The time is finally here. This Sunday, we're going to find out which team is the best team in the NFL. The Denver Broncos, #1 in points and total yards go up against the Seattle Seahawks, #1 in points and yards allowed.
This is THE battle of Offense vs Defense. Peyton Manning, the leader this season in TD's and Passing yards against the best defense in these playoffs. How do they stack up against each other?
Here's what I'm saying, I don't think the Seahawks have enough defense to stop the Broncos offense. You can bring up the Saints game and how they shut down Brees in the first half, but this is a different Beast of a team. Not only do the Broncos have a better passing attack, but they have a solid running game as well. The one flaw with Seattle's defense in these playoffs has been the ability to stop the run. They gave up 161 against San Francisco and 130 to Kaepernick alone. Seattle's defense is built to contain the pass, but they are vulnerable against the run.
But what has really surprised me is Denver's defense. Throughout the whole season, their achilles heel was their secondary and they have come out in these playoffs and shut it down. The San Diego offense that was so dangerous throughout the regular season was shut out through 3 Quarters. Tom Brady and the running game that had what, 4-5 TD's on the Colts, was quieted down. That Denver defense has definitely surprised while the Seahawks offense has been underwhelming.
And that brings me to Russell Wilson. There've been a lot of people retracting statements about how good they thought Russell Wilson was. He has definitely regressed towards the end of the season.
In his first 12 games: 198 completions, 305 attempts, 64.9 completion%, 22 TD's, 6 INT's, 108.5 QBR
Last 5 games: 68 completions, 120 attempts, 56.7 completion%, 4 TD's, 3 INT's, 77.4 QBR
Since that New Orleans regular season game and on, he hasn't played to how well he was throughout the first half of the season which is understandable for a young QB. He's backed by an elite defense. He went 9-18 for 103 yards against the Saints, but against San Francisco, he went 16-25 for 215 yards. His defense has pretty much won both games for him as Seattle depended on some big plays and turnovers to get into scoring position: That TD Bomb on 4th Down, that kick return right after the 49ers TD, Lynch's 40+ yard run. They can't maintain a consistent drive from what I've seen. It could be due to the lack of weapons, but I think it's a lack of play calling. The QB is not devoid of blame either.
I'm not saying Wilson is bad. He's still a good QB with a strong arm and smooth ball release. He needs to get his running under control as he tends to run wildly within the pocket and lose a lot of yards. And he needs to get the ball out of his hands quicker and be more accurate. In these 2 playoff games, he's missed a lot of throws, his timing and mechanics seem to be off. Look what Denver's defense did to Brady and Rivers. Wilson's O-Line is healthy, but Denver pass rush has played well at getting to the QB and bottling up the run. Wilson will have to adjust to the pressure, but I don't think the Denver Frontline will completely shut down Beast Mode, but it'll be a big test for them. They haven't allowed over 100, hell even close to 90 yards, on the ground in these playoffs.
Peyton Manning is probably the smartest QB of all time. He can read a defense in a second, audible, make changes at the line, step up and fire against the blitz, etc. Basically, he was so smart, there were times where he knew what the defense was going to do with one look. He knew exactly where the ball was going and who it was going to. Seattle's secondary will have its hands full. Can they cover Decker, Demaryius, Welker, Julius, Tamme, Moreno, etc? Denver has too much offense. I'm almost certain Seattle's defense will get exposed. They play tight pass coverage, but unlike The Saints, the Broncos offense is more physical than finesse. I believe Seattle will take away the screen game and contain the big play, but can they stop Denver in those bunch formations, the pick plays, the crossing routes, slants, etc. How well are their coverage skills when it comes to that?
Also, history shows that Peyton Manning has performed well against a #1 ranked defense, or more to the point, a #1 ranked pass defense. If Peyton has a sub par 1st half, you better believe he'll make the adjustments and come out on fire in the 2nd half. Kansas City, for the 1st half of the season, was #1 in almost every single defensive category. What happened when they went up against Peyton Manning? Peyton had 383 yards and a TD on them.
I can't wait to see this game. The #1 seed in the AFC vs The #1 seed in the NFC. The perfect battle of Offense vs Defense. Both teams are physical, but when it comes down it, I'm going with the Broncos. Seattle's played some good passing teams, but they have not faced a team, a passing attack like this. These Broncos are quite possibly the greatest offense in NFL History. The Seattle Seahawks are one of the best defenses in quite some time. But there will be no 12th man in Metlife. Peyton Manning is walking in with a ton of ammo on this one, and I don't think the Seahawks defense can contain it. It'll be a close game, but I'll be honest, it would not shock me in the least if The Broncos blow them out.
Also, people are saying this game is a make or break game for Manning. As far as I'm concerned, Manning is already the Greatest QB ever to play, in my opinion. His smartness, his reads, playing style, ball placement, etc. Rings are not THE deciding factor in determining a QB's greatness. If they were, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman would make Top 5 lists instead of guys like Dan Marino, Brett Favre, or John Elway. Players don't win it on their own, it's a TEAM achievement. Win or lose, this game won't change my opinion of Peyton Manning. Winning this ring will be a notch in his belt to cap off the greatest season for a QB.
I got the Broncos winning 31-20.
Feel free to Comment.
By Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete
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