There was a moment after Uchenna Nwosu crossed the goal line to score a decisive touchdown late in the Super Bowl when Devon Witherspoon had a strong case for the game’s Most Valuable Player award.

The box score momentarily read that Witherspoon had just notched his second sack and forced a fumble that fell into Nwosu’s arms. Nwosu ran 45 yards and scored, making it a 29-7 game, effectively ending the New England Patriots’ slim hopes at a miracle comeback.

But the box score was corrected by NFL officials moments later, giving Nwosu the interception and taking away a sack and forced fumble from Witherspoon’s stat line. Had it held, his MVP case might have been stronger than running back Kenneth Walker, who had 161 yards from scrimmage, but wasn’t part of any touchdown plays, as Witherspoon was.

After all, the story of Sunday’s 29-13 championship triumph from the Seahawks was the defense’s domination of second-year quarterback Drake Maye. And Witherspoon’s stat line would have jumped out over Derick Hall and Byron Murphy, who each had two sacks. Maye was sacked six times, finished with a fumble and two interceptions while the Seahawks won the turnover battle 3-0.

Not that anyone with the Seahawks mind that Walker won MVP. Lifting of the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in the organization’s history, the hugs, celebratory cigars and the other once-in-a-lifetime moments at Levi’s Stadium mean far more than quibbles over box score stats and MVP cases.

But there’s little doubt Witherspoon has cemented himself as one of the best defensive backs in the NFL — and has a chance to go down as an all-time Seahawks player if he continues his current trajectory.

“He’s a walking Hall of Famer, right now,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “He’s a dog. He’s my favorite player in the NFL. He can do everything.”

Witherspoon had four tackles, a sack, and three quarterbacks hits, including the one on Maye that led to Nwosu’s touchdown. His sack in the first quarter ended New England’s second drive in a string that included 10 straight possessions that ended in either a punt or kneel down to end the first half.

His performance in the Super Bowl will get added to a resume that already includes three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons, and potentially a contract atop the market. The No. 5-overall pick in the 2023 draft is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason.

“The soul of our defense, ‘Spoon is the heart of it,” safety Julian Love said. “If you know football and you watch our tape, 21 jumps off the screen every single play, every single game, every single rep. It’s just raw talent. It’s playing football the right way. He’s just a ballplayer. And he’s been that way since the first time he stepped in the building.”

The Patriots didn’t score a touchdown until early in the fourth quarter, trimming a 19-0 to 19-7. Witherspoon, and his teammates, throttled New England to the tune of 78 yards on offense through the first three quarters. They exploded for 253 in the fourth when the game was largely out of hand to finish with a respectable 331. The final number did not represent how much Seattle’s “Dark Side” controlled the game.

When relayed being called a Hall of Famer by Jones, Witherspoon said, “It means everything. Talk about a great teammate, Ernest, he’s everything to us, man. A ‘Mike’ linebacker who sets the standard for us. ... Right now, I’m just focused on the now, living in the present.”

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald dialed up more blitzes early in the game than the Seahawks typically had throughout the season. He called nine pressures, by unofficial count, in the first half. That 36% rate is nearly double their 19.3% rate from the regular season, according to Pro Football Reference.

Of course, Witherspoon’s blitzes resulted in his first-quarter sack that came on an early third down that helped set the tone of the game. And his hit on Maye that led to Nwosu’s touchdown will be remembered as a highpoint in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory.

“I haven’t been blitzing a lot this year,” Witherspoon said. “But it was best for our team, and I’m going to do whatever I need to do for our team to win.”