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'They lived up to the Dark Side' - Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald salutes defence

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 8: Mike MacDonald and Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl LX football game against the New England Patriots, at Levi's Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clar
Sam Darnold and Mike MacDonald get their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said his side's defensive performance would "go down in the history books" after their 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

The Seahawks defence, dubbed the 'Dark Side', sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye six times and forced two interceptions as they claimed their second Super Bowl success.

"They just made a decision they were going to play a certain way," said Macdonald, who completed only his second season as a head coach by lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"They lived up to the Dark Side today. It's going to go down in the history books. They made it happen, they made it come to life."

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who forced an interception from Maye which was returned for a touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu, described the victory as a "one-of-a-kind feeling".

"You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can't describe this group no better," he told NBC. "I was just so happy to battle with these guys."

Sam Darnold, who became the first quarterback to win the Super Bowl after playing for more than four teams, was full of praise for the defence.

"I can't say enough great things about our defence, our special teams," he said. "We could have been a little bit better on offence but I don't care about that now.

"It's been such a special journey with these guys. A lot of hard work with these guys and a job well done."

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel admitted his side were "outcoached and outplayed".

"We had a really good year, one that I'm proud of," he said. "But this game wasn't a reflection of that."

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