Football Talk -- PRE SUPER BOWL XLVIII -- DENVER BRONCOS VS SEATTLE SEAHAWKS --- The Seahawks are 27-4 in games when they win the turnover battle. And during the regular season, the Seahawks led the league in turnovers (39), interceptions (28) and turnover differential (plus-20). The Broncos were even in turnover differential, in part because they lost a league-high 16 fumbles and recovered nine. But when Manning has Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker on the outside, Wes Welker in the slot and Julius Thomas at tight end, the result is usually the same no matter the opponent — option anxiety for the defense. If you look at the history of playing against Peyton Manning, you have to have a little bit of the element of surprise to create a fragment of uncertainty. He’s seen so much, it’s very difficult to do it, but you have to do it at all costs. The Broncos set a slew of offensive records in 2013, including most points scored (606) while Manning captured the marks for passing yards (5,477) and TD throws (55) in a season. But its worth noting they faced only three defenses that finished in the top half of the NFL rankings, the best being Houstons seventh-ranked squad. Mannings matchup with Seattles Legion of Boom secondary will be one of the most compelling of the Super Bowl. Richard Sherman has the length and speed to stick with Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas while CBs Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane and Walter Thurmond III divvy up coverage of WRs Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Bubba Caldwell. Denver TE Julius Thomas has been a revelation this season, but Seattles underrated linebackers are excellent in coverage while SS Kam Chancellor will make anyone think twice about crossing the middle. In the 2013 regular season, Sherman was targeted 58 times on 549 defensive snaps, which is a league-low 10.56 percent among qualifying cornerbacks. And he still led the NFL with eight interceptions. In two playoff games, he was targeted twice — yes, two times in two games — with no catches against him. But Sherman is also directly responsible for two more interceptions that he wasn’t specifically credited for — Earl Thomas’ pick in Seattle’s 23-0 win over the New York Giants in Week 15, and Malcolm Smith’s game-ender against the San Francisco 49ers that put the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. In each case, Sherman was the instigator in a tip drill that Seattle’s defense practices quite often. Kam Chancellorwas taken in the fifth round of the 2010 draft because, while he had the size of a small linebacker at 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, he was still putting everything together when it came to coverage. What Chancellor could do from the start was hit — just ask Vernon Davis about that — but it’s his improving acumen when asked to cover the slots and flats that makes him specifically dangerous. Chancellor showed off his speed, backpedal and agility in this fourth-quarter interception of a Colin Kaepernick pass to Anquan Boldin in the NFC Championship game. Earl Thomas. Seattle’s fourth-year safety is absolutely the beating heart of this defense in the way he makes plays from all over the field, in his preparation for every situation, and in the blazing intensity that tells everyone around him: you had best not screw up around here, because we play at a different level. Byron Maxwell, a sixth-round pick in 2011. Maxwell had already been getting snaps in Browner’s place, and he really showed up when asked to start — he intercepted four passes in 45 targets and allowed a quarterback rating of 47.8 — only Sherman’s 47.3 was lower on the team. RB Marshawn Lynch runs like a snow plow under the sunniest skies and powers a ground attack that has largely carried the Seattle offense in the playoffs. Hes also a big-game performer who has six TDs in six postseason appearances and averages more than 100 yards from scrimmage. Percy Harvin is expected to play and theres no denying Harvins impact. In two appearances for Seattle this season, he touched the ball six times (4 catches, 1 rush, 1 kickoff return), averaging 17.5 yards per. More importantly, Harvins presence alone makes Lynch and WRs Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse more effective. The opportunities Harvin got against the Saints showed just what he could add to Seattles offense. He was used as a runner on a sweep to the perimeter that went for 9 yards and could have gone for more. He was also a successful decoy. On Marshawn Lynchs 15-yard touchdown run against the Saints, Harvin faked that he was about to catch a screen pass. The defense reacted and Lynch had a cutback lane open en route to the end zone. Denvers kick coverage was spotty in the regular season but didnt have to defend a single return in the playoffs thanks to the Mile High air they play in and Matt Praters penchant for delivering touchbacks. They better not be rusty on Super Sunday, though. Baldwin popped a 69-yard kickoff against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, and Harvin is even more lethal in the return game. The Hawks defense simply took it to another level in allowing just 231 points over 16 games — 10 fewer than Carolina, 41 fewer than San Francisco and at least 70 fewer than any other team in the league.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 02:37:27 +0000
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