Super Bowl XLVIII kicks off in New Jersey at Metlife Stadium this Sunday at 6:30 p.m., featuring the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Denver Broncos.
The spread of the game is 2.5 points favoring the Broncos, with four-time and soon to be five-time MVP Peyton Manning at the helm. Denver’s running game has been excellent recently thanks to running back Knowshon Moreno’s impressive average of 4.3 yards a carry this season.
Denver’s defense has also held strong in recent weeks despite a season ending injury to the Bronco’s best defensive pass rusher, Von Miller, who tore his ACL in a meaningless game against the Houston Texans late in the season.
The Broncos started off the season 6-0 while Von Miller was inactive due to suspension for disobeying the NFL’s drug policy. The Broncos have had a surprisingly good defense this year, ranking in the top ten against the run this season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos have averaged an unbelievable 38 points a game this season and 340 yards passing with over 115 yards rushing, good for first in the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks have averaged just 200 pass yards a game this season, relying mainly on their rushing attack and averaging 137 rush yards a game, which is 4th in the NFL. The Seattle defense has been the main attribution to the teams 13-3 record, starring the LOB (Legion of Boom). The Legion of Boom represents Seattle’s secondary, with Byron Maxwell and Richard Sherman playing cornerback, and Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas playing safety.
Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Richard Sherman has been the major talk of Seattle’s defense after his post game rant on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, for being a sub par wide receiver, and that if the 49ers wanted to win, they needed to match him up with someone better. Sherman was fined $7,875 for taunting the 49ers after the game.
These teams are near polar opposites, with Seattle’s incredible defense and Denver’s high octane offense. Both teams were number one seeded in their respective conferences and both sides can argue their side on why they will win the biggest game in football. The Broncos have a much more experienced quarterback at the helm, with this season being Russell Wilson’s second year in the NFL, whereas Peyton Manning has 16 NFL seasons under his belt.
This marks the largest age difference between starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl in NFL history, and this critic thinks Peyton Manning will be the one that comes out on top. Denver’s offense is too high powered for even the stingy Seattle defense. Peyton Manning will pick this team apart with his throws and give them a sure heavy dose of Knowshon Moreno. With Russell Wilson’s inconsistency and at times questionable decisions, this will be a closely contested game with the Denver Broncos ending up as the Super Bowl champions.
Prediction: Denver 28 Seattle 21
