Saúl Berríos-Thomas | Layout Editor
The Seattle Seahawks look to push their franchise playoff record to .500 on Sunday. Boasting the league’s best defense, in terms of yards allowed, the Seahawks are on the doorstep of a Super Bowl ring.
The lone time that the Seahawks and Broncos met in the playoffs was Dec. 24, 1983. In that game it was the defense that won the Seahawks the game. They held a young John Elway to 10-15 for 123 yards and an interception. The team may be different, but the plan is the same. Shut down the elite quarterback and let the defense do the scoring.
While Seattle is not the coldest place to play in the NFL, they may be slightly more accustomed to the cold. Both teams played at the Giants, but the Seahawks did so on Dec. 15, while the Broncos played there on Sept. 15. On Dec. 15 the high was 39 and the low was 30. On Sept. 15 the high was 72 and the low was 64 at MetLife Stadium.
The Seahawks are 11-12 in the playoffs all-time, but one loss looms larger than the rest. In 2005 they lost Super Bowl XL to the Steelers. The Seahawks have the team to get a different outcome this time around.
The Seahawks are led by Richard Sherman. The trash-talker extraordinaire has made his mark on the league. He is now widely viewed as the best cornerback in the league and he cemented that place by making a game-saving play on a deep fade in the corner of the end zone from one of the top quarterbacks in the league to one of the best receivers in the league.
Then there is the opponent. The Broncos defense is as soft as my sister’s teddy bear. Their offense is based around a soon to be 38-year-old quarterback who has a surgically repaired neck. They have a few decent receivers, but no player at a skill position who is as dynamic as Seahawks WR Percy Harvin.
Harvin is just a luxury of riches for the Seahawks offense. They won the previous game without him. They barely missed him. Having him will give their offense a different weapon to use, both in the air and out of the backfield. They also have a good young receiving core that makes catches at the crucial moment. By being part of a group none of them are too big or small for the spotlight. They also have arguably the best runningback in the league. Russell Wilson threw nine interceptions all year. Nine. Only 12 quarterbacks threw less, and only two of those started the majority of their team’s games.
The Seahawks are going to win the Super Bowl. They are going to control the game and clamp down on Manning’s offense. Seahawks 21-7.
