Seahawks lower the boom on defense in Super Bowl win: ‘That's a bunch of bad boys'

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV arrived in the postgame interview tent flouting the spoils of victory. He fiddled with the 2021 Rams Super Bowl ring on his left hand, as a cigar rested not-so-subtly atop the table in front of him. 

Everything about the scene – his appearance, his demeanor, his tone – confirmed Jones' role as one of the anchors of a dominant championship defense. 

"That's a bunch of bad boys," he said of his teammates. "For me to be in the middle, leading this group, boy I'm blessed."

Then one reporter attempted to coax historical context from Jones, wondering where these Seahawks might fit in a wider conversation. How do they compare to, say, the 1985 Chicago Bears? Or their own franchise's defensive standard, the Legion of Boom?

"I'll say this," Jones said. "I'll match our defense against anybody."

The Seahawks supplied compelling evidence in Sunday's 29-13 win over New England in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. They smothered the Patriots for most of the game, relentlessly harassing New England quarterback Drake Maye and holding the Pats scoreless through three quarters.

Put another way: New England had 10 possessions through three quarters. Eight resulted in punts, one ended the first half and the other finished with a fumble. 

Seattle's defense was so ferocious, it sparked a premature dive into the record books. None of the previous 59 Super Bowls had ended in a shutout (nor did this one, ultimately). The fewest yards of total offense allowed was 119 – Pittsburgh against Minnesota in the Super Bowl ending the 1974 season – followed closely by the 123 permitted by the Bears against the Patriots in the ‘85 season. 

The Seahawks were on track to eclipse the record until they allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns. They still made their point, carrying Seattle to its second NFL title.

This counted as no surprise to San Francisco 49ers fans, of course. Twice last month, the Seahawks stuffed Brock Purdy and the 49ers – beating them 13-3 in the regular-season finale in Santa Clara, then crushing them 41-6 in the NFC divisional playoffs in Seattle. 

So the scene Sunday made sense in many ways – Maye sacked six times and perpetually under siege. The Seahawks intercepted him twice and forced one fumble. They took away New England's hope until it was too late. 

"Once we got to halftime, and they hadn't scored, I think we came out saying we had enough points to win the game," Seattle defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. "We were definitely seeking that goose egg."

The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring defense in the regular season, allowing 17.2 points per game. They ranked sixth in total defense, relinquishing an average of 285.6 yards. Maye highlighted Seattle's strength on all three levels – on the line, among the linebackers and in the secondary – and how the Seahawks "mix it up."

But any great defense demands a catchy nickname, as Williams acknowledged. The long-ago Rams formed the Fearsome Foursome, the Vikings had the Purple People Eaters and Pittsburgh was the Steel Curtain. 

And then the Seahawks had their own Legion of Boom, defined by cornerback Richard Sherman and linebacker Bobby Wagner among others. They pushed Seattle to Super Bowl appearances in the 2014 and ‘15 seasons, with one title. 

This year's defense labeled itself The Dark Side.

"We just came up with that name," Williams said. "We've had a tremendous defense this year, and people were comparing us to the Legion of Boom. We have a lot of respect for the Legion of Boom, a lot of respect for all the players on that defense.

"We wanted our own name, to respect the guys who have been here before and also respect our team right now, creating a new standard."

Several key players creating this new standard are in their mid-20s, an ominous sign for the division rival 49ers. Seattle struggled to stop the run last season, causing some changes – including an October 2024 trade for Jones, then with Tennessee. 

That helped solidify the Seahawks – Jones collected a game-high 11 tackles Sunday – as did the development of 25-year-old cornerback Devon Witherspoon. He's made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons, and he tormented the Patriots by repeatedly bursting into the backfield on blitzes (including one for a sack).

Jones called Witherspoon "a walking Hall of Famer," lofty praise for a third-year player. But the Seahawks were understandably giddy after Sunday's game, rising to the moment to deny the Patriots what would have been their seventh Super Bowl title. 

Witherspoon, asked what it said that his defense produced one of its finest performances on the game's biggest stage, offered a straightforward response. 

"This says we handled our business like we did all year," he said. "We have a group of guys who play together out there, and give each other everything they need. We don't let the other person down."

This article originally published at Seahawks lower the boom on defense in Super Bowl win: ‘That's a bunch of bad boys'.