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The Super Bowl is always the most watched item, but this year those viewers will be in for a great football matchup. The number one offense (Denver) versus the number one defense (Seattle) matching up in the Super Bowl.
The Broncos quarterback happens to be Peyton Manning, appearing in his third Super Bowl in his 13th season in the NFL. He also broke the record for most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in a single season this year. Manning, rarely outspoken, is facing his alter ego, Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman.
Sherman is famous, or infamous, depending on who you talk to, for his off-field antics as much as his on-field play. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL, and has been one of the most successful, but it is hard to talk about his on-field accomplishments when he acts like he did at the end of the NFC Championship game. After he tipped the ball away to a teammate for the win, and berth to the Super Bowl, he ran over to San Francisco receiver Michael Crabtree and proceeded to taunt him. A smack on the butt and a taunting handshake was his greeting to Crabtree, but that is the talk of last week. This week, during a press conference about the Super Bowl, he called Peyton Manning out, saying he “throws ducks.”
We will soon see if Peyton Manning “throws ducks for TDs,” as he remarked to mock Sherman’s comment. To go along with an ageless wonder of a quarterback, Denver boasts the best receivers in the NFL. The best matchup of the Super Bowl will be watching Denver’s number one wideout, Demaryius Thomas match up against Sherman, but it will be interesting to see if Manning throws there or to his other receivers, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, or one of the best tight ends, Julius Thomas. To go alongside Sherman, the rest of Seattle’s defense also looks like a pro bowl roster. Safety Kam Chancellor and corner Brandon Browner form an outstanding secondary paired with Sherman. In the middle of the field, the Seahawks boast a stellar run defense. A strength of the Broncos has been to run the ball against defenses scared of Manning, but the Seahawks defense has the players to match the Broncos stride for stride.
Although the Broncos’ offense against the Seahawks defense will be the matchup with all eyes on; it might be the Denver D and Seattle offense that determines the game. The Broncos defensive unit lost possibly their best player in Von Miller during the regular season to a torn ACL, and they have been average all year even with him. The Seahawks offense, on the other hand, has one of the premier running attacks in the NFL. Alongside pro bowl running back Marshawn Lynch, Seattle also will get star receiver Percy Harvin back from a string of injuries that limited him to four catches and 38 yards this year.
With everyone watching Manning versus Sherman, look for Welker and Thomas to be the impact players for the Denver offense; defensively, watch 35-year-old Denver cornerback Champ Bailey in his first Super Bowl. On Seattle’s side of the ball, Lynch’s ability to run the ball effectively will be their deciding factor, and on defense, Chancellor will be instrumental to the Seahawks.
