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Game by game: the Seattle Seahawks’ path to Super Bowl LX, shaped by star players, coaches, and past glory
The Seattle Seahawks battled through the NFL’s toughest division and the league’s best in the playoffs to reach Super Bowl LX the hard way.
From statement wins that proved pivotal on their journey to the stars that made them a force to be reckoned with, Seattle’s journey to Super Bowl 60 blends the present with echoes of a proud past.
As the Seahawks prepare for another shot at the Lombardi Trophy vs. the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, here’s a closer look at the games that shaped their season, the players leading the charge, and the legacy of that unforgettable triumph in 2014.
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The story of the Seahawks' season
Week 1, San Francisco 49ers 17 - 13 Seattle Seahawks
Odd though it may be to start with one of Seattle's three losses this season, this proved to be an early wake-up call for Mike Macdonald's side.
A game-clinching touchdown from Brock Purdy to backup tight end Jake Tonges with 1:34 on the clock clearly stung.
"I felt like we weren’t as efficient as we wanted to be on first and second down - and third down we have to be way better as well," said Sam Darnold at the time.
Like all good sides, the Seahawks didn't waste time feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, they used the defeat as motivation to improve.
Weeks 2 to 5, Steelers (W), Saints (W), Cardinals (W), Bucs (L)
Three wins followed, including a statement win against the Steelers.
As if it wasn't already known, linebacker Ernest Jones firmly established himself as the leader of the defense vs. the Cardinals, compiling eight tackles, an interception, and half a sack.
The Seahawks lost a closely-fought contest at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 in a game that was, ironically, the best performance Sam Darnold had managed through the first month of the season.
Darnold had been gathering momentum in the previous two games, but this was his coming-out party. With that said, his four touchdowns and an 82.4% completion rate felt like little consolation in a losing effort.
At the end of this run, the Seahawks, who were 3-2 at the time, seemed more pretender than contender.
Week 6, Seattle Seahawks 20 - 12 Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the Jaguars' strong start to the season, this win at the time didn’t register as the impressive feat it was.
Were they not already obvious, this win proved two things:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba was here to stay. He had led all Seahawks' pass-catchers in yards in all six games, and his 162 receiving yards vs. the Jags was his fourth 100-plus yard game of the year.
- Seattle's defense had to be taken seriously. The Bucs' game aside, they had limited all six opponents, including the Jags, to under 20 points.
Week 7, Seattle Seahawks 27 - 19 Houston Texans
Much like the Jaguars result in Week 6, this win didn't seem a major surprise at the time. Houston started the year poorly, found their feet, but hadn't yet emerged as the force they would become later in the season.
We might have regarded the outcome more important had we known that, barring a loss to the Broncos two weeks later, this was the only game Houston would lose the rest of the way.
Seattle's offense wasn't at its best, turning over the ball four times, but the defense dominated. They limited Houston to only 254 yards of offense and made life miserable for C.J. Stroud, who completed fewer than half of his passing attempts.
The Seahawks improved to 5-2.
Weeks 8 to 10, BYE, Commanders (W), Cardinals (W)
These victories were expected, but in a league built for parity and with surprises at every corner, every win counts.
Darnold was inconsistent from one game to the next, but the offensive line was holding up well, and Smith-Njigba continued to tear pieces out of Seattle's opponents.
After starting 0-1 and then 3-2, Seattle found themselves at 7-2 in mid-November.
Week 11, Los Angeles Rams 21 - 19 Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks defense, by this point, was never in doubt. Everyone knew they were for real, and so it proved, as they made Matthew Stafford look pedestrian, limiting him to his lowest completion percentage and passing yards of the year.
Unfortunately, despite having most of their offensive starters healthy again, what appeared to be Seattle's Achilles heel - Sam Darnold - had his worst game of the season, tossing four interceptions.
It speaks volumes about how good Seattle was defensively that it still took a missed field goal by Jason Myers in the dying minutes for Sean McVay's side to emerge with the win.
Post-game, Macdonald reflected on where improvements were needed.
The loss hurt. The Seahawks fell to 7-3, lost ground to their NFC West division rivals, and the 49ers were nipping at their heels, too.
Weeks 12 to 15, Titans (W), Vikings (W), Falcons (W), Colts (W)
Seattle was favoured to win each of these games, but they still had to get the job done. And get it done, they did.
Darnold was still a little feast or famine, but it didn't really matter because the defense was still performing at a high level, JSN could not be stopped, and the combination of Walker and Charbonnet was doing just enough to keep the chains moving.
Including the 26-0 shutout of the Vikings, the Seahawks limited Minnesota, Atlanta, and Indianapolis to a combined 25 points. Whew.
Seattle roared into the final month of the regular season, boasting an 11-3 record. In most divisions, that would have earned them a clear lead. But not the NFC West. More on that point below.
Week 16, Seattle Seahawks 38 - 37 Los Angeles Rams (OT)
As important as all the games listed above were on the Seahawks' Super Bowl journey, this rematch with the Rams was the biggest to date. Everything was to play for.
Before this game, the 11-3 Rams led the division, Seattle was next at 11-3, marginally ahead of the 49ers at 10-4. Mathematically, other division leaders could still pip the eventual NFC West winner to the NFC's coveted No. 1 seed, but in reality, with only three games remaining, only the 10-4 Chicago Bears were within striking distance.
What transpired was a game for the ages.
Uncharacteristically, the Seahawks allowed a passer - albeit one as talented as Matthew Stafford - to throw for 457 yards and three touchdowns, most of which ended up in the hands of the sensational Puka Nacua.
But if resilience is the calling card of Super Bowl contenders, there's no better example than this: 16 points down, Seattle clawed their way level and forced the game into overtime thanks to a Rashid Shaheed punt return for a touchdown.
But they weren't done yet. The Rams scored first in overtime, before Seattle answered - and won - with a gutsy two-point conversion from Darnold to backup tight end Eric Saubert.
Darnold's heroics drew high praise from veteran wideout Cooper Kupp: “His steadiness. His leadership. I mean, all these things that you want in a quarterback."
It was a pivotal moment for the entire NFC. With the win, Seattle moved to 12-3, clinched a playoff spot and moved into position for the top seed in the NFC.
Week 17, Seattle Seahawks 27 - 10 Carolina Panthers
The Panthers had alternated wins and losses since late October, but having claimed scalps such as the Packers, Rams, and Buccaneers on their journey, and given the pressure Seattle faced to maintain its lead over the Rams, this wasn't easy. At least on paper.
In perhaps the clearest indication of their newfound identity, the Seahawks overpowered Carolina, with Walker and Charbonnet combining for 163 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
However, the real story, once again, was the Seahawks' defense. The Bryce Young-led Panthers mustered only 139 total yards of offense and completed just one of their 11 third-down conversions.
At 13-3 and with their destiny in their own hands, Seattle looked strong. But one huge task stood in their way...
Week 18, Seattle Seahawks 13 - 3 San Francisco 49ers
The only two teams capable of winning the NFC’s No. 1 seed, going head-to-head in the final game of the season. What more could NFL fans ask for? The build-up to this game was electric.
It wasn't the high-scoring shootout most wanted, but in truth, it was never going to be. While most expected this to be a defensive battle, few could have predicted just how dominant Aden Durde's group would be.
What followed was perhaps Seattle's finest defensive display of the season. They smothered Brock Purdy, one of the hottest quarterbacks between Weeks 15 and 17, who threw for only 127 yards.
Perhaps even more impressively, 49ers' tailback Christian McCaffrey, who came into the game hoping to become the first player in NFL history to record two seasons with 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving, emerged with only 57 combined yards.
“We all have respect for the Legion of Boom, but I feel like we deserve some recognition at this point, too,” defensive tackle Leonard Williams said after the game. “We call ourselves the Dark Side.”
“It’s huge to be able to play in front of the 12s,” Darnold said proudly. “It’s unlike any other stadium in terms of how loud it can be and how tough it can be for the other offense. We’re really looking forward to being at home for the playoffs.”
Overcoming their stiffest test yet, the Seahawks had run the gauntlet, earned a first-round postseason bye, and more importantly, established themselves as one of the favourites for Super Bowl LX.
But their work wasn't done yet.
Divisional Round, Seattle Seahawks 41 - 6 San Francisco 49ers
While Seattle's excellent form had secured them a playoff game at Lumen Field, what their regular-season dominance didn’t earn was an easy playoff draw.
The 49ers' win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round set up a rematch - and the third meeting with the Seahawks - of the season.
The two sides had split the spoils in their first two meetings, but the Seahawks had momentum on their side after dispatching San Francisco in the second instalment.
The 49ers were without tight end George Kittle, but surely Seattle wouldn't contain Purdy, McCaffrey, and this Kyle Shanahan group quite as easily as they had two weeks beforehand?
They could, and they did. It took just 13 seconds for the Seahawks to register points. Rashid Shaheed returned the game’s opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for what was to come.
Seattle struck twice more in the first quarter, once through Walker and another via Smith-Njigba, helping Seattle race to a 17-0 lead.
Despite playing with an oblique injury, Darnold was efficient, but the offense ran through the electrifying Walker, who finished with 116 yards and three touchdowns, tying Shaun Alexander for the most franchise scores in a playoff game in team history.
The defense, as always, did what they do best. Purdy completed only 55.6% of his passes for just 140 yards and was picked off by Jones, while McCaffrey managed just 3.2 yards per carry.
“Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp and OTAs going up against them. But I’m glad they’re on our side,” Darnold said.
"They’re unbelievable. They’ve stepped up every single game for us,” he continued.
NFC Conference Championship Game, Seattle Seahawks 31 - 27 Los Angeles Rams
Billed as the NFL's No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense, this was set up to be a titanic showdown. It delivered fireworks, but not in the way many expected.
This felt like the completion of Darnold’s redemption arc - the night a quarterback once labelled a first-round bust proved he can go toe-to-toe with the best.
In a career-defining performance, Darnold stood toe-to-toe with Matthew Stafford, completing 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns, and despite fumbling once, did not turn the ball over.
It helped, of course, that he could count on the otherworldly skills of Smith-Njigba, who reeled in a no-look pass one-handed - undeniably one of the best plays we've seen all year.
That sensational play was upstaged by his teammate, Walker, who, despite being held to 3.2 yards per carry, had more than 100 yards rushing and receiving. He left Rams' linebacker Omar Speights grasping at air on this play.
Defensively, the Seahawks weren't quite as dominant as usual, but they stood tall when needed the most. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon broke up a key 4th down attempt with 4:59 remaining, which proved pivotal.
“He’s just the heart of our defense,” safety Julian Love said of Witherspoon. “He just is the essence. ’Spoon is it. He plays with just such a raw energy. And we love him for it.”
But the story of the game was Darnold. And by demonstrating he could perform when the pressure is on, he had guided the franchise to their first Super Bowl in 11 years.
“You can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback,” second-year coach Macdonald said of his 28-year-old signal-caller. “He shut a lot of people up tonight, so I’m happy for him.”
"Can’t say enough about Sam," Smith-Njigba added. "We got one more to go. But for him to overcome what he had to overcome, I’m riding with Sam all day."
Seahawks' players to watch
Offense
The story of the Seahawks' season above teased out many of the star players on this talented roster.
Offensively, it starts with quarterback Sam Darnold. Drake Maye may be the better of the two Super Bowl LX quarterbacks, but by doing enough to get the Seahawks to this point and overcoming the Rams, who made life miserable for him in last year's playoffs, Darnold has silenced his critics.
In the regular season, Darnold completed a career-high 67.7% of his passes in 2025. He threw for 4048 yards and 25 touchdowns.
The main criticism during the regular season was turnovers, an area where he held the unenviable claim of leading the league with 20, including 14 interceptions.
But he's saved his best for the postseason, completing 69.8% of his passes, with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. More importantly, he hasn't turned the ball over once in the last two games.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the star of the show. He led all receivers for receiving yards in the regular season (1793), has been the Seahawks' leading receiver in all but two of their games, and is a frontrunner for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
The young wideout has surpassed Justin Jefferson for the most receiving yards ever by a player in their age-23-or-younger season, including the playoffs.
Veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp deserves a mention, too. At 32, the former MVP award-winner in Super Bowl LVI isn't quite as impactful as he used to be, but he can still come up big when it counts.
Speedster Rashid Shaheed has emerged down the stretch as both a dangerous deep threat and a difference-maker in the return game. Watch out for him to go the distance any time he has the ball in his hands.
Kenneth Walker III, so long mired in a backfield duo with Zach Charbonnet, has thrived as the feature back in Charbonnet's absence, showcasing the speed and agility to carry the Seahawks' ground game in big moments.
And Seattle’s offensive line, led by offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and rookie guard Grey Zabel, has protected Darnold well most of the year, allowing just 27 sacks in the regular season and five in the playoffs.
Defense
Seattle boasts several star players on defense, but their real strength is how they come together as a unit. For that, English defensive coordinator Durde deserves much of the credit.
In the regular season, they led the league in allowing the fewest points per game (17.2) and finished top ten in a number of other categories.
Byron Murphy, Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Leonard Williams form an imposing defensive line adept at rushing the passer and stuffing the run.
Captain Ernest Jones is a reliable, do-it-all impact player at the second level. He's always been a force against the run, but this year, he's come up big with a career-high six interceptions.
And at cornerback, Devon Witherspoon has the talent to lock down even the best wideouts in football. He's joined in the secondary by safety and rookie sensation Nick Emmanwori, whose physical presence and athleticism have taken this group to new heights.
Seahawks' management team and coaching staff
Seattle’s rise back to the Super Bowl is as much a testament to what’s happening off the field as on it.
GM John Schneider has quietly built one of the NFL’s most complete rosters through bold drafts, savvy trades and shrewd free-agency additions.
Head coach Mike Macdonald, in just his second season in charge, has turned Schneider's vision into a disciplined, competitive group that - like many Super Bowl contenders - is greater than the sum of its parts.
The former Ravens' DC has quickly established a winning culture, thrusting him into contention for the Coach of the Year award, where, among others, he's up against the Patriots' Mike Vrabel.
The balanced offense, spearheaded by OC Klint Kubiak, has really come into its own, and has him among the many Super Bowl LX coordinators who could be leaving for a head coaching role next season.
That group also includes English DC Aden Durde, who has risen through the NFL ranks from interning with the Dallas Cowboys to become one of the most respected defensive minds in football.
Completing the group is special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh, son of Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, who has undoubtedly been a difference-maker since joining the team from Michigan in 2024.
The Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks 43 - 8 Denver Broncos
While the Seahawks have won only once in their three Super Bowl appearances, their triumph at Super Bowl 48 will go down as one to remember.
Facing the legendary Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, Pete Carroll's underdog Seahawks delivered a defensive masterclass.
Led by the famous 'Legion of Boom', comprising Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, and Kam Chancellor, Seattle set the tone immediately, forcing mistakes and suffocating Denver from the opening snap, leading to a safety.
Manning tried to get the passing game going, but Chancellor and Co. were having none of it.
Quarterback Russell Wilson threw two touchdowns, Marshawn Lynch added another on the ground, and special teams' ace Percy Harvin returned a kickoff for a score.
Despite all the bigger names surrounding him, it was little-known linebacker Malcolm Smith who stole the spotlight, earning Super Bowl MVP honors after a dominant all-around performance that included a pick-six and a fumble recovery.
Given Peyton Manning’s reputation as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, and Denver’s status as clear favourites, the lopsided scoreline left NFL fans gobsmacked. It also added credence to the adage that defense wins championships.
The parallels between Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning side and the team about to take the field at Levi’s Stadium against the Patriots are obvious. Then, as now, the Seahawks are built around a defense strong enough to carry them all the way.
Can Durde's group follow the lead of the Legion of Boom and help the Seahawks add a second Vince Lombardi to the trophy cabinet? Time will tell. Tune in on February 8 with your DAZN Game Pass to find out.
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