Everyone expected Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots to be a low-scoring game with excellent defense. However, those projections thought both teams would score at least several touchdowns with some explosive play.
Sunday night in Santa Clara we got a defensive masterclass from Seattle and excellent performances from running back Kenneth Walker III and even kicker Jason Myers. There were some top performers and ugly performances from tonight in what proved to be a one-sided game, in which Seattle won the Lombardi Trophy after a 29-13 victory.
Let's dive into our Super Bowl recap, take a look at the winners and losers from the Seahawks vs. Patriots, with the Lombardi Trophy returning to Seattle.
Winner: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Coming into Super Bowl LX, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III had 610 scrimmage yards over his last five games, including 256 scrimmage yards in the playoffs. The free-agent-to-be's dominance continued on Sunday, as he almost single-handedly led 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 touches in the first half, while the Patriots' offense could only muster 51 total yards on 25 plays. Walker is going to be appropriately rewarded with a new contract from the Seahawks this offseason because they can't afford to lose him.
RELATED: Super Bowl LX MVP winners, ranking Super Bowl MVP candidates for Seahawks vs. Patriots
Loser: Will Campbell, LT, New England Patriots
It was already a disastrous postseason for Patriots left tackle Will Campbell. According to Pro Football Focus, entering the Super Bowl, 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. Derrick 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 several occasions thereafter. Campbell's future is still very bright, but he has been arguably 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. That said, it's 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 drive down the field and save his teammates by drilling a field goal attempt. Myers, who led the NFL in scoring during the regular season, held Seattle's defense to a double-digit lead. In a defensive battle, this was important. In the second half, Myers set an NFL record for most field goals in a Super Bowl (five).
Loser: Super Bowl LX Ad
Do you remember the days when Super Bowl commercials were funny? We'd lower the bar low enough for Budweiser to bring back the iconic Clydesdales ads without trying to crossover with fake messaging. Instead, we sell the NFL and NBC to every sportsbook, AI company, and shady prediction market corporation they can. The downward trend continues and it seems clear that the situation is only going to get worse from here. For those of you looking to reminisce about the good old days, we'll take you to Doritos' Super Bowl 50 ad, Bud Light's Magic Fridge ad, and the Snickers spot starring Betty White.
Winner: Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots
On a night when there weren't many good chances for New England, cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked like one of the NFL's best players. There were countless moments when he provided lockdown coverage by blanketing Rashid Shaheed or Jackson Smith-Njigba. Of course, what stood out most were his two greatest plays. With an outstretched arm in a leap that displayed his typical athleticism, Gonzalez's fingers blocked a potential touchdown for Martyr. Then, before halftime, he made a great 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 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 seemed odd that Josh McDaniels won AP Assistant Coach of the Year by a significant margin (17 out of 50 first-place votes), while it was MVP candidate Drake Mays who actually performed offensively this season. At Super Bowl LX, we saw McDaniels taken to school by Seahawks coach Mike McDonald. We'll admit that the award is determined by regular season success, but this game certainly demonstrated that McDaniels probably wasn't the most deserving candidate.
Winner: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl LX was a showcase game for two of the NFL's best cornerbacks. When Christian Gonzalez wasn't on the field shutting down receivers and making phenomenal plays with his penchant for preventing touchdowns, Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon was making his presence felt. Mike McDonald's use of Witherspoon as a blitzer – two QB hits and a sack – paid off in a big way in the first half. The All-Pro defensive back also made his presence felt against the run and he excelled in coverage. Seattle's defense was the best in football this season, and Witherspoon was the best part of it from start to finish.
Loser: Drake Mays, QB, New England Patriots
Drake Mays has performed poorly in the NFL playoffs; No one can escape from that. The NFL MVP runner-up entered Super Bowl LX with a 58.9 percent completion rate and 447 net passing yards in three games, an average of 5.8 net yards per attempt. Weather may have played a role in the past, but Mays also had a troubling tendency to take sacks and underthrown passes. It only got worse in the Super Bowl and this time the weather conditions can't be blamed. The second-year quarterback entered the fourth quarter taking almost as many sacks (five) and losing sack yards (39) as he had completions (eight) and passing yards (60). By the time Seattle took a 19-point lead, Mayes had only 21 net passing yards and averaged 1.2 net yards per attempt. A fourth-quarter touchdown drive gave some hope, but then he threw a shocking interception.
Winner: Mike McDonald, Seattle Seahawks head coach
Let this be a lesson to 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 famous offensive play-callers in the NFL—Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Josh McDaniels—and Mike McDonald beat them all. He built an elite defense in Baltimore in his second season as play-caller, and the 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 hunted, but McDonald's defense cost Sam Darnold a Super Bowl victory. He's also the third-youngest head coach to win the Lombardi Trophy, so Seattle has been in good hands for a long time.
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