Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning 'Dark Side' defense: the new 'Legion of Boom'?

Undeterred by all the rules favoring the offense and quarterbacks bringing more athleticism than ever to the field, the Seattle Seahawks verified that defense can still dominate the NFL in 2026.

Seattle's Mike Macdonald became the first head coach to win a Super Bowl as his team's primary defensive play caller when the Seahawks topped the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday, a triumph fueled by their “Dark Side” defense — the worthy successor to the “Legion of Boom” that brought home their first Lombardi Trophy 12 years earlier.

It may not be a one-off, either.

Three teams shifted toward defensive-minded leadership this coaching cycle with a trio of defensive coordinators getting head coaching jobs.

The Tennessee Titans hired former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who used to coach the New York Jets. The Miami Dolphins hired Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and the Baltimore Ravens turned to Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Macdonald, 38, who served as the Ravens' defensive coordinator for two years before replacing Pete Carroll in Seattle two years ago, is the first head coach with primarily defensive roots to lift the Lombardi Trophy since Bill Belichick following the 2018 season.

Macdonald's defense dominated the Super Bowl from the start and held the Patriots out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. The Seahawks sacked Drake Maye six times and forced him into a pair of costly turnovers they turned into 14 points. They had three takeaways overall.

Seattle's defense made sure it mattered not that Sam Darnold only threw for one touchdown and couldn't do much in the red zone.

“It’s insane, man," Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. "I’ve never been around a bunch of guys where literally nobody thought it was a Super Bowl. It was just our next game, and that’s how we approached it. And defensively, we came out and said it early in the year: To win the Super Bowl, it was going to be on our backs, so like I said, I’ll be damned if we get one game away and this defense doesn’t show up like we’re supposed to.”

In the lead-up to the Super Bowl, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth had high praise for Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who stewarded Maye into an MVP-worthy season and helped him navigate a 10-7 win at snowy Denver in the AFC championship despite throwing for just 86 yards.

This was McDaniels' 10th Super Bowl as an assistant — and it turned out to be his worst. He never took the pressure off Maye, who had a painkilling injection in his throwing shoulder before the game and was hounded relentlessly throughout.

Maye conquered three top-5 defenses on his way to the Super Bowl in his second season, but he wasn't up to the task against the Seahawks, who sported the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense.

“We got be better with the football and make better decisions and I got to make better throws when the game goes like that," Maye said. "I got to make some throws to help us move the football.”

And McDaniels needed to adjust way quicker than he did. Through three quarters, the Patriots had nine punts, five three-and-outs and just 78 yards of offense.

McDaniels never protected his young QB by calling for more handoffs or quick screens, even though rookie left tackle Will Campbell — the fourth overall pick out of LSU in last year's NFL draft — allowed a whopping 14 pressures in the Super Bowl.

All of which rendered debatable Collinsworth's pregame praise of McDaniels.

Asked about the redemptive arc of McDaniels' career — dismissed in his second season in Las Vegas just as he had been cut loose midseason by the Broncos in 2010 — and the wonders he worked with Maye in their first year together, Collinsworth said: "Yeah, I think he’s brilliant. Honestly, if I had a football team, and I know it hasn’t always worked out, he would be one of my lead candidates to be a head coach again. I know that will sound outrageous to some. It doesn’t to me.”

Given how the Super Bowl played out, there are two other former Broncos head coaches who probably deserve another shot at being a head coach before McDaniels: Vic Fangio and Vance Joseph.

Fangio, Philadelphia's defensive coordinator, helped the Eagles win last year's Super Bowl by throttling Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.

Joseph, Denver's defensive coordinator, has seen his stock rise by leading a unit that's collected an NFL-high 141 sacks over the last two years, including the playoffs. He interviewed with the Raiders, Cardinals, Titans, Falcons, Ravens and Giants this cycle but didn't get that coveted second chance this year.

Other defensive play-callers who might find their phones ringing a year from now, especially if another Super Bowl is dominated by defense like this one was, include Chris Shula of the Rams, Brian Flores of the Vikings and Anthony Campanile of the Jaguars.

Seattle's dominance Sunday raised the question about where the “Dark Side” ranks among all-time great defenses. Right next to the “Legion of Boom,” maybe?

“I know we're the best defense this year,” said Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon, “and that's all that matters.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald kisses the Lombardi Trophy between quarterback Sam Darnold and Seattle Seahawks chair Jody Allen after the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald holds the Lombardi Trophy while posing during a news conference the morning after Super Bowl 60 between the Seahawks and the New England Patriots in San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Seattle Seahawks Byron Murphy II (91), Devon Witherspoon (21), and the Seahawks defense celebrate after Murphy recovered a fumble after a sack during the third quarter of Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) celebrates his touchdown on a fumble recovery with safety Nick Emmanwori (3) during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe celebrates after the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Breezy Johnson is poised to earn her second gold of the Olympics on Tuesday — as long as teammate Mikaela Shiffrin can maintain America's advantage in the new team combined event.

The team combined consists of one racer competing in a downhill run and another in a slalom run, with the times from the two runs added together to determine the results.

Johnson gave the U.S. a narrow edge by finishing 0.06 seconds ahead of Ariane Raedler of Austria and 0.27 in front of Laura Pirovano of Italy. Johnson is seeking her second gold in the Dolomite Mountains after finishing atop the podium in the downhill on Sunday.

The slalom run is Tuesday afternoon and Shiffrin — the most decorated skier in history — will step into the starter's house in search of a bit of vindication after failing to medal in any of the six events she entered four years ago in Beijing.

There were no major crashes on the course where American star Lindsey Vonn broke her left leg on Sunday, though U.S. teammate Bella Wright lost her balance exiting Gate 4 — the same gate Vonn clipped — and drifted wide of the following gate. Wright was not injured and skied safely down.

Wright was one of two skiers unable to finish the downhill. Italian star Sofia Goggia lost her edge just past the midway point, much to the dismay of the hometown crowd in the bleachers below.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

United States' Breezy Johnson after completing an alpine ski, downhill portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Breezy Johnson speeds down the course during an alpine ski, downhill portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

United States' Breezy Johnson celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, downhill portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)