The 2026 Super Bowl Recap

After a two-week break, National Football League fans and players gathered for the final game of the season: the Super Bowl. More than a decade after their last match-up, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks competed again for a chance to earn another Super Bowl ring. Both teams have definitely changed from that fateful 2015 game, which saw the Patriots win after a goal-line interception. But now, instead of Tom Brady and Russell Wilson leading the two teams, Drake Maye and Sam Darnold were seated at the helm.

Whether you saw the game at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, watched at home, or maybe even missed it altogether, the “Independent” is here to share all the highlights and storylines to get you through the inevitable “Did you watch the game?” conversation.

Preseason

At the beginning of the season, few expected the Seahawks or Patriots to make a deep playoff push, much less reach the Super Bowl. Seattle was ranked No. 20, with the biggest question revolving around their offense. New quarterback signee Sam Darnold had a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings after years of disappointment on different teams before arriving in Seattle. The Emerald City would also be employing a new offensive coordinator. With this fresh offense, few expected the team’s offense to match the level of their defense.

As for the Patriots, they were ranked No. 26 with many doubts about the depth of their roster. Their sophomore quarterback, Drake Maye, had a solid freshman season, showing flashes of brilliance despite a 4-13 record. To lead the team alongside Maye, the Patriots also brought in former Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel as head coach. But despite forecasted team potential, New England was expected to be a wildcard at best.

Postseason

While both teams began the season with losses, they both ended the season tied for the best record in their respective leagues. With a 14-3 record, the Seahawks were the No. 1 seed in the National Football Conference, earning a bye in the wild-card round. Meanwhile, the Patriots were beat out by the Broncos for the No. 1 seed in the American Football Conference because of their superior record against common opponents. 

Seattle’s first playoff game against the 49ers was a blowout, but their second game against the Rams was a closer finish that highlighted the strength of their defense. New England began the playoffs with an easy win against the Chargers, followed by another against the Texans with C.J. Stroud’s four interceptions; they finally won the division with a victory over the Broncos, who had to rely on backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. New England’s postseason path was a similar display of intimidating defense despite Maye’s subpar play.

With the match-up set for the Super Bowl, fans and media alike understood that, regardless of each team’s offense, this game would come down to a battle of the defenses.

The Super Bowl

The Seahawks received the kickoff, and Darnold entered for the first possession. Marching down, it seemed as though fans would be treated to an excellent offensive performance, but Seattle’s first drive ended in a field goal.

Maye and the Patriots then took possession, and though they converted a few first downs, Seattle’s defense forced the offense to a halt. At the Seahawks’ 44-yard line, the Patriots decided to punt instead of relying on rookie Andrés “Andy” Borregales to nail the tying kick. Certainly a questionable decision, but New England wasn’t punished as their defense forced Seattle to punt without converting a single first down.

However, the Patriots’ next possession quickly ended due to Seattle’s lightning-fast defense, which racked up two tackles for loss and a 10-yard sack. Just like the legendary “Legion of Boom” a decade prior, the Seahawks’ defense led the league in points allowed per game.

That’s not to say the Patriots’ defense wasn’t potent as well. The edge-rushers of New England and their blitz were just as formidable, often forcing Darnold to throw the ball away instead of taking a sack. The defensive prowess continued to show as the two teams exchanged punts until Seattle’s running back Kenneth Walker III broke off for two 30-yard runs. Still, the game was touchdownless, as Seattle settled for a field goal to put them up 6-0.

The offensive struggles continued for both teams. Finally, at the end of the half, the Seahawks were well within field goal range. Darnold attempted a pass to Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for the first touchdown of the game. However, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez broke up the pass to force Seattle’s third field goal. Gonzalez, in just his third year, earned his first Pro Bowl honors this year. He hounded Smith-Njigba throughout the first half as the receiver had only one reception. At halftime, the Seahawks led 9-0.

The Patriots started the second half with the ball, but were unable to even pick up a first down. The Seahawks, however, immediately marched down the field to put up yet another field goal. 

Despite the Seahawks’ first drive, the punt-fest continued until the end of the quarter. On the 3rd-and-5th-yard line, Maye stepped up in the pocket, and like many plays before, his offensive line was unable to contain the Seahawks’ rush as linebacker Derick Hall pushed the ball out of Maye’s hands for a fumble and the first turnover of the game.

The Seattle defense ignited the offense, and Darnold connected with AJ Barner for the first touchdown of the game to extend the lead to 19-0. While Maye connected for his own touchdown just afterwards, the clock was ticking down, and it was clear that the Patriots were looking for anything to bring them back into the game. As such, Maye began to throw riskier passes, including an easy interception just after throwing a bad ball into triple cover. 

In his next drive, the sophomore quarterback failed to react to the blitz in his field of vision. Releasing the ball as he was getting sacked, Maye threw an interception to Uchenna Nwosu, who ran it in for a pick-six. Though Maye threw another touchdown afterwards, the game was all but over. 

The Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, 29-13.

Standouts

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was named the Super Bowl MVP, making him the first running back to win the award since Super Bowl XXXII of the 1997 season. Walker had 135 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards.

Darnold finished with 202 yards on 19 completed passes of 38 attempts and a touchdown. While he didn’t decisively outplay Maye, who had 295 yards with two interceptions to match his two touchdowns, Darnold did enough to get the win. 

The Patriots’ biggest flaw was their offensive line. Rookie Will Campbell has received much criticism for his poor play. The left tackle allowed 14 pressures throughout the game, which was a massive contributor to why Maye and the offense struggled to put up points. However, it isn’t just Campbell to blame, as the entire offensive line allowed Maye to be sacked six times compared to Darnold’s one.

If there was an MVP for the losing team, it would have gone to Christian Gonzalez. His defense covering Seattle’s most dangerous threats prevented many touchdowns and massive yard gains. He recorded three pass deflections, the highest in the game. 

Looking Forward

While Patriots fans are certainly disappointed at the loss, there is hope. The team wasn’t even projected to make it to the Super Bowl. With a talented coach and Maye’s future development, the offense is sure to improve even further; as for the defense, it has been a strong point all season. So, for better or worse, the Patriots are going to make another Super Bowl appearance in this decade.

For Seahawks fans, this win is cathartic and a great victory for the city. Who knows how long they can keep this talented roster together, but it will be fun to see what’s next for Seattle.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is glad the Pats lost.