FOOTBALL: Two teams packed with All-Star players are set to collide on February 2 in New York.
By Jared Kanouse, Staff Writer
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are by no means underdogs. These teams weren’t Cinderella stories that barely made it to the playoffs, finding success in their momentum. Instead, these are two teams that dominated all throughout the year. The entire season came down to this one epic matchup: the most devastating offense in NFL history versus one of the best defense corps assembled in a long time.
While both sides specialize on one side of the ball, they are not one-dimensional. The Seahawks offense is led by Russell Wilson, the charismatic quarterback of a speed and power-oriented attack. He is backed up by tailback Marshawn Lynch, who is better known by his nickname, “Beastmode.” These two players alone represent a strong contingent, even without periphery players Golden Tate, Zack Miller and Percy Harvin, who is returning from a leg injury. On the other side of this line of scrimmage is a Denver defense that has successfully shut down opposing offenses throughout its playoff run. Although these sides of their respective teams were successful enough to reach the Super Bowl, they certainly did not represent the teams’ stories.
The Denver Broncos’ offense set almost every single-season record this year. From points scored, to touchdowns and even to passing yards, no team was able to hold the Broncos under 20 points in any game this season. Peyton Manning is without a doubt a Hall of Fame player, leading his team forward with incredible knowledge of what to anticipate in the next play from the defense. You can often hear him calling out audible plays at the line of scrimmage, making the game more like a chess match than two lines of brutes trying to kill each other.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks have incredibly skilled defenders at positions in their secondary. Outspoken leader Richard Sherman has actively called himself “the best corner in the league” and believes he can shut down any receiver he is paired with. As the day draws ever closer, there is no favorite to win the Super Bowl. The football gods have blessed fans, with only the sixth Super Bowl matchup of the league’s top offense and defense. This game will surely be one for the record books.