about him: “Uchenna Nwosu is a standout Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker (born 1996) known for his pass-rushing ability and veteran leadership. Selected 48th overall by the Chargers in 2018, he joined Seattle in 2022, becoming a key defensive force. In 2025, he recorded 7 sacks despite battling injuries, continuing to bolster the Seahawks' front line with his Nigerian-inspired work ethic.”

Sunday night’s Super Bowl triumph by Uchenna Nwosu’s Seattle Seahawks was built on a defensive performance that completely shut down Drake Maye and the New England offense in a game that was rarely competitive because the Patriots couldn’t move the ball. The Seahawks allowed 331 total yards, plenty of which came in the fourth quarter with the outcome mostly decided.

When A.J. Barner scored a 16-yard touchdown on a pass from Sam Darnold early in the fourth quarter, this Super Bowl finally had a touchdown and the Seahawks had a commanding 19-0 lead. The low-scoring game wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to the worldwide audience, but the Seahawks won’t make any excuses when they raise a banner next September.

In that first Seattle championship, the Seahawks scored 43 points and blew out the Denver Broncos. They didn’t need nearly as many points to dominate the Patriots in another Super Bowl 12 years later. But the result was equally impressive.

Seahawks defense is stifling

When the Seahawks won the first Super Bowl title in franchise history, the headliner was the defense. They almost shut out Peyton Manning and the Broncos, which had set an NFL regular-season record with 606 points scored.

The Seahawks weren’t facing an offensive juggernaut like the 2013 Broncos on Sunday, but the Patriots were second in points scored and third in yards in the regular season. And they looked horrible against Seattle.

Macdonald sent different blitzes at the Patriots and New England couldn’t block any of them. Maye was under pressure often. He took three sacks in the first half. On the rare occasion he had time to throw, he was inaccurate. Maye hurt his right shoulder in the AFC championship game and that was a question in the lead-up to Super Bowl LX, and it seemed like it could have been affecting him. Seattle’s defensive scheme was clearly affecting him and the rest of the Patriots offense.

The bright spot for the Patriots was despite the offense doing nothing, they still were hanging around in the game. The defense was giving up some yards, particularly to Kenneth Walker III on the ground, but they held the Seahawks to field goals in four long drives. The Seahawks led 9-0 at halftime and extended that to 12-0 early in the third quarter.

The Patriots were having trouble scoring points, and it was more than that. They were having trouble simply picking up first downs. When the Patriots got a first down on a defensive holding call with about a minute left in the third quarter, it had been about an hour-and-a-half between first downs. Even accounting for a long Bad Bunny halftime show, it was a remarkable display of offensive ineptitude. And defensive prowess.

Both teams finally get in end zone

The Patriots finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, after Barner had scored the first touchdown. Maye hit some passes and got a 35-yard touchdown to Mack Hollins. The Patriots were still trailing 19-7 but for the first time they had some signs of life.

To that point, the Seahawks’ offense had been better than New England’s offense, but it still hadn’t been very good. The Patriots forced a punt right after Hollins’ touchdown and Maye had a long scramble to get a drive going. But Maye, who had started forcing the ball downfield in the fourth quarter, threw one to the middle of the field and Seahawks safety Julian Love had an easy interception. With less than nine minutes remaining, that practically wrapped up the win for Seattle. An interception for a 44-yard touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu put a bow on the performance.

The Seahawks went 14-3 in the regular season, losing three games by nine combined points. They dominated the 49ers in the divisional round, got an impressive NFC championship game win over the Rams and then shut down the Patriots in the Super Bowl. All season, one of the themes had been that there was no great team during this season.

The Seahawks might not have had the prettiest Super Bowl victory. But they were great for most of the season, and especially when Macdonald’s defense handled Maye and the Patriots in a lopsided Super Bowl win. (Adapted from a report by Yahoo! Sports)

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