Super Bowl Sunday Frenzy

Do you feel that? There is excitement in the air.  The anticipation is building and it can only mean one thing.  That’s right folks, this weekend is Super Bowl Sunday!  The teams have been set, the location is being prepped, and the fans are finally being rewarded for their patience with a nearly perfect matchup.

Super Bowl XLVIII will be an epic showdown between the #1 ranked offense of the Denver Broncos and the #1 ranked defense of the Seattle Seahawks. It doesn’t get much better than this folks! We are in for an epic battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.

With a 2-4 Super Bowl Record, the Broncos have played in 6 Super Bowls total.  They won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 over the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.  The Broncos will play off the strengths of their #1 ranked offense and top WRs Wes Welker, Eric Decker, and Demaryius Thomas.

The Broncos are led by four time NFL MVP Quarterback Peyton Manning.  Despite being an NFL starting quarterback for 16 seasons, this will only be Manning’s 3^rd Super Bowl appearance. His previous two appearances were with the Indianapolis Colts. He led the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears in 2007, and lost Super Bowl XLIV to the New Orleans Saints in 2010.  A win this Sunday will solidify Manning’s legacy as one of the all-time greatest QBs.

This will mark the Seahawks second Super Bowl appearance.  Their only other Super Bowl appearance was in 2006. In that close game, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Seattle will play off the strength of running back Marshawn Lynch, second year quarterback Russell Wilson, and their dominant defense. Watch out for superstar defenders: Richard Sherman (CB), Earl Thomas (FS), Bobby Wagner (LB), and Kam Chancellor (SS).

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played at Metlife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, in New York / New Jersey.  This marks the first time the Super Bowl will be played at an open-air stadium in a cold weather environment. With the past few Super Bowls being played in a domed stadium or a warm weather city, it will be interesting to see the teams playing in the cold elements of New York/New Jersey.

There have been many memorable Super Bowls in the past decade and this weekend proves to be no exception.  After months of waiting, 17 weeks of regular season games, three rounds of the playoffs, and a surprisingly exciting Pro Bowl, the time has finally come. Grab some snacks! Get your friends together! Super Bowl Sunday is almost here folks!

Here are some quick facts about both teams which should help you keep up with the game.

Stats:

Number of Super Bowl appearances:

SEA: 1 (XL)

DEN: 6 (XII, XXI, XXII, XXIV, XXXII, & XXXIII)

Number of Super Bowl victories:

SEA: 0

DEN: 2 (XXXII & XXXIII)

Last Super Bowl appearance:

SEA: 2006

DEN: 1999

Year established:

SEA: 1976

DEN: 1960

Nickname:

SEA: Legion of Boom (secondary), 12^th Man (fan base)

DEN: Orange Crush

2014 regular season record:

SEA: 13-3, #1 seed in the NFC

DEN: 13-3, #1 seed in the AFC

Head Coach:

SEA: Pete Carroll; 4 years

DEN: John Fox; 3 years

Quarterback:

SEA: Russell Wilson 3,357 passing yards 26 Touchdowns #16

DEN: Peyton Manning 5,477 passing yards, 55 Touchdowns #1

Rushing back:

SEA: Marshawn Lynch

DEN:  Knowshon Moreno

Receivers:

SEA: Golden Tate, Doug Balwdin, Percy Harvin, and Zach Miller

DEN: Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas

Kicker:

SEA: Steve Hauschka

DEN: Matt Prater