By Jeremiah Gonia
Staff WRiter
12 seconds. That was all the time that the Seattle Seahawks needed to score the first points in their 43-8 victory over the hapless Denver Broncos. From start to finish, Seattle dominated a Denver team that had led the league in offense and set several new records in the process.
Many of you watched the game and saw how that No. 1 defense created all kind of confusion for the Bronco’s offensive line.
For those who didn’t see, we all know you were watching commercials or posting on social media how you really don’t care about sports. Yes, we all know, thank you. Anyway, not that many people could have predicted such a dominating performance to Seattle. Peyton Manning, who sometimes went entire games without being touched by the defense, was pressured and pummeled throughout the game. His timing with receivers was evidently off as many throws were nowhere near their original targets. Manning throwing ducks? Sure, he threw some, but some were right on the money with receivers unable to make a play after the catch.
Much was talked about how the Denver defense would fair against a Seattle offense that had struggled to score points in the few weeks leading up to the playoffs. The defense held its own in the 1st quarter but then players began missing tackles and Seattle began converting 3rd downs with ease. Honestly, it was a lackluster Super Bowl to watch unless you were a diehard Seattle fan. Here are several things to keep in mind in the aftermath of the Seahawks victory:
1. Will that ferocious defense in Seattle retain all of its key playmakers? Several crucial players could potentially hit the free agency in the offseason. If Seattle wants to make it back to the Super Bowl next season, they will have to continually play great defense like they did this season.
2. Can Seattle win the NFC West again? Arguably the NFC West was the best division in the NFL this past season with the top three teams having a combined record of 35-13 and a competitive St. Louis not too far behind with a record of 7-9. Each team will be looking for key additions to gain the advantage over their respective divisional rivals.
3. Can Peyton Manning have as a successful season as his most recent MVP season? That remains to be seen, I think. Manning still had his doubters this past season after winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2012, following recovery from his multiple surgeries. If he is medically cleared by his doctor to continue playing and Denver restocks its offense, anything is possible with Manning under center.
All credit goes to Seattle for a dominating performance. Perhaps the Seahawks “12th man” had some influence with scoring in the first 12 seconds of game time. We may never know but what we do know is that we already can’t wait for the 2014 season to start.