Super Bowl LX wrapped up the NFL season on Feb. 8, with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots. Neither team was expected to make any sort of championship run coming into the season, but when the two improbable tales collided, the Seahawks proved unstoppable. Seattle cruised to a 29-13 victory on the back of five field goals (a Super Bowl record) and a crushing defensive effort. Here’s the immediate reactions to all the action, from the Seahawks’ dominant defense to the halftime show fanfare and everything in between.

Seattle’s impressive season

Few picked the Seattle Seahawks to make the Super Bowl at the start of the season, but their win caps off an incredibly impressive year. Their 14-3 regular season record was tied for the best record in the NFL with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos (with?), including an 8-1 away record that was the strongest in the NFC. Their offense finished top 3 in total scoring, helped along by a top-tier special teams unit. The Seattle defense (more on them shortly) was likewise spectacular, leading the league in points allowed per game and ranking top ten in yards allowed against both rushing and passing attacks.

Individual Seahawks also had spectacular seasons. On offense, Sam Darnold threw for over 4,000 passing yards and had the fifth most passing yards of any quarterback in the league, while wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards and finished tied for sixth overall with ten receiving touchdowns. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV led a team-effort defense, bringing 120 tackles and five interceptions (good for second-most of any player this season). Capping the season off with a Super Bowl win cements an already-excellent season into the history books.

Defense wins championships, again

Most football fans enjoy watching high-flying offensive action, but solid defense is typically what wins championships, and the 2026 Super Bowl was defined by defense. The first half ended 9-0 for Seattle, with the Patriots only gaining 52 total yards of offense across five drives and the Seahawks managing just three field goals despite making it into the red zone twice. The game opened up in the second half, but the three biggest plays of the half were made by Seattle’s defense, forcing a strip-sack fumble near the end of the 3^rd quarter and snagging a pair of brutal interceptions, including a pick-six, in the 4^th to put the game away.

Even with a mediocre offensive performance, the Seahawks’ defense was more than enough to seal the victory, and this is far from the first time that a locked-down defense has pushed a team to a Super Bowl win. The Patriots defense was also clearly their strongest unit and kept them competitive even late into the game. It’s hard to know how much of the Patriots’ offensive struggles were down to the Seahawks’ defense and how much was due to their own errors, but Sam Darnold was certainly right to thank the defense during his post-game interview.

The NFC West: Best Division in Football?

The Seahawks’ win capped off not only a remarkable season for the team, but one for their entire division. Three of the four teams in the NFC West made the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers both getting wild-card berths with 12-5 records. Of the 13 combined regular season losses those three teams endured, six of them were to each other. Once in the playoffs, the only times the NFC West lost were to other teams from the division, with the Seahawks beating both the 49ers and Rams in succession.

Proclaiming any of the NFL’s eight divisions to be the best division in football would be controversial, and with roster turnover between seasons, it’s hard to predict if this year’s results will hold for 2026. The NFC West also has a nagging weak spot, with the 3-14 Arizona Cardinals arguably dragging the whole division down with them. Despite that, when both teams in the NFC championship and three of the four teams in that conference’s divisional round are all from the NFC West, and when ESPN’s two favorites for next year’s championship are both NFC West teams, it becomes hard to deny that the NFL has a standout division.

The Patriots Are Legit

They may have looked the obviously inferior team during the big game, but don’t let the lopsided scoreboard fool you: the New England Patriots are a legitimate contender for postseason glory. Drake Maye’s struggles in the big game were exacerbated by an injury-riddled offensive line with multiple rookies having to start, and once the line is healthy and gains more experience, the Patriots should be prepared to handle high-pressure defenses.

The most impressive takeaway from the Patriots’ effort was their resolve. Despite being down 19-0 in the 4^th quarter and having shown no signs of life for the first three quarters of the game, the Patriots pushed in a late touchdown to avoid the shutout, and after Seattle scored on a devastating pick-six to take a 29-7 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining, the Pats rallied to score yet another touchdown to push the final score to 29-13. For a young team that was not expected to be in the big game, that level of resolve is a great sign for the future, and the Patriots should be right back in the conversation next year. 

Beyond the Game

The Super Bowl is more than a football game. It’s arguably the single biggest event in the United States on a yearly basis, with world-famous music artists performing at the halftime show and major corporate sponsors pouring in up to ten million dollars for a single 30 second advertisement slot. The advertising, music, and general pageantry around the Super Bowl gives a quick snapshot of the state of the U.S., and the 2026 game had plenty to discuss. The action off the field brought plenty of good (including a spectacular halftime show by Bad Bunny, a fun pre-game performance by Green Day, and the reveal of Cadillac’s new Formula 1 car) and a good deal of bad (far too many AI-generated ads). The current political state of the US was not directly referred to, even by the politics-happy Green Day. However, the closing shot of the halftime show, with a parade of flags from Latin America marching down the field in front of a screen saying “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” definitely struck a political chord and even incited a social media rant from President Trump.

The Eagles are heading to their third Super Bowl in franchise history. Their last Super Bowl appearance ended with a loss to the Patriots, and fans aren’t convinced they will bring home a win this time around either. However, the Eagles do have a good shot at winning this after their 38-7 upset against the Vikings for the Conference Championship.

Led by Head Coach Doug Pederson, the Eagles’ coaches have shaped this roster carefully. Many NFL experts have called the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster one of the best in the league. They have been on display since Carson Wentz tore his ACL and backup quarterback Nick Foles stepped into the spotlight. Foles threw 352 yards with three touchdowns in the Conference Championship game. Foles is trying to become the first backup quarterback to win a Super Bowl since Tom Brady did it way back in 2001. The Eagles are considered the underdog, and they don’t deny it. The team has started to wear elaborate dog masks to step into the new role.

As the Patriots go for back-to-back Lombardi trophies, Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick have a big accomplishment on the horizon. Brady and Belichick, the NFL’s most loved/hated quarterback and coach duo, are going to their eighth Super Bowl together. If all goes well, they could come home with their sixth Super Bowl win together.

The Patriots came back to upset the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Conference Championship. I see how demeaning the Patriots by calling them “Patridiots” can be an easier pill to swallow than acknowledging their talent to win bowl games. With five Super Bowl Championships under their belt, the talent cannot be ignored. Since Brady took over as starting quarterback in 2001, the Patriots have participated in Super Bowl Sunday 47 percent of the time. 

Both teams earned a 13-3 regular season record and the number one seed in their conference.

Justin Timberlake will be featured in the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show. Timberlake has won 10 Grammys and various other honors. This will be Timberlake’s third time performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, giving him the most appearances by an individual performer. He previously performed at Super Bowls XXXV and XXXVII.

The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched melodic occasion of the year. Last year’s show was the most-watched musical event ever over all stages and the most-observed Super Bowl Halftime in history. Super Bowl LII marks Pepsi’s sixth year as the title backer of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and their 16th year as an NFL accomplice.

Photo courtesy of Sporting News