The Seattle Seahawks turned a 3-3 stalemate with the Denver Broncos into a 17-3 advantage quickly and efficiently in the first half, landing the first haymakers in this Super Bowl XLVIII rematch.
Our Broncos/Seahawks Halftime Quick Hitters
The Broncos, however, would dominate the second half to force overtime with the game tied at 20. The Seahawks would turn the tables in overtime, though, to win a classic by the final score of 26-20.
Here's what we learned from this epic showdown in the Pacific Northwest:
5. Russell Wilson's Legend Grows
All it took was one drive in overtime for Russell Wilson to erase a tough second half from the collective memories of Seahawks fans. Wilson used his legs and his arm to confuse the formerly-stout Broncos defense at every turn. In what seemed like a flash (although it was 12 plays), Wilson had the Seahawks first-and-goal at the Denver 6.
Then...it was "Beast Mode" time. RB Marshawn Lynch would rocket off of left tackle and break Denver's hearts once again with a 6-yard scoot-and-dive into the paint.
4. The Broncos' Big Fourth Quarter Showed Major Heart
It doesn't pay to get into a battle of field position with the Seahawks, but that's just what the Broncos did for the majority of Sunday's contest. Each of Denver's first nine drives started inside the Seahawks 30, with eight of those beginning at the Seattle 20 or worse. The result? Just three points for the Broncos.
The fourth quarter was an entirely different story. Emmanuel Sanders (11 catches, 149 yards), Jacob Tamme (a 26-yard TD reception that led to a 20-20 tie), and Peyton Manning resurrected the Broncos from the dead. Overstatement? The Broncos went 80 yards in 40 seconds without a timeout to send the game to overtime.
3. The Seahawks' Offense Owes The Defense A Nice Dinner
Aside from a nifty scoring spurt at the end of the first half, Seattle's offense was swallowed up by a near-constant pass rush by the Broncos in the second. The running game would be suffocated as well, with the Broncos owning the field for the majority of the fourth quarter.
However, Seattle's defense would keep the game alive by the tips of their fingernails, as Kam Chancellor would pick up a (in retrospect) game-saving pick deep in Seattle territory with just over 2 minutes left in regulation. Seattle would only be able to extend a 17-12 lead to eight, though, as a tired Seattle defense would finally buckle on Denver's last possession of regulation.
Regardless, Sunday provided another display of what Seattle's defense can do on the biggest of stages.
2. Denver's Defense Answered The Bell Themselves
14 points down with the earthquake lungs of the 12th Man shaking CenturyLink Field, Denver's defense singlehandedly brought the Broncos back into the game. DeMarcus Ware was a man possessed, sacking Russell Wilson at the Seattle 1 before creating the pressure that would drop Wilson for a safety on the very next play.
Fast forward to Seattle's next possession, and a Chris Harris interception (on a brilliant read) would set up a Peyton Manning shovel pass to Julius Thomas for a TD. On those two plays (and for the entire second half) Jack Del Rio's bottom-third defense answered its critics with an impressive performance.
1. We Could Be On Our Way To A Super Bowl Rematch (Again)
Denver's defense is starting to gel into a cohesive whole while the offense will always be, at the very worst, scary with Peyton Manning at the helm.
Seattle still has big play ability on both sides of the ball, with the defensive intensity (and homefield advantage) to emerge from the NFC.
There's a good reason why the tension in Sunday's game was so palpable. These two teams know that, if things break right, it could very well be another Denver/Seattle Super Bowl come Februrary.
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