It almost had to be this way. All season long, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks sat atop the AFC and NFC respectively. In a league where Super Bowl favorites change on a seemingly week to week basis, these two franchises were always in the conversation.
Now, the most important game of the year is upon us.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that these two teams have made it this far, but that doesn’t make this match-up any less tantalizing. You have the top-seeded team in the AFC taking on the top-seeded team in the NFC. The NFL’s very best offense versus its very best defense. The irresistible force meeting the immovable object. It’s the dramatic climax to the NFL season. It’s Super Bowl XLVIII and it’s taking place in America’s most famous city.
Now that you’re hyped up (I hope), it’s important to note how evenly matched these teams really are. Both teams finished with 13-3 records (including matching 7-1 and 6-2 records at home and on the road, respectively). Both clubs shook off a disappointing 2013 playoff loss and regained their composure. Unsurprisingly, the teams had the two best point differentials in the game as well (+207 for Denver and +186 for Seattle). While on paper, these facts indicate two very similar teams, there are some important differences as well.
The most striking disparity between these team is the way the play the game. Denver is an absolute aerial assault. Peyton Manning’s offense set new NFL records across the board this season, lighting up score boards and producing jaw-dropping statistics in the process. Any team that tried to win a shootout game with the Broncos failed miserably, see the Cowboys for one such example.
On paper, any team would be over-matched against Manning and his all-star supporting cast of Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, and Knowshon Moreno. Indeed, any team that hoped to compete against this juggernaut would have to possess an excellent running attack and a great defense.
Enter the Seattle Seahawks.
In addition to featuring one of the fiercest running attacks in the NFL led by Marshawn Lynch, The ‘Hawks boast the league’s number one defense. Simply put, this is quite possibly the only defense in the league that has a shot at slowing down the Broncos’ elite offensive game plan. Richard Sherman is getting a lot of the headlines right now for his recent comments, but there’s no denying his immense ability, nor the capability of the “Legion of Boom” as a shutdown secondary. The Seahawks defense is talented and dominant at every level and is adept at stopping the run, the pass, and getting to the quarterback.
And it’s going to need to be.
With just over a week to go before the biggest game of the season kicks off, there are many story lines yet to be determined. The Lombardi Trophy is the most coveted title in all of sports and someone is about to hoist it. Will the up-and-coming Seahawks achieve their ultimate dream? Will the Denver Broncos win their first title since ? Will the weather play a key factor in the game’s outcome? There are too many questions left to be answered and too many variables at play. What is certain is that with media hype at a fever pitch, this very well might be the most watched Super Bowl of all time.
One more week. Just one more week.
Be sure to keep following our Super Bowl coverage, and check back next week for a comprehensive Super Bowl preview. Thanks for reading, everyone.
