By Taylor Nigrelli
Sports Editor
About two years ago, while recovering from his fourth neck surgery in less than a year, Peyton Manning called his former University of Tennessee teammate and Major League Baseball great Todd Helton to play catch.
Manning felt self-conscious and didn’t want anyone who he didn’t completely trust to see him in a weakened state.
And, as the legend goes, Manning could barely throw the ball 10 yards and left that day thinking long and hard about retiring.
This has nothing to do with whether or not Denver will win Sunday but, my, isn’t it incredible? Manning was a 35-year-old unemployed quarterback who could barely throw a football. Now, he’s a 37-year-old employed quarterback coming off one of the greatest individual seasons in NFL history, on the verge of his fifth MVP and entering his third Super Bowl appearance.
Manning has returned to become the most important cog in the most prolific offense in league history. As such, he’ll be the driving force behind Denver’s third Super Bowl Championship.
Of course, it’s not as if Manning’s playing with the 1976 Buccaneers; former Bronco great and current executive vice president of football operations John Elway has built quite a talented squad.
While the defense isn’t elite by any means, there’s plenty of talent. Most notably in the AFC Championship win over New England was defensive tackle Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton who recorded two tackles for a loss and a sack while generally making life miserable for Tom Brady.
Denver’s defense, while somewhat lacking and injury-ravaged, shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping the Seattle offense – which has failed to score 30 points in the past two months – in check.
There’s the issue of stopping Marshawn Lynch – but that only comes into play if Seattle’s vaunted defense is somehow able to stop Denver’s offense. And that’s the matchup that everyone wants to see, anyway.
The league’s best offense versus the league’s best defense. The highest-scoring offense of all time against perhaps, considering the era, the greatest pass defense of all time.
The Broncos scored a league-record 606 points on the season while topping 50 points three times and tallying at least 33 points in all but three games.
The Seattle defense intercepted 28 passes, sacked opposing quarterbacks 43 times, allowed a league-low 231 points and generally dominated every offense they faced. They were, in a word, impenetrable.
But if there were one offense led by one quarterback in NFL history that could pick apart this stingy Seattle secondary, it would be this year’s Denver Broncos led by the ageless and flawless Manning.
As every sports fans who’s ever been within earshot of a TV has heard countless times, no one in the league prepares like Manning. He devours entire seasons’ worth of game film and unceasingly works with other offensive players and coaches looking for some edge.
Plus, more so than any other team, the Broncos present a matchup nightmare for the Seahawks. All-Pro Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman won’t be able to decry Denver’s Demaryius Thomas as a “sorry” receiver after doing battle with him for four quarters.
Earl Thomas might be the league’s best safety, but he’ll have his hands full chasing after Denver tight end Julius Thomas and receiver Wes Welker.
Then the Broncos will be sure to mix a few runs with 1000-yard, 10-touchdown running back Knowshon Moreno.
The Broncos offense is diverse, dangerous and versatile. Their ability to shift seamlessly from a stretch-the-field game-plan, pound-the-ball offense and an unstoppably efficient slant and post attack is unrivaled by any team in league history.
The Seattle pass defense may be one of the greatest in NFL history. But they’ve yet to deal with the caliber of offense they’ll face on Sunday.
And they’ll never again face a field general as efficient, consistent and prolific as Peyton Manning.
