Seattle surged to its second Super Bowl title Sunday with a victory over the New England Patriots, delivering long-awaited redemption for Seahawks fans.
Why it matters: The Seahawks' 29-13 win at Super Bowl LX marked a full-circle moment, coming 11 years after Seattle's heartbreaking loss to New England in the final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX.
The latest: Fireworks started going off in central Seattle after linebacker Uchenna Nwosu returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, sealing the Seahawks' win. (That celebration defied a citywide fireworks ban.)
- Fans cheered, jumped up and down and waved 12th Man flags during the game's final minutes at a watch party at The Boxyard in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.
- "We're taking the Patriots down! It's our 2015 comeback," Pamela Burns of Seattle said as the game wound down.
- "We're bringing the Lombardi home," added Baba Naqasima, also of Seattle.
Catch up quick: The Seahawks defense held New England scoreless during the game's first three quarters as Seattle took a 12-0 lead.
- A fumble from Patriots quarterback Drake Maye set up an early fourth-quarter touchdown, putting the Hawks up 19-0.
- Although the Patriots scored later in the fourth quarter, they couldn't close the gap.
Stunning stat: Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III ran for 94 yards on 14 carries in the first half — the second-most rushing yards ever in a Super Bowl first half, The Seattle Times reported.
- Walker became the first running back in 28 years to win Super Bowl MVP, per AP.
Flashback: It almost was enough to erase the memory of how the Seahawks ended their last Super Bowl appearance in 2015, when then-quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception at the goal line with less than 30 seconds to go.
- Fans have long fantasized about what might have happened had Pete Carroll decided to hand the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch instead.
Context: Few expected Seattle to make it this far. In early September, CBS Sports predicted the Seahawks would finish last in their division, and ESPN's team of analysts did not have them reaching the Super Bowl.
- But new Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold played a central role in Seattle's rise, throwing for more than 4,000 regular-season yards and a 67.7% completion rate after the Vikings let him walk last year.
- Explosive plays by wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, plus a top-notch defense, contributed to Seattle's championship run.
What they're saying: "As long as you believe in yourself, anything is possible," Darnold said on the sidelines after the game.
Back in Seattle, thousands of fans flooded the Pioneer Square neighborhood that borders Lumen Field, with many of them yelling, "Sea! Hawks!" as cars drove by, honking.
The bottom line: The Seahawks are NFL champions for the second time, capping a season that defied expectations for the franchise.
What's next: A celebratory parade is expected through downtown Seattle on Wednesday.
Go deeper: Seattle fans take to the streets after Seahawks win
