Seattle Seahawks

[epilogue]

Obviously, I'll be rooting for the Seahawks. But I think Denver takes this one. Feels like their year. And Manning looks determined like I've never seen. He wants to shut up all that "postseason choke artist" noise. And so far, so good.

I don't think Seattle can beat Denver. Only Denver can beat Denver.

[Bammer]

The national coverage on this... Makes it ever more clear how far removed Seattle is both literally and figuratively.

If anyone was actually paying attention they would respect the Seahawks a lot more. I, for one, am worried about how our offense is going to perform but I'm pretty confident our D is going to be lights out.

FWIW (apparently not much since nobody is talking about it), these two teams met in the pre-season, Manning played almost the whole first half, and the halftime score was 33-7. Go look up the recap of that game if you don't know which team had 33 and which had 7.

[nyquillyn]

The national coverage on this... Makes it ever more clear how far removed Seattle is both literally and figuratively.

I agree. As made apparent by comments like...

I don't think Seattle can beat Denver. Only Denver can beat Denver.

We respect the Seahawks in AZ. The NFC West was clearly the best division in the NFL.

[Lament]

FWIW (apparently not much since nobody is talking about it), these two teams met in the pre-season, Manning played almost the whole first half, and the halftime score was 33-7. Go look up the recap of that game if you don't know which team had 33 and which had 7.

Looking at the recap, it looks like Manning played four drives. The first one was a three and out, but his other three drives were an 80 yard TD drive, a 79 drive that ended with a fumble by a third-string running back on the goal line, and a 42 yard drive that ended with a fumble by Julius Thomas. Manning was 11/16 for 163 yards. So if this preseason game does in fact mean something (and as you pointed out, nobody really believes that it does, and for very good reason), it looks like Manning won't have much of a problem moving the ball down the field against the Seahawks.

[Chris_H_2]

FWIW (apparently not much since nobody is talking about it), these two teams met in the pre-season, Manning played almost the whole first half, and the halftime score was 33-7. Go look up the recap of that game if you don't know which team had 33 and which had 7.

Looking at the recap, it looks like Manning played four drives. The first one was a three and out, but his other three drives were an 80 yard TD drive, a 79 drive that ended with a fumble by a third-string running back on the goal line, and a 42 yard drive that ended with a fumble by Julius Thomas. Manning was 11/16 for 163 yards. So if this preseason game does in fact mean something (and as you pointed out, nobody really believes that it does, and for very good reason), it looks like Manning won't have much of a problem moving the ball down the field against the Seahawks.

If pre-season meant something, the Lions would have won the Super Bowl about 5 times by now and the Patriots would have been one of the worst teams in the league the last 10 years.

Pre-season = meaningless

[Lament]

The Lions team that went 0-16 went 4-0 in the preaseason.

[Chris_H_2]

The Lions team that went 0-16 went 4-0 in the preaseason.

I saved a text message I got from my friend at one of those home pre-season games that year: "Holy shit, the Lions look good. I think this may be their year." I still send it to him during Lions' games when they shit the bed.

[Peeps]

The Lions team that went 0-16 went 4-0 in the preaseason.

I saved a text message I got from my friend at one of those home pre-season games that year: "Holy shit, the Lions look good. I think this may be their year." I still send it to him during Lions' games when they shit the bed.

you dont go over your data plan by doing this?

[Chris_H_2]

The Lions team that went 0-16 went 4-0 in the preaseason.

I saved a text message I got from my friend at one of those home pre-season games that year: "Holy shit, the Lions look good. I think this may be their year." I still send it to him during Lions' games when they shit the bed.

you dont go over your data plan by doing this?

Well played

[Green Habit]

The national coverage on this... Makes it ever more clear how far removed Seattle is both literally and figuratively.

If anyone was actually paying attention they would respect the Seahawks a lot more.

You should know very well that the national media is usually going to give teams from the West a short shrift. The Broncos would be in the same boat if they didn't have PFM.

I, for one, know very well what the Seahawks are capable of. I'm not taking this game for granted.

[Lament]

Now granted my whole concept of what the national perception of this game is comes from listening to Mad Dog Radio on Sirius, I don't really see a lack of respect for the Seahawks. People seem to be split pretty 50/50 on who they think will win, which, considering you've got the a team with the #1 ranked offense that went 13-3 against the team with the #1 ranked defense that went 13-3, seems pretty fair.

What's the line on the game? Denver minus two?

[Bammer]

I am almost positive the line opened with Seattle about a 2 pt favorite but it has moved with money coming in for Denver.

And on that preseason game...true, meaningless, but I predict more of the same (Broncos will gain yards, Seahawks will force turnovers).

[96583UP]

What will not be in Seattle's favor for this game:

-No 12th man. That was a nice perk, but now its over.

-No hometown refs. As much as the sports media have sprinted to publish stories about Richard Sherman's "true" sensitive/caring/responsible personality, there are probably still a lot of people in the NFL front office who do not care for him, and that stuff seems to have a way of trickling down through to the refereeing. Not saying there's going to be an overt conspiracy against him, but I would not be surprised if he's not given the benefit of the doubt on at least one pass interference situation; given the spotlight he has shone on himself, and the tendency of the NFL to shitlist certain players who get all uncouth on camera.

The Superbowl is not like other football games. Little cracks are subject to massive pressure in the S-bowl, and can blow open.

Which team has fewer cracks, or smaller cracks?

Which team is better at ripping other people's cracks wide open?

Which team will prepare better, keeping their cracks free from penetration?

Manning is prone to find a crack and just pound is ceaselessly.

Is Seattle ready to prevent Manning from pounding their crack?

[Kaius]

Well, when you put it like that.

[doug rr]

Obviously, I'll be rooting for the Seahawks. But I think Denver takes this one. Feels like their year. And Manning looks determined like I've never seen. He wants to shut up all that "postseason choke artist" noise. And so far, so good.

I don't think Seattle can beat Denver. Only Denver can beat Denver.

I'm disappointed in you, Joey

[Coach]

Bammer, I don't sense a bias against the Seahawks. It's more of a "Peyton Manning is in the Super Bowl" media leg humping. Take comfort in the fact that your team stands on the verge of a championship and giving Manning a sub .500 record in Super Bowls.

[Chris_H_2]

-No hometown refs. As much as the sports media have sprinted to publish stories about Richard Sherman's "true" sensitive/caring/responsible personality, there are probably still a lot of people in the NFL front office who do not care for him, and that stuff seems to have a way of trickling down through to the refereeing. Not saying there's going to be an overt conspiracy against him, but I would not be surprised if he's not given the benefit of the doubt on at least one pass interference situation; given the spotlight he has shone on himself, and the tendency of the NFL to shitlist certain players who get all uncouth on camera.

FWIW, the crew assigned to this game, and in particular the back judge, has a tendency to let a lot go in the secondary.

[Electromatic]

What will not be in Seattle's favor for this game:

-No 12th man. That was a nice perk, but now its over.

-No hometown refs. As much as the sports media have sprinted to publish stories about Richard Sherman's "true" sensitive/caring/responsible personality, there are probably still a lot of people in the NFL front office who do not care for him, and that stuff seems to have a way of trickling down through to the refereeing. Not saying there's going to be an overt conspiracy against him, but I would not be surprised if he's not given the benefit of the doubt on at least one pass interference situation; given the spotlight he has shone on himself, and the tendency of the NFL to shitlist certain players who get all uncouth on camera.

The Superbowl is not like other football games. Little cracks are subject to massive pressure in the S-bowl, and can blow open.

Which team has fewer cracks, or smaller cracks?

Which team is better at ripping other people's cracks wide open?

Which team will prepare better, keeping their cracks free from penetration?

Manning is prone to find a crack and just pound is ceaselessly.

Is Seattle ready to prevent Manning from pounding their crack?

I feel a lot more confident in Seattle's defense than I am in Denver's. At the beginning of the playoffs, I think most of us were least confident in Denver's defense.

Manning doesn't move well, Seattle's front 7 does. If anything I expect Manning to bait them into over pursuit with some counters and option routes, but so do they. Seattle isn't a scheme defense, it's a talent based execution defense, so many of the things they could do on offense to beat a scheme don't really apply, it's going to be strength vs strength a lot

These are two very good teams. Denver has a huge advantage in the passing game outstanding receivers and one of the best QB's ever to play, Seattle has a ridiculously good running game with an underrated passing game and a really exceptionally talented defense. I don't think the spot will be to big for Russell Wilson and he's got some athletic receivers too. Not too terribly unlike Pittsburgh in Rothlisburger's first Super Bowl.

Seattle has big corners and Denver has big strong WR's there will be plenty of bumping in the end the best team that night will probably win and it will come down to a few key plays and turnovers... like any game really.

These are the two best teams in the NFL this year. It's going to be awesome I hope.

[96583UP]

-No hometown refs. As much as the sports media have sprinted to publish stories about Richard Sherman's "true" sensitive/caring/responsible personality, there are probably still a lot of people in the NFL front office who do not care for him, and that stuff seems to have a way of trickling down through to the refereeing. Not saying there's going to be an overt conspiracy against him, but I would not be surprised if he's not given the benefit of the doubt on at least one pass interference situation; given the spotlight he has shone on himself, and the tendency of the NFL to shitlist certain players who get all uncouth on camera.

FWIW, the crew assigned to this game, and in particular the back judge, has a tendency to let a lot go in the secondary.

so you're saying Manning will have difficulty penetrating because there will be a lot of jamming in the slot ...

that seems reasonable

[@SkitchP]

The Lions team that went 0-16 went 4-0 in the preaseason.

I saved a text message I got from my friend at one of those home pre-season games that year: "Holy shit, the Lions look good. I think this may be their year." I still send it to him during Lions' games when they shit the bed.

you dont go over your data plan by doing this?

Well played

yeah, that was a good post.