What We Learned from Super Bowl XLVIII

Well I don’t think anyone was expecting this! I picked Seattle to win the big game, but not like this! Peyton Manning and the number one offense in the NFL were shut down in the Super Bowl by Seattle’s number one ranked defense in the 43-8 blowout. It just goes to show that defense really does win championships. Richard Sherman did his job until he injured his ankle, but he led that defense and gave them the swagger they needed to pull off the big win. Seattle is also the first team in Super Bowl history to score a safety, a defensive touchdown, and a kick return touchdown in the same game. They also scored a rushing touchdown with Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes. Linebacker Malcolm Smith won the Super Bowl MVP with his interception returned for a touchdown, a fumble recovery and his 10 tackles. He is also the first defensive player to win the award since Dexter Jackson back in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Honestly, you could have given the award to Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, Jermaine Kearse, and Russell Wilson to name a few. This was the perfect example of a team win. Seattle dominated in all three phases of the game and completely crushed Peyton Manning’s dream of winning a second ring. Also, Pete Carroll became just the third coach in football history to win both a college national championship and a Super Bowl (Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer won Super Bowls with the Cowboys). So now, let’s look at five things that we learned from watching this Super Bowl and this 2013 NFL season.

Coach Pete Carroll
Credit: blog.sfgate.com

1. The Seattle Seahawks have firmly established themselves as one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. People will talk about the Steel Curtain, the ’85 Chicago Bears, and now add the Legion of Boom to that list. The way they handled Peyton Manning is what legends are made of. Manning came in to this game as the best quarterback in NFL history with a NFL record 55 touchdown passes in a single season. He threw two picks and only one touchdown pass. Seattle’s defense is going to be good for a long time.

2. Peyton Manning will come back. Coming off a year like he just did, Manning should come back to try one more time to get that second ring. He now holds the record for most playoff losses by a starting quarterback in NFL history. Manning doesn’t want to retire with that stat on his resume. I want to see him succeed so he can firmly establish himself as the greatest quarterback to play the game. As of right now, he’s one of the best, but not the best. I think Manning will return next season so that he could ride off into the sunset like his boss John Elway did before him.

3. Bruno Mars was actually better than expected. When I first heard that Bruno Mars would be performing the Super Bowl Halftime Show, I wasn’t too thrilled about it. But he actually surprised me with his performance! He had the moves of James Brown, the skill to play the drums, and a voice of an angel. What more can you ask? I’ll tell you one thing, he tackled the big stage better than the Broncos’ defense did.

4. The Super Bowl commercials were not that great. I had high hopes for the commercials to be funny this year, but most of them were disappointing. I think I might have chuckled three or four times during the whole thing. I’m hoping they step it up next year. I want laughs!

5. Finally, I think we could be seeing the beginning of a football dynasty in Seattle. They have one of the youngest Super Bowl winning rosters in NFL history. The youngest rosters belonged to the Dolphins back when they won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1971 and that perfect season in 1972. The Pittsburgh Steelers were young back in the Hall of Fame draft class of 1974 and the San Francisco 49ers led by Joe Montana won in the early 80’s. If the Seahawks can keep the same guys around for a long time, watch out for two or three more Lombardi Trophies heading to the 12th Man.

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The Super Bowl Stage is Set

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will be facing each other on February 2nd in Super Bowl XLVIII. It’s never too early to analyze the big game, so why not do it now? Both Denver and Seattle were number one seeds in the playoffs (and both finished with 13-3 records). The last time two number one seeds faced each other in the playoffs, it was when the 13-3 New Orleans Saints faced off against Peyton Manning’s 14-2 Indianapolis Colts in February of 2010. We all know how that went for Peyton. Now Peyton will try again to tie his brother Eli in Super Bowl wins when he faces off a physical Seahawks team. Peyton has not faced a Seattle defense since he’s been a Bronco, so this will be a first for him. The Seahawks have been able to shut down almost every quarterback they’ve played against this year. But then again they haven’t played against a  guy like Peyton Manning either. The best quarterback they played against this season was Drew Brees back on December 2nd and they shut down the Saints’ high-octane offense to just seven points. Manning statistically has had the best season a quarterback could possibly have throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns. Both are NFL records. He will have his hands full preparing for Seattle’s defense that was first in takeaways this year. Good thing he has a whole two weeks to prepare! As for the Seahawks, they have to make sure that they don’t rely too heavily on the young and inexperienced Russell Wilson. He may be a good quarterback, but the Super Bowl is the ultimate test for handling pressure. Just feed Marshawn Lynch the ball and unleash his “Beast Mode” on the Denver defense. The Broncos are ranked the seventh best run-stopping defense in the NFL, but that’s because Denver’s offense puts up so many points that their opponents are forced to throw the ball to catch up. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have the fourth best rush offense in the NFL. Coach John Fox and Broncos’ defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio have done a good job coaching this defense, but it does have some weaknesses. The Seahawks should do what they do best and that should penetrate Denver’s overrated defense. Another interesting stat to go along with this game is that the number one offense in the NFL (Denver) will be clashing with the number one defense in the NFL (Seattle). The best part of this upcoming Super Bowl is watching Manning dissect Seattle’s defense throughout the game. Let’s hope he knows who Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman is covering when the game starts (he leads the NFL with 8 interceptions).

Marshawn Lynch
Credit: thesportsquotient.com

How the Broncos will win: The Seattle Seahawks’ defense is physically the most dominating in the league, so Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase will have to outsmart this defense in order to put points on the board. Once an experienced Peyton Manning figures out an opponent’s weakness, it’s already over.

How the Seahawks will win: Run the ball and keep Manning off the field. Russell Wilson will have to convert third downs with both his arm and his legs, something he’s been doing all season long. Marshawn Lynch should win the Super Bowl MVP after this thing is through. Give him the ball and watch him batter the Broncos’ defense.

Who will win? Sorry Peyton, but looks like you’ll drop to 1-2 in Super Bowls. Everyone knows that defense wins championships and the Seahawks have the best one in the league. Lynch will be jacked up on Skittles and have more than a hundred yards rushing in his first Super Bowl appearance. Wilson won’t put up great stats, but he doesn’t need to with a defense like the Seahawks’. Seattle wins 20-17.