Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald praised his side’s belief and execution after they delivered a commanding 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots to claim Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Seattle overwhelmed New England in a one-sided contest on Sunday, February 8 to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
Coach praises Seattle’s performance
Speaking to NBC after the game, Macdonald said the Seahawks’ unity had been decisive.
“We were the better team, we’re the best team,” Macdonald said.
“We loved each other, we believed in each other and now we’re champions.
“We went to the dark side. We love our players – they made it happen, they made it come to life.”
Seattle’s top-ranked defence made it a miserable night for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who was sacked six times, threw two interceptions and suffered a forced fumble.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers slowly applied pressure on the Patriots and made Super Bowl history by converting a record five field goals.
Quarterback Sam Darnold played with confidence and capped his rise to the summit of the sport with a cool, calm performance on the biggest stage.
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Darnold grateful for support
Darnold paid tribute to the belief shown in him by his team and family.
“My team-mates and my coaches, they believed in me since the first training camp, every single day we came to work,” Darnold told NBC.
“I shared a great moment with my parents and fiancee Katie after the game and I think that’s what kind of got me a little bit.
“I told my dad and my mom, I’m here because of their belief in me.”
He added: “Some people called me crazy throughout my career for believing in myself so much, but it was because of my parents.
“It allowed me to go out there and play free and have a ton of confidence.
“On offence, I feel like we didn’t play as good as we could have – I certainly didn’t – but our defence and special teams had our back.
“We did it. It’s been such a special journey with these guys, so much hard work has been put into this and we did it.”
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Briton lifts Lombardi Trophy
Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde became the first overseas coach to lift the Lombardi Trophy, and he highlighted the team’s preparation and execution after the game.
“We put a plan together and the guys executed at an elite level,” Middlesex-born Durde said.
“I’m very grateful. A lot of people sacrificed a lot for me to be sitting here, but you don’t see that.
“My mum and brother watched the game at an NFL party, and when my sons and wife came on to the field, they showed me a picture of them watching, so that was pretty cool.”
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SportJustSport writers