A bit backwards, no? It's the cold that I've never heard so much ado about. As if there is a big difference in climate between the Conference championships and the Super Bowl two weeks later. I doubt the players could care less anyway (field goal kickers aside, maybe).
http://t.foxsports.msn.com/nfl/broncos-will-win-super-bowl-says-madden-25-1 Madden XXV has spoken... Good news, Broncos fans. "Madden 25" is predicting a 31-28 win for Denver in Super Bowl 48. The video game simulation even predicts an overtime thriller for the Broncos and Seahawks this Sunday. You may scoff at such frivolity, but EA Sports is 8-2 with its past 10 Super Bowl predictions. In fact, as Yahoo! Sports points out, EA hasn't just been spot on with picking winners. It has come pretty close to nailing the score several times of the past decade.
EA Sports couldn't buy this kind of advertising... that said, I dunno if there's another NFL vidgame out there, haven't paid as much attention as I should have.
It didn't work for EA with FIFA v. PES/Winning Eleven. I don't know if that means soccer fans are more discriminating in their gaming tastes than football fans or not. Of course, those rights weren't exclusive to EA for long, but you get the pic.
Seattle's D is awesome but they haven't played any offense like Denver. Closest was New Orleans but tha Saints don't have tha balanced ground game tha Broncos have. Denver have slowed their offensive pace for tha playoffs, preferring time of possession over points. They built early leads and despite a close scoreline, both San Diego and New England were forced to chase tha game. If Seattle go down early it will be tough for them as they aren't a team that usually scores quickly. While their secondary is strong their run defense is average. Denver may test this often with touches for Moreno and Ball. Their short passing game is second to none, and Seattle's linebackers will be hard pressed to mark receivers 5-10 yards deep. Denver runs many complicated schemes in this part of tha field, and if Seattle's rush doesn't pressure Manning, he may be able to pick them apart. Denver's D has had trouble with giving up big plays but has played much better in tha postseason. They can hang with Seattle's receivers and their D line has played much better, both against tha run and rushing QBs. Wilson will hafta look for some running room and this could unbalance tha D and open things up for Marshawn. Wilson doesn't hafta light it up but he will definitely need to take advantage of any opportunity tha defense gives him. If Seattle wins tha turnover battle, I could see them winning. A lower scoring game would favor them and if they've kept Denver to 10 points or less at halftime they can do it. But if Manning stays on his reads and finds a rhythm, I don't think Seattle will be able to totally shut him down. Denver wins, 27-20.
Seattle's run defense was 8th best, and that makes sense because nobody was able to pass on them (172 ypg) with any consistency. the team that had the most success against the Hawks in the air was the Saints in a 23-15 playoff loss. Brees was chasing the game and racked up 303 yards, but 144 of that was 11 catches by Marquis Colston. Arizona's win against the Hawks was the result of their fabulous run defense, holding Lynch to 71 yards, but Denver's pourous rushing defense will probably give up 150 yards to Lynch and a couple of scores. Seattle completely shut down Frank Gore. unless Denver can establish the run, and that's a big if, Manning will face double coverage all over the field with Wagner and Smith dropping off. Seattle collapses the pocket faster than anyone. Peyton Manning is probably the only QB that can handle that pressure because he gets rid of the ball so quickly, but if Denver faces a lot of 3rd and longs, he might get hurt. when you say that the Denver secondary can hang with Seattle's receivers, you may be forgetting that Percy Harvin is healthy. that gives Wilson 4 legit targets and Harvin is an OMG receiver on quick tosses off the flank. Seattle's receiver corps are not the match of Denver's but they are solid.
And the answer is "A BLOW OUT" a rout, a caning, schooled, not even close. From the first play safety to the last touch down. The KO run back and interception run in. Manning looked like he thought he should have stayed in bed that morning, Dazed. Now to wash off the face paint and blue goo out of my hair....
Well played Seattle. Man Denver's D looked okay early on, keeping Seattle to those field goals. But tha offfense kept shooting em in tha foot and digging em into a bigger hole. I figured turnovers would decide it. Just didn't think that it would be that lopsided. Guess none of us are as smart as Mr. Powerball odds, Matt in Hat. Congrats to Seattle on a championship.
Richard Sherman sed that the Hawks D cracked Manning's hand signals in the first Q. Denver never made any adjustments.