Kenneth Walker III put on a show in Super Bowl LX, and the numbers back it up: 135 rushing yards, 161 total yards from scrimmage, and a relentless motor that kept the Seattle offense afloat for the better part of three quarters. Add in Jason Myers’ Super Bowl-record five field goals, and you’ve got the backbone of a Seahawks offense that did just enough to win it all. Walker’s performance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors - and it’s hard to argue against a running back who carried that kind of load on the game’s biggest stage.
But here’s the thing: while Walker was the offensive engine, there’s a strong case to be made that the heart of this win came from Seattle’s defense - and more specifically, from Devon Witherspoon.
Witherspoon didn’t just have a good game. He had the kind of Super Bowl performance that defensive coordinators dream about and quarterbacks have nightmares over. He was disruptive, explosive, and timely - the kind of player who doesn’t just make plays, but changes the trajectory of a game.
Let’s break it down.
Late in the first quarter, Witherspoon came flying off the edge with a swim move that was so clean it looked like he was playing through air. He blew past the Patriots’ protection and got to rookie quarterback Drake Maye for a sack that stalled a promising New England drive.
It wasn’t just the sack - it was the tone it set. From that point on, Maye looked a little more hurried, a little less sure.
But Witherspoon wasn’t done.
Fast-forward to the fourth quarter. With the Patriots still within striking distance, Witherspoon once again broke through the line, forcing Maye into a panic throw that ended up in the arms of Uchenna Nwosu, who took it to the house for the game-sealing pick-six.
The stat sheet won’t credit Witherspoon with a forced fumble or a sack on that play. But anyone watching saw what really happened - that interception was born the moment Witherspoon blew up the pocket.
That’s two game-altering plays in the biggest game of the year. And they weren’t flukes.
Here’s the kicker: Witherspoon had rushed the passer just 21 times all season leading up to the Super Bowl. Against the Patriots?
He did it six times - and looked like a seasoned edge rusher doing it. That’s not just versatility.
That’s elite adaptability on the biggest stage.
It’s worth remembering that the last time a defensive player won Super Bowl MVP was Von Miller in 2016, when the Broncos defense overwhelmed Cam Newton and the Panthers. Miller was the face of that defensive dominance. In this game, Seattle’s defense was every bit as suffocating - and Witherspoon was its most disruptive force.
Now, none of this is to take away from Walker. He ran with heart, vision, and power, and the Seahawks needed every yard he gave them. But when you talk about who changed the game - who made the defining plays that swung momentum and sealed the win - Witherspoon’s fingerprints are all over this Super Bowl.
The MVP voters went with the guy who carried the ball. But there’s a real argument that the guy who carried the defense - and maybe the game - wore number 21.