Broncos QB Peyton Manning got a glimpse of the Seahawks pass rush in preseason.(Photo: Steven Bisig, USA TODAY Sports)
Speed kills. The Denver Broncos' record-setting offense will be well-served to put its foot on the gas early with a no-huddle approach while trying to leave the Seattle Seahawks' monstrous defense breathless. An early lead will go a long way toward luring Seahawks QB Russell Wilson to try and match Peyton Manning through the air. Denver's five keys to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII:
1. Tempo: Manning is masterful at dictating a game's flow and has orchestrated methodical, clocking-sapping drives in both playoff wins — Denver's five posteason TD drives have averaged 12 plays, and the Broncos have gone three-and-out only once while enjoying an 11-minute time-of-possession advantage in each contest. Yet Manning may be better served to push the pace against the Seahawks, who like to leverage their depth by rotating fresh bodies onto the field (Seattle's front seven features 11 players who get regular snaps). Expect Manning to try and limit Seahawk substitutions while exploiting mismatches of his choosing — likely pass plays if run-stuffing linemen Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane are on the field or maybe draws and screens when pass-rushing specialists Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons are screaming off the edge.
THE OTHER SIDE: Seahawks' five keys to victory
USA TODAY STAFF PICKS: Who wins Super Bowl XLVIII?
SEAHAWKS: Punishing defense wins with simplicity
2. Wide load: The Broncos are stacked at receiver with Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker. Seahawks all-pro CB Richard Sherman typically mans the left side, but it wouldn't be a shock to see him shadow the ever-dangerous Thomas. If Manning shies away from that matchup — and if Julius Thomas struggles to establish himself as most tight ends have failed to do against Seattle — Decker and Welker could quickly find themselves as the focal points of Denver's attack. Decker will likely draw CB Byron Maxwell, who has done a nice job taking over for suspended Brandon Browner but still only has seven NFL starts (including playoffs) on his resume, and Welker will work against Walter Thurmond in the slot. Decker and Welker should win their matchups. And look for a large dose of Denver RBs Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball, especially if the weather deteriorates. Seattle finished a respectable seventh overall in run defense but suffered enough lapses (more than 130 yards allowed in eight of 18 games) that this area is clearly the least formidable aspect of the unit, especially when Bryant, Mebane and DT Tony McDaniel give way to the pressure packages.
VIDEO: Key matchups could determine Super Bowl XLVIII
3. Limit Lynch: Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch has rumbled for 259 yards and three TDs in two playoff games this year, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He has four career postseason TD runs covering at least 25 yards; no one else in NFL history has more than two. But led by DT Terrance Knighton and DE Malik Jackson, Denver held both the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots to 65 rushing yards or fewer and just 3.8 yards per attempt. If Manning manages to quickly get points on the board, that's an equally effective away to cage Seattle's Mr. Beast Mode. As clutch and efficient as Wilson typically is, he doesn't have the horses to win a shootout against the Broncos. Wilson has only surpassed 300 passing yards twice this season, while his passer rating has ebbed to 82.1 over his past six games.
BRONCOS: Offensive juggernaut tough to tame
PEYTON INC.: Business is booming
4. Cover up: Though Wilson and the Seahawks are unlikely to air it out, they'll surely probe a Denver secondary that lost starting CB Chris Harris and FS Rahim Moore (not to mention pass rusher Von Miller) in the past two months. The Broncos will try some combination of CBs Champ Bailey, Kayvon Webster and Tony Carter to replace Harris, though all have mostly struggled this season and collectively played fewer snaps than the steady Harris. One of them will likely draw the assignment of guarding WR Percy Harvin, who usually lines up in the slot, a place where Denver's top corner, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, struggles. If the Broncos are going to allocate the necessary resources to stopping Lynch, the fading Bailey and his understudies must hold their own in one-one-one coverage.
VIDEO: What's at stake for Peyton, Denver?
5. Protect Manning: The Denver offensive line has been nearly airtight during the playoffs, allowing Manning to be touched just once. But the Broncos haven't seen a defense close to the caliber of Seattle's all season. Manning is no threat to run, which gives the Seahawks interesting options since they won't have to account for him as they did Colin Kaepernick in the NFC Championship Game. One approach might be to flood the passing lanes and try to force Manning into his third and fourth reads, making him hold the ball longer than he wants. That would theoretically give the Seattle pass rush more time to penetrate the pocket. Another strategy could be targeting Broncos LT Chris Clark, who's done a nice job since replacing injured all-pro Ryan Clady in Week 2 but has also given up nearly half of the sacks suffered by Manning. The Broncos obviously want to make Seattle adjust to the array of weapons Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase can deploy. But Denver also better have plan in its back pocket if Clark requires consistent help in pass protection, thus limiting Manning's downfield options.
***
Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
SUPER ROAD: How Broncos arrived
How the Broncos reached the Super Bowl
A look back through the Denver Broncos' season and their path to Super Bowl XLVIII.
Week 1
49-27 win vs. Baltimore
Peyton Manning set the tone for the Broncos' season with a record-tying seven touchdown passes in a win against the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens.
-Peyton Manning: 27-of-42 passing, 462 yards, 7 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 5 catches, 161 yards, 2 TDs.
-Shaun Phillips: 4 tackles, 2.5 sacks.
Week 2
41-23 win at New York Giants
Peyton came out on top in the latest Manning brothers duel, as the Broncos' defense forced Eli into throwing four interceptions.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Peyton, Eli glad to get Manning Bowl III out of the way-Peyton Manning: 30-of-43 passing, 307 yards, 2 TDs.
-Knowshon Moreno: 13 carries, 93 yards, 2 TDs.
-Eric Decker: 9 catches, 87 yards.
Week 3
37-21 win vs. Oakland
The Broncos' passing attack was nearly perfect against the division rival Raiders, with Manning throwing just five incompletions on the day.
NEARLY PERFECT: 9 incredible facts about the Broncos' unstoppable offense-Peyton Manning: 32-of-37 passing, 374 yards, 3 TDs.
-Eric Decker: 8 catches, 133 yards, 1 TD.
-Wes Welker: 7 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD.
Week 4
52-20 win vs. Philadelphia
Manning broke the record for touchdowns in a single month (16), and left September without throwing an interception. The Broncos' 52 points were a franchise record for a single game.
WEEK 4: Peyton Manning looks unbeatable-Peyton Manning: 38-of-34 passing, 327 yards, 4 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 9 catches, 86 yards, 2 TDs.
-Wes Welker: 7 catches, 76 yards, 2 TDs.
Week 5
51-48 win at Dallas
Danny Trevathan's diving interception in the final minutes set up a 28-yard Matt Prater field goal as time expired to seal the Broncos' win in one of the season's best shootouts.
RECORD POINT TOTAL: Romo, Manning made fantasy history-Peyton Manning: 33-of-42 passing, 414 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
-Julius Thomas: 9 catches, 122 yards, 2 TDs.
-Shaun Phillips: 3 tackles, 2 sacks.
Week 6
35-19 win vs. Jacksonville
Despite entering the game as record 27-point favorites, the Broncos couldn't shake free from the Jaguars until the fourth quarter. Manning threw just his second interception of the season and lost two fumbles.
HUGE POINT SPREAD:How did the Jags cover it-Peyton Manning: 28-of-42 passing, 295 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
-Knowshown Moreno: 15 carries, 42 yards, 3 TDs.
-Malik Jackson: 7 tackles, 2 sacks.
Week 7
39-33 loss at Indianapolis
Manning's much-anticipated return to Indianapolis ended with the Broncos' first loss of the season at the hands of Andrew Luck, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for one more.
-Peyton Manning: 29-of-49 passing, 386 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
-Eric Decker: 8 catches, 150 yards, 1 TD.
-Demaryius Thomas: 4 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD.
Week 8
45-21 win vs. Washington
The Broncos reeled off 38 unanswered points after falling behind 21-7 in the third quarter. Manning threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, but the Broncos' defense forced five turnovers.
WEEK 8: Broncos' D bails out Manning-Peyton Manning: 30-of-44 passing, 354 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs.
-Knowshon Moreno: 13 carries, 43 rushing yards, 6 catches, 89 receiving yards, 1 TD.
-Wes Welker: 6 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD.
Week 10
28-20 win at San Diego
Jack Del Rio stepped in for John Fox after the Broncos coach required heart surgery. Manning threw for four touchdowns to lead the Broncos to another AFC West win.
-Peyton Manning: 25-of-36 passing, 330 yards, 4 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 7 catches, 108 yards, 3 TDs.
-Julius Thomas: 3 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD.
Week 11
27-17 win vs. Kansas City
The Broncos handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season to force a tie atop the AFC West. Denver's offensive line kept Kansas City's feared pass-rush from sacking Manning the entire game.-Peyton Manning: 24-of-40 passing, 323 yards, 1 TD.
-Montee Ball: 8 rushes, 25 yards, 2 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 5 catches, 121 yards.
Week 12
34-31 OT loss at New England
Tom Brady rallied the Patriots from a 24-point deficit to best Manning once again in the storied QB rivalry. Tony Carter ran into a Nate Allen punt in overtime, and New England recovered the fumble and kicked a 31-yard field goal for the win.
INTENSE RIVALRY: We rank the best Brady-Manning matches of all time-Peyton Manning: 19-of-36 passing, 150 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
-Knowshon Moreno: 37 rushes, 224 yards, 1 TD.
-Von Miller: 8 tackles, 2 sacks.
Week 13
35-28 win at Kansas City
Manning connected with Eric Decker for four touchdowns to give the Broncos a one-game lead over the Chiefs in the AFC West.
-Peyton Manning: 22-of-35 passing, 403 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs.
-Eric Decker: 8 catches, 174 yards, 4 TDs.
-Montee Ball: 13 rushes, 117 yards.
Week 14
51-28 win vs. Tennessee
Matt Prater drilled a record-breaking 64-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, and the Broncos wrapped up a playoff berth in chilly conditions.
-Peyton Manning: 39-of-59 passing, 397 yards, 4 TDs.
-Knowshon Moreno: 14 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD.
-Eric Decker: 8 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD.
Week 15
27-20 loss vs. San Diego
Philip Rivers and the surging Chargers dealt the Broncos their first AFC West loss of the season and put the Broncos' hopes for a top seed into question.
-Peyton Manning: 27-of-41 passing, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
-Andre Caldwell: 6 catches, 49 yards, 2 TDs.
-Montee Ball: 5 catches, 49 yards.
Week 16
37-13 at Houston
Manning's long march toward breaking the TD record reached its conclusion in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard strike to Julius Thomas. The Broncos sealed the AFC West title with the win.
-Peyton Manning: 32-of-51 passing, 400 yards, 4 TDs.
-Eric Decker: 10 catches, 131 yards, 2 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 8 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD.
Week 17
34-14 win at Oakland
The Broncos jumped out to a 31-0 lead in the first half to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Manning broke the NFL's single-season yardage record, but not without controversy regarding whether one of his throws was actually a lateral.
-Peyton Manning: 25-of-28 passing, 266 yards, 4 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 6 catches, 113 yards, 2 TDs.
-Malik Jackson: 4 tackles, 1 sack.
Divisional Playoff
24-17 win vs. San Diego
The Chargers surged back from a 17-0 deficit in the fourth quarter, but Manning melted the clock on the Broncos' final drive to advance to the AFC Championship.
-Peyton Manning: 25-of-36 passing, 230 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
-Knowshon Moreno: 23 yards, 82 yards, 1 TD.
-Julius Thomas: 6 catches, 76 yards.
AFC Championship
26-16 win vs. New England
AFC Championship: Manning got his revenge on Brady for the regular-season loss, as the Patriots' offense was held to just 3 points until a fourth-quarter push that came up short.
-Peyton Manning: 32-of-43 passing, 400 yards, 2 TDs.
-Demaryius Thomas: 7 catches, 134 yards, 1 TD.
-Terrance Knighton: 4 tackles, 1 sack.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1nDU1fY
0 comments:
Post a Comment