So here we are. Super Bowl XLVIII is less than 48 hours away and like everybody who has spent mindless number of hours pouring over every conceivable angle of this game, we’ve ultimately come to the conclusion that one of these two teams – Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks – will win the game and the other one will lose.
Wait, what?
All jokes aside, we actually did do our studying for this one so to better equip yourselves with what to expect during the game, we’ve prepared our own Super Bowl XLVIII preview. So get your kegs ready, have those nachos heated up, browse through all your bets, and settle in on the couch.
Super Bowl XLVIII has finally arrived.
Manning versus the Legion of Boom
The match-up that’s been getting all the attention leading up to the Super Bowl. You wouldn’t be remiss if you think that the last drive of the game has Manning in Seattle’s 20 on a 1st and 10 against the Hawks’ defense with 20 seconds to go in the game. That’s the storyline come to life right there. Picking who has the edge over these two sides of the ball is like asking who’s the hotter MMA fighter: Gina Carano or Ronda Rousey? There are no wrong answers and whoever you don’t choose is likely going to make you pay for it.
The Broncos offense against the Seahawks defense really is going to be an incredible showdown. Denver’s offense is the best EVER and Seattle’s defense arguably can stake claim as being one of the top 5 best EVER. See how there’s no room for hyperbole there?
Here’s how I expect the chess match goes on that side of the ball. The Seahawks will continue to rush four on the Broncos with the linebackers manning the middle and the secondary staying at the back end. You could see at least one linebacker, likely Bruce Irvin being the fifth rusher from the left side to take advantage of the Broncos’ depleted left tackle. Not having All-Pro Ryan Clady to protect Manning’s blind side is going to be a huge advantage for the Broncos.
Cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell are gonna go predominantly man, safety Kam Chancellor will eye the slot guy and Earl Thomas III will be in his usual center-field roamer position. Linebacker Bobby Wagner, himself a guy that can step into coverage will likely be matched up against Broncos tight end Julius Thomas. Keep an eye out on that because if Manning succeeds in getting passes to Thomas early on, the Seahawks D will have to collapse in the middle, possibly opening up the outside for some one-on-one match ups.
So how does Denver protect Manning? The team’s O-line, save for that left tackle position, has been pretty stout all year. But it hasn’t faced a front four quite like this one, which means you could see tailback Knowshon Moreno throw in some chips to avert the rush before going into his route. It also helps that one of Manning’s greatest strengths is the ability to sense when and where the rush is coming and his timing in stepping into the line will help offset that rush. Eric Decker and DeMaryius Thomas figure to have their hands full against Sherman and Maxwell, so Manning, who has never had the strongest of arms, will likely take the short routes to Wes Welker, the bubble screens to Moreno, and maybe a shot to Julius Thomas in the middle for those 15 yard gains.
Like we said, picking a side to win is next to impossible, which makes this game that much more intriguing, and likely putting more importance on what happens on that other match-up: the Seahawks offense against the Broncos defense.
What Happens on the Other Side
The match-up between the Broncos offense and the Seahawks defense is understandably getting all the attention in the two-week lead up to the game. But don’t sleep on other other match-up featuring the Seahawks offense and the Broncos defense.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson has had an incredible season even if his performances in the past two games have been largely uneven. With all the proverbial marbles on the line, it’s hard to imagine him having a third straight average-for-his-standards game, especially with a banged-up Broncos defense without pass-rusher extraordinaire Von Miller trying to contain him. Oh, and there’s that other guy, Marshawn Lynch, who has seen his fair share of pulse-pounding runs in the postseason. Seattle’s elite linemen should have little problem creating gaps and running lanes for their stud back and without their usual brutes on the trenches, the Broncos front seven need to be up on their toes to close those gaps and cover the edges before Beast Mode gains ground and runs on wild on the Jersey swamps.
To be fair, the Broncos defense has played remarkably well in the past two games, limiting the vaunted San Diego Chargers offense to a goose egg in the first three quarters of the Divisional Round before holding Tom Brady and the Patriots offense to just three points after 45 minutes of game play. How effective the Broncos will be in containing Wilson and Lynch is the biggest underlying aspect of the game. If they can pull it off and give Manning more chances with the ball, that’s a recipe that could lead to Denver’s third Super Bowl trophy.
The Injury Report
If you’re basing your pick on who wins the game based on the injury report, it’s a no-brainer to lock down on the Seahawks. For all of the talk surrounding their dominant defense, the bigger concern for the Broncos and their fans is Seattle’s injury report, which is basically empty save for wide receiver Sidney Rice and the actually suspended cornerback Brandon Browner.
For the most part, the entire team is healthy, even if the use of the word is relative at this point of the season. Starting linebacker KJ Wright came back in the NFC title game; offensive linemen Russell Okung and Max Unger, who both missed time during the season, are also back in full swing. Even Percy “Porcelain” Harvin has announced that he’s available to play in the game.
On the flip side, the Broncos have turned to the mantra “next man up” to keep their Super Bowl drive alive. Manning and his receivers are relatively healthy, which is a huge plus, but its injuries in the trenches and in the secondary could end up as deciding factors should the team lose the game. All Pro left tackle Ryan Clady, the man largely responsible for protecting Manning’s blind side, is out for the year. So are stud linebacker Von Miller, cornerback Chris Harris, and safety Rahim Moore with the first two already sidelined for the year and the one, Moore, not expected to play in the game.
If the Broncos have any chance of keeping the Seahawks offense in check, it’s skeleton crew in the front seven needs to play an even game with the Hawks’ offensive linemen. Easier said than done with its usual stalwarts in street clothes.
The Weather Report
Unless Mother Nature has some surprises up her sleeve, it looks like Super Bowl XLVIII will be played in relatively good conditions. Weather.com is reporting that the weather during the game could go up as high as 37 to as low as 24, which would become the coldest Super Bowl ever to be played. But remember, the temperature won’t play as significant a role in the game compared to the wind and the precipitation. Wind isn’t expected to a factor come game time, as is precipitation.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a “slight chance” of precipitation, which in percentages is around 2 percent. WeatherUnderground.com is even bolder, predicting zero percent chance of precipitation with only eight mph winds and temperature of 44 degrees come game time.
So contrary to all those weather fears leading up the game, Super Bowl XLVIII will be played in about as ideal conditions as you can get in New Jersey this time of the year. That is unless Mother Nature calls her own audible.
5 Mindless Props That Could Be Winners
– If you’re betting on Denver to win the game, wouldn’t be a better choice to pick Peyton Manning to win MVP? Unless Matt Prater kicks 7 field goals to account for all of Denver’s points or Knowshon Moreno runs for close to 200 yards with three touchdowns, a Broncos win will almost certainly be due to Peyton Manning’s brilliance. So if you have the Broncos at a little less than even odds, why not just jump on Manning winning the MVP at 6/5 to give yourself a chance at better odds?
– Speaking of Super Bowl MVPs, the most likely candidates to take him this award if Seattle wins are Wilson and Lynch, both of whom are higher than 4/1 to win MVP honors. Ask yourself the same question: there’s no reason why neither of these two win the MVP unless a Legion of Boom-er goes for a pair of pick-sixes or Steve Hauschka kicks six or more field goals. Unlikely those two things happen so why not put money down on the two likely guys from the Seahawks to win MVP honors.
– The over/under on the weather at kick-off has been set at 34 degrees Fahrenheit, five degrees lower than the current record set during Super Bowl VI. Remember kick-off happens in the early evening, which means that temperatures are expected to drop once nighttime sets in. So settle in towards that 34-degree figure during kick-off, instead of trying to hit that 34-degree average throughout the game. The over is a good bet.
– A “no” on whether Fox announcers mention the word “marijuana” during the game is a pretty safe bet. It’s possible that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman skirt around that storyline, but the line is gonna be drawn on actually mentioning the word. It’s no wonder why a “yes” has 11/2 odds and a “no” has measly 1/9 odds.
– “Teammates” and “God” are understandably the favorites on who the Super Bowl MVP will mention first in his speech. But at 7/1 odds, “Other Team or Player on Other Team” could prove to be a winner. Seeing as this is the last game of the season for all the marbles, you can imagine the MVP beginning his speech with something like “First of all, hats of to the (opposing team). They played a great game, but they just couldn’t handle my awesomeness”. Right?! Get it before somebody else does.
Super Bowl XLVIII Staff Picks
Lee Davy – I cannot wait for this weekend. It’s one of the biggest weekend’s in the annual sporting calendar. I am of course talking about the fourth round of the FA Cup and the momentous tie between Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday.
Super-what? Bowl of what?
Hang on to the phone…I’ve just been told that there is an even bigger event being held this weekend and it’s called the SuperBowl.
Being a true Brit I don’t quite understand what exactly is so ‘super’ about spending three hours of your time to watch 11-minutes of actual action? My two minutes of excitement is over after the cheerleaders have done there bit.
Who do I think will win?
Well if The Fridge is playing then I think the Bucking Broncos will win on penalties.
Becky Liggero – If the Pats aren’t involved, who cares.
Peter Amsel – Let’s see… We’ve got two former AFC West division rivals playing against each other in the Super Bowl, which is being held outdoors in a cold weather state and an opera singer is performing the national anthem. Well, seeing as we’re stuck here on the Bizarro planet, my prediction is the Toronto Crackheads over the Salt Lake Polygamists on a ninth-inning home run by Mario Lemieux.
Mike O’Donnell – Seattle are going to look the control the game with their offence. They’ve got Marshawn Lynch who’s going to run down the clock while Denver’s defence does have a tendency to give up big plays. On the flip side Peyton is going to do everything he can to avoid throwing anywhere near Richard Sherman but it’s going to be tough for him to earn another ring. It’s very likely that the half time adverts will be more entertaining than the first half.
Vince Martin – Denver 38, Seattle 23. Peyton Manning passes for 430 yards, burning Richard Sherman repeatedly. The Internet spends the next two weeks arguing about the racial implications of the goofy white guy topping the dreadlocked black guy, and I swear up and down I will never watch the NFL again until the Jets pick a wide receiver in the NFL draft in May and I talk myself into them winning the 2015 Super Bowl.
Steven Stradbrooke – In Canada, the provincial lottery corporations like BCLC only offer parlay sports wagers, meaning you have to pick a minimum of three winners to earn any coin. So I’m taking the Seahawks over the Broncos, Canada over the USA in the Olympic gold medal hockey game and the Syrian rebels over Bashar al-Assad, although I have my doubts about that last one.
Kirby Garlitos – I refuse to acknowledge the greatness of the Seattle Seahawks’ defense after they resoundingly beat my New Orleans Saints this season. TWICE! Yeah, I’m bitter that way. Here’s how I see the game unfolding: Peyton Manning throws 23 touchdowns, catches 16 of ’em, runs for 19 more, and even kicks a 2-mile field goal from the Garden State Mall in Paramus. Denver 435, Seattle 0.
Bill Beatty – Denver’s offense is brilliant, Seattle’s defense is brilliant, Seattle’s offense is very good, Denver’s defense is kind of ordinary and I think that will be the difference. Peyton Manning is a very dangerous quarterback but he’s not dangerous when he’s sitting on the bench, look for Seattle to run Marshawn Lynch until his wheels fall off to keep that clock moving and keep Peyton on the bench. Seattle wins by a touchdown and the game stays under the total.
