Defense wins the day

Patriots defeated! Seahawks win Super Bowl

There was great jubilation and tears of joy among the Seattle Seahawks!(Bild: AP/Sue Ogrocki)

The Seattle Seahawks have won the Super Bowl for the second time in their history, defeating the New England Patriots by a clear margin. The favored team led by quarterback Sam Darnold won 29-13 in a one-sided National Football League final, thanks in part to their strong defense. The Patriots – joint Super Bowl record champions alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers – fell well short of their seventh title.

Fans from Seattle celebrated in Santa Clara, finally getting their long-awaited redemption for the dramatic defeat eleven years ago, when the Seahawks lost 24-28 to the Patriots. Back then, the Seahawks had been in a great position shortly before the end of the game, but then they lost the ball and let the possible victory slip away. With five field goals, kicker Jason Myers became the key factor for Seattle and set a Super Bowl record.

The Seahawks took the lead right away with their first series of attacks, but had to settle for a field goal by Myers. The Patriots didn't score on their first attempt – which set the tone for a game dominated by strong defenses.

The second field goal to take a 6-0 lead in the second quarter was therefore more of a win than a missed opportunity for Seattle, and eleven seconds before the break, the Seahawks increased their lead to 9-0. This was not a good omen for the Patriots: no team had ever won the Super Bowl without scoring any points in the first half – and it would remain that way.

The halftime show:
The halftime show featuring superstar Bad Bunny had been eagerly anticipated in the run-up to the Super Bowl. The Puerto Rican artist is a thorn in the side of US President Donald Trump and his entourage and a declared adversary. In the current heated atmosphere in the US, the performance therefore takes on special significance. 

At the Grammy Awards, the 31-year-old had already used the stage to speak out against the brutal US immigration policy in his acceptance speech and had called for "love instead of hate." It was also a clear sign against the controversial ICE agency, which recently caused a stir and horror with its brutal actions in Minneapolis. 

His performance in the halftime show was also marked by a message of diversity and unity. "Love is stronger than hate" was once again the defining theme. In the end, the performance was characterized by an elaborate and colorful stage, lively melodies, and the occasional – more or less veiled – dig at the Trump administration's policies.

Patriots found no answer
After the break, the Seahawks defense quickly forced the Patriots off the field again. The Seattle offense worked its way down the field thanks to running back Kenneth Walker III and took a 12-0 lead with Myers' fourth field goal. "You can tell that the Patriots are running out of steam," analyzed Sebastian Vollmer, former Super Bowl champion with New England, as an RTL expert.

Any remaining hope was dashed with the first turnover shortly before the end of the third quarter. Immediately afterwards, the Seahawks scored their first touchdown early in the final quarter to take a 19-0 lead. A streaker caused some commotion and had to be brought down by security guards.

The Patriots' first touchdown twelve and a half minutes before the end brought some life back into the game, but even the 7-19 score did not turn the tide. Instead, New England quarterback Drake Maye made a costly mistake when he threw the ball to Seattle defender Julian Love. Myers also kicked his fifth field goal. The Seahawks defense finally rewarded itself with a touchdown when Uchenna Nwosu carried an interception straight into the end zone. The Patriots' second touchdown barely drew any cheers from the stadium.

Seahawks running back made the difference
Kenneth Walker III provided the few "oohs" and "aahs" of the game with his runs. The Seattle Seahawks running back gave his team the advantages that Patriots fans hoped for in vain. He gained up to 30 yards at a time, repeatedly dodging opponents and carrying the ball a few extra yards forward – that made the difference in the game. Walker ran for a total of 135 yards.