Sunday, February 2, 2014

Behold: Superbowl XLVIII

The irresistible force—that being the Bronco offense—meets the immovable object of the Seahawk defense, Usually, such matchups are won by the defense, which would augur for picking the Seahawks in tonight’s matchup.

However, Seattle’s style of defense sort of plays right into Peyton Manning’s hands.

Seattle plays a lot of one-high, two-high and cover two zone defensive schemes, schemes that Manning has long been known for recognizing and exploiting. But the Legion of Boom is also well known for putting enormous pressure on the quarterback and while Manning is arguably the most prolific signal-caller in recent history, he can’t make plays if he’s running for his life. Add to that the fact that Manning is about as gifted at scrambling as Dan Marino was, and Seattle has a chance to wreak havoc.

Seattle also has one of the most prolific running games in the 2013 season. Marshawn Lynch—in beast mode—is extraordinarily hard to stop.

There has been a lot of media hype on Manning’s legacy and what tonight’s Superbowl means as far as establishing him as one of the game’s greatest ever. While Russell Wilson is no Peyton Manning, he has the ability to make plays on his own. I’d look for some exciting plays where Wilson makes something out of nothing and moves the chains.

This could be one of the most exciting Superbowls in history.

The weather is not going to be a factor. Both teams come from cold weather cities and are used to chilly, breezy conditions. It should be a chilly 50-ish field with a light breeze and almost no chance of rain. If this were a matchup between a dome team (Hey, New Orleans) and a tundra team, I’d take the tundra team in a rout.

Manning has a chance to make history, and given the Seahawks’ propensity to align in zone coverage, I think the Broncos have a slight edge. If the Seahawks can somehow manage to get off the field on third downs, they have a shot at winning tonight.

I don’t think that happens often enough tonight. While I also have deep respect for Lynch and Seattle’s ground game, I think Denver puts enough points on the board to win a thriller, 31-27.

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