This game went wrong for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos from the first moment, and it ended in a humiliating 43-8 loss, as the Seattle Seahawks picked up their first ever Super Bowl victory by dominating this game in every area on the field from the first snap to the last.
The game began with the Broncos bobbling a snap which resulted in a penalty. While they were able to hold off the Seahawks and limit them to field goals early on, the offense simply didn’t work. Manning felt too much pressure in his face time after time, with his passes getting deflected and intercepted twice in the first half. The second of them was returned for 69 yards by Malcolm Smith, resulting in a 22-0 scoreline at halftime.
The second half? Remember Percy Harvin? He didn’t have a huge day receiving, but he did carry the ball twice for 45 yards, and gave his biggest contribution with a 87 yard kickoff return, crossing into the endzone with 14:48 left in the third quarter. Once again, it was the worst possible start for the Broncos, who put their first and only points on the board with three seconds left in the third quarter, narrowing the lead from 36 points to 28.
Russell Wilson was closet to perfect, finishing the game with 18-of-25 for 206 yards and a couple of touchdowns, making the most of every opening the Broncos gave him. He ran for 26 yards on 3 carries and got enough time from his protection to stay in the pocket; even when it broke down, he didn’t flinch, and made the right play time after time, connecting with Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse for touchdowns.
The Seahawks beat up the Broncos on offense and defense, dominating the lines, dominating the secondary. The gameplan John Fox had completely fell apart, while every decision made by Pete Carroll before and after the game worked out. A second-year quarterback had no problem out performing the veteran Manning who might be the best quarterback of all-time in the eyes of some, but a second Super Bowl loss isn’t going to add too many positives to his withstanding legacy.