Well, the Broncos’ “self”-destruction didn’t happen in a vacuum. They had considerable help from the Seahawks. I agree that the Pats should be much stronger against Seattle.
But thanks for the recap of my favorite football game ever. 
This is the first sports prediction I have every made in my life; Seahawks 23-20!!! Hawks win by molesting Brady for various hurries, knock downs, deflections and sacks. Patriots will do like Clay Matthews and shadow Wilson all game long to prevent big yardage scrambles.
Yep - the most prolific offense in NFL history just suddenly self destructed like that . . . poof . . . as if a mysterious ill wind named Kam Chancellor blew silently in and sucked out their souls and destroyed their will to live.
That just gave me a great image of The Army of the Dead silently sweeping over Pelennor Field and vanquishing the orcs. Yep . . . it was kind of like that for Denver.
Yeah, it’s certainly not that Seattle played a good game or anything, it’s that Denver just self destructed. Anyone could have beaten them. My kid’s high school football team could have beaten them (and they weren’t very good), they just lost the Super Bowl all on their own. 
And if New England loses, I’m sure it will be the same thing. Not that Seattle played a good game, but that New England just made too many mistakes.
I do kind of hope that people believe that, though. Maybe it’s a good thing that the entire national narrative was that Green Bay had an epic last minute flop.
I hope they flop! This is stressful, waiting. I think I need some wine to relax me.
Actually that whole Army of the Dead theory kind of explains how Earl Thomas was able to “come from nowhere” to chop the ball out of the hands of that Rams player just before he crossed the goal line. It makes total sense now!
Now if Seattle does win Wilson will gather the LOBs around and say “I hold your oath fulfilled” and they will just fade into dust and float away. Hmmmmmm
I am dipping into the lucky beer. It’s a good thing I got 3 6 packs 
It was really weird at the store today. Friday was just insane with everyone dressed up and all abubble. Today was a weird, expectant and electric silence. People were still all dressed up but there was a stocking up before an epic snow storm kind of feel. It was really subdued. The cold, low hanging fog probably added to the funky vibe.
I bought way too many chips and Tillamook ice cream as if I might be stranded for awhile.
But I did show amazing restraint in not jumping out of my line at Trader Joe’s to grab some Batch Number 12 vodka which was right there and kind of calling out. I didn’t want to be passed out on the couch for the 4th quarter of a pick 'em game.
I was just going to ask what it’s like there tonight, saintfan. Not what I expected. I would have thought the place would be going crazy. Interesting.
Just to be clear, my avatar has gone to Phoenix for the festivities but I am still at home.
You know there’s an actual difference between playing well and playing badly and Denver played very badly.
- 1st play of game, Peyton comes up to line to change call and center snaps it into the end zone.
- Two nice plays by Seattle lead to 2 FG's, one a run by Harvin - who plays for the Jets - and another a pass to Baldwin.
- Peyton steps forward away from edge rusher, not in danger of being sacked, launches the ball high and behind Demaryius Thomas, like about 3 feet behind him and over his head. Goes right to Cam Chancellor. Huge mistake by Peyton. Thomas was open but the throw was terrible.
- The pick 6 was a nice pass rush and Peyton's mistake was throwing the ball rather than eating. He put up a wounded duck. If this weren't Peyton Manning in a big game, you'd say "rookie mistake" because it was classically bad. Watching the replay, he forces the ball out as he's being hit. That, my friends, is why Peyton is arguably the best regular season QB but not close to the best post-season QB.
- Kickoff return by that guy who plays for the Jets. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
- Denver actually moving and Julius Thomas fumbles after the catch. It wasn't that the Seattle player, Maxwell (?), was hitting the ball but that as he started to wrap his arms around Thomas the ball came out because Thomas didn't try to protect it at all.
- Have to note - sorry - that when Kearse scored on a pass, he was "tackled" outside the 10 but no one did it close to right and he went right through them. Tackling is pretty basic and if you're not doing it you're not playing well.
Outside of Seattle, the game is viewed as a Denver disaster. Seattle certainly played well and the big offensive story was Percy Harvin’s explosiveness after being hurt so much. (And one reason I always respect Pete is that he got rid the guy before it all went bad. Like the Patriots did with Randy Moss.) When a team turns the ball over 4 times, that spells disaster. And those were all really bad plays by Denver much more than they were good plays by Seattle. And when there’s a kick return for a TD, that’s a bad mistake, bad coverage. On some occasions, a coaching staff will figure out there’s something wrong with the kick team’s coverage - or blocking up front - and I can’t rule that out but it looks on replay like a really bad play by the coverage team, over-running the lane and missing 3 tackles.
I’d be lying to say I want a close game. I don’t but whatever happens the team with the most points in the end is the winner.
@saintfan Oh I know
OK @Lergnom , OK. You’re right. The Seahawks were mediocre at best in Super Bowl 48. Their league-leading defense had nothing whatsoever to do with Denver’s offensive collapse.
From your mouth to Brady’s ears, @Lergnom - I have officially given up on them getting any respect but the pride goeth before a fall route works just as well. At least now we know that Angry Doug isn’t imagining things. 
Hopefully the Army of the Dead will sweep over the field again tomorrow, and vanquish the Patriots!