Super Bowl XLVIII showcased the two best football teams in the entire NFL, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. Leading up to this game, experts and everyday people alike thought that this was going to be both an entertaining and close game; however, it didn’t turn out quite like that at all! Not even close; in fact, the final score was 43-8 in favor of the Seahawks. So, what went wrong for the Denver Broncos?
Super Bowl XLVIII will not be remembered as an intense competition; however, it will be remembered for having some very unusual plays and a very unpredictable outcome. The game started out like no other Super Bowl in NFL history.
Peyton Manning was awaiting the snap for the first time of the night when the unthinkable happened. Peyton was in the middle of calling an audible out to his team when the center, Manny Ramirez, snapped the ball without Manning’s confirmation. Manning, shocked by this, had only split seconds to react, not enough time to make anything happen. The ball flew by Peyton’s head and rolled into the end zone. The only thing to do now was for the closest player, which happened to be HB Knowshon Moreno, to fall on the ball, not allowing the Seahawks to get a quick touchdown. Although this play prevented the Seahawks from scoring six points, it did give them a two point safety and the ball. This was the fastest score in the history of the Super Bowl. Being the biggest stage in the world, it is obvious that the teams had difficulty communicating over the immense crowd noise, but I don’t think that anyone expected a failure as big as the one to start the game for the Denver Broncos.
This crushing start set a bad tone for the Denver Broncos. They were unable to score until the 3rd quarter and only scored a total 8 points that quarter (which happened to be their final score as they were unable to score once again in the 4th). On the other hand there was the Seahawks, who scored 8 in the first, 14 in the second, 14 in the third and 7 in the 4th leaving them with a total of 43 points. Throughout the entire game, the facial expressions of neither team never changed. On one side, there was excitement and pure joy, but on the other, disappointment and complete shock. I find it amazing that one single play that only led to two points could set up a team for complete failure. Their mindset ruined by this initial play, the Broncos were set for defeat.
On the other hand, the Seattle Seahawks had their share of incredible plays and then some. Safety Kam Chancellor had the first interception on Manning in the first quarter which lead to a touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch and the first touchdown of the game. This was followed by many more interceptions against Manning. One of these was LB Malcolm Smith who ended up taking it all the was back and scoring for a pick six. And then we had the kickoff return by Percy Harvin to start the second half, yet another crushing blow to the Broncos already low confidence. The Broncos has seemed to have lost the will to fight after this play allowing the Seahawks to run away with a victory.
What does all this mean for Peyton Manning and the Broncos? Obviously, with Peyton now being 37 years old, he is getting to be one of the oldest current QBs in the league. His long-term health is still not certain; however, the veteran QB says that he will definitely return to play another season with the Broncos. This is the news all Broncos fans were hoping for. This should set the Broncos up for another run at the playoffs, however know one really knows for sure if that will happen.
The Seahawks on the other hand have one of the younger rosters in the league and also one of the deepest. I think that this win over Peyton Manning and the Broncos only served to boost their self-esteem and help them power into this coming season with high hopes and an even better chance at repeating their title.
Super Bowl XLVIII, although it was not the most exciting for the fans to watch, set us up for what I think is going to be one of the best seasons yet. Also, it left us with a lot of mystery surrounding Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but all we can do is wait and watch it all unfold this September.
