The Seahawks’ luck started early.
On the first offensive play of the game, a bad Broncos snap settled near the back of the end zone, where it was downed for a safety.
From there, things never went right for Denver. Seattle’s defense more than lived up to its lofty reputation in bringing the city its first NFL championship with a 43-8 victory yesterday at Super Bowl XLVIII.
It’s the city’s first title in one of the four major sports since the SuperSonics won an NBA crown in 1979.
The Seahawks’ defense and return teams accounted for 16 points and four forced turnovers in all, holding the historic Denver offense scoreless through the first 45 minutes of the game. A Peyton Manning pass to Demaryius Thomas finally got the Broncos on the scoreboard, narrowly avoiding the first shutout in Super Bowl history. Denver also was held to just 27 rushing yards on 14 carries.
The Seahawks were as cool and calm as the Broncos were sloppy. Despite having no players on the roster who had previously appeared in a Super Bowl, Seattle never turned the ball over.
Manning capped the best season by a quarterback in NFL history with an uneven performance. He finished 34-49 for 280 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He did, however manage to set a Super Bowl record for most pass completions.
While the Seattle defense was all-around impressive, linebacker Malcolm Smith, who was named Super Bowl MVP, stood out. He became the first player to return an interception for a touchdown and also recover a fumble in Super Bowl history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson played under little pressure. He finished 18-25 for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns. More telling, though, was that his team punted only once.
