Well, tomorrow is the big day. The two teams that the football gods demanded face of in Super Bowl XVLIII will take the field at "scenic" MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Denver Broncos have fulfilled the promise that was born out of the historic signing of quarterback, Peyton Manning. Their high-powered offense will face-off against the dynamic defense of the Seattle Seahawks.
It's hard to dispute that either of these teams deserve to be here. Despite a few blips on the radar during the regular season, both of these squads have played nearly flawlessly all year long. Manning has furthered cemented his place in football lore by breaking records and solidifying an MVP award that is as close to sure thing as you will ever see. The organization knew what they were doing when they jettisoned polarizing QB, Tim Tebow in favor of signing Peyton who was just coming off a 4th surgery on his neck. A lot of pundits saw this as a huge gamble when his former team, the Indianapolis Colts seemed so eager to be rid of him and to draft and sign unproven Andrew Luck. I think we can safely say now that the deal worked out for both parties pretty well. Manning has silenced all doubters now is poised to win his second championship. He even bested Tom Brady and his arch-nemesis New England Patriots along the way (sob!).
On the other side you have the Seattle Seahawks who emerged as a powerhouse in the NFC last year and continued their dominance by running out one of the league's toughest defenses. Their quarterback, Russell Wilson, has been the picture of consistency, proving that he is capable of managing the game, minimizing mistakes and coming through in the clutch. At home, the Seahawks were close to unbeatable. CenturyLink Stadium has become infamous for how hard it is to win there, and the rise of the "12th Man" factor has rattled even the most seasoned teams.
So now to real question. Who's going to win? America seems split down the middle. On one side you have the Broncos super offense and on the other Seattle's tough defense. There are those who say it is time for Peyton to win again and that he deserves the chance to lift the Lombardi trophy once more. Others say defense wins championships and Seattle will prove too much for even Denver to overcome. There are even those out there who have told me they want Denver to win literally because they don't want to see that "awful" Richard Sherman win anything. Of course I thought that was the most ridiculous response I heard and I find the whole controversy around Seattle's cornerback to be tiresome.
Whoever wins, I'm sure it's going to be a great game, albeit a cold one.
Jay's Verdict: Two key factors push Seattle over the top to win their first Super Bowl. First, their pass rush comes through and rattles Manning just enough to force some mistakes. Second, Marshawn Lynch has a big game as he exploits the Broncos weak rush defense and runs for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Seattle Wins, 28-20
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