Super Bowl XLVIII Should Be a Classic
By Ras H. Siddiqui
CA
On Sunday, February 2 nd 2014 at the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will face each other in Super Bowl XLVIII (Forty Eight) for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. In the world of American Football (during which the foot comes into contact with the ball less than 1% of the time) there is no other single event which brings out more fans than the Super Bowl. It is certainly a rough and tough game of great skill and strategy which takes some immigrants in this country years to understand. But once you do, you are hooked. And the Super Bowl can no longer be ignored.
The two teams to reach this Super Bowl were decided on Sunday, January 19 th. The AFC Championship game was between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. The Broncos won with a score of 26-16. The statistics for the two quarterbacks explain why Tom Brady and his Patriots were sent packing. The Bronco’s defense reminiscent of the old “Orange Crush” (they were nicknamed such several years ago) dominated the game, and only let New England score 3 points during the first three quarters (it was only in the fourth quarter that the Patriots were able to manage a touchdown). But the story just begins there. It was Denver’s offensive line and quarterback Peyton Manning who sealed their victory. Manning threw for 400 yards with a touchdown each in the second and third quarter which, along with 4 field goals, all were made possible by the superb protection provided by the Broncos offensive line. Unlike Tom Brady who was sacked twice during the game, Peyton Manning felt no real threat from the Patriots.
The better team won the AFC championship but that might not have been true in the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks certainly did outscore the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 but it seems that luck was not with San Francisco that day. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked four times while San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick was sacked twice. The San Francisco defense did an okay job especially in trying to contain Marshawn Lynch who still rushed for 109 yards. But it is rare in this game that a quarterback of one team runs for more yardage than the entire opposing team, a feat that San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick accomplished here. San Francisco was leading 17-13 at the beginning of the fourth quarter when things started to unravel. A 35 yard 4 th down touchdown by Seattle changed everything but victory was not sealed. There was in the stripped ball/fumble earlier and finally the interception with 22 seconds left in the game, when Kaepernick threw a mysteriously odd pass to his almost double covered receiver Michael Crabtree which was tipped by Seattle’s Richard Sherman to teammate Malcolm Smith in the end zone. The outcome was an interception and not a possible game-winning touchdown. The NFC championship was decided by this one last play and it did not go San Francisco’s way.
Now let us move back to the Super Bowl 48 which should be a classic matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks and to make some predictions about that game here. Throughout the many years of watching this final between the AFC and the NFC champions at the Super Bowl I have always sympathized with the underdogs. This year that underdog I believe are Seattle and I am hoping that they can win that city’s first Super Bowl ever. But will they be able to beat the Broncos? If the Denver offensive line plays as well as it did against New England and gives Peyton Manning ample time to throw the ball, Seattle’s dream will remain unfulfilled.
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