EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Seahawks welcomed Peyton Manning to their own aerial assault.
The Legion of Boom left a lesion in his record books and beat up the five-time MVP and a cast of broken Broncos with a resounding 43-8 victory last night in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. The matchup between history’s most prolific offense and the new era’s bloodthirsty defense was as one-sided as the violent collisions on the field.
“That’s what we do — run and hit, run and hit,” Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said. “If they go out there and taste their own blood and beat us, they deserve to win.”
It was never close or even in doubt, as the West Coast bullies arrived loudly for the festivities, and they departed while making the type of noise that will echo for generations, forcing four turnovers and recording the most lopsided Super Bowl victory in more than two decades. Even with their high-profile defensive stars, it was little-known linebacker Malcolm Smith who was named the game’s MVP, showcasing their depth.
“I think all of the hits from the defense as a group got into their heads,” safety Kam Chancellor said.
Quarterback Russell Wilson was as efficient as he needed to be, completing 18-of-25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns to lift an ineffective running back Marshawn Lynch (15 carries, 39 yards, touchdown). Wide receiver Percy Harvin finally added the spark that eluded him after a season’s worth of injuries with 50 yards from scrimmage and a kickoff return for a touchdown.
It was all too much for the Broncos, who couldn’t air it out because they were suffocating. Manning did set a Super Bowl record with 34 completions on 49 attempts for 280 yards, one touchdown, two picks and a lost fumble, but that certificate of participation will hang in a wing of individual accomplishments after another season that concluded in team defeat.
He refused to acknowledge embarrassment, but slot receiver Wes Welker called it like it was.
“It’s just frustrating to get this far and lose like this,” Welker said. “It’s embarrassing.”
The demolition started early. Denver center Manny Ramirez fired the first snap of the game over Manning’s head, and it rolled into the end zone for a safety just 12 seconds in, yielding the fastest score in Super Bowl history. Needham’s Steven Hauschka then kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 5-0.
Wilson completed his first four third-down tosses, including a 37-yarder to receiver Doug Baldwin that set up Hauschka’s 33-yard field goal. After a quarter, the Seahawks had more points (eight) than the Broncos had plays (seven).
Then, it got physical. The Seahawks defense was faster in all three levels, and certainly bigger, as the 6-foot-3, 232-pound Chancellor delivered nasty shots over the middle to receivers Demaryius Thomas and Welker to send a punishing message. As the game wore on, the Broncos’ arms didn’t extend quite as far for Manning’s quackers.
“The first time they ran a crossing route, they met Kam Chancellor,” Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “And they didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Chancellor closed the first quarter by intercepting Manning’s hurried third-down throw, a result of relentless pressures from defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. Seven plays later (not including Denver cornerback Tony Carter’s pass interference in the end zone), Lynch’s 1-yard touchdown extended the margin to 15-0.
Even when the Broncos showed some semblance of forward movement, marching 49 yards over 14 plays, Manning’s right arm was again Avril’s punching bag, and a wobbler was intercepted by Smith, who returned the pick 69 yards for a touchdown and a 22-0 lead.
After the Broncos’ final first-half meltdown, an ill-fated, fourth-down flopper in the red zone, the Seahawks rode the bucking horses out of town when Harvin returned the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and 29-0 lead. At that point, Denver needed Shannon Sharpe to call the National Guard.
The Broncos turtled, with coach John Fox opting to punt from the Seahawks 39 on the ensuing possession. Later in the third, Seattle receiver Jermaine Kearse broke through four tacklers for a 23-yard score and 36-0 lead. Thomas, who set a Super Bowl record with 13 receptions, ended the shutout with a 14-yard scoring catch at the end of the third. But those points were no more meaningful than Baldwin’s 10-yard TD catch in the fourth.
The Seahawks ended the night far earlier than that.
“You can never expect it, but I wasn’t really shocked,” Sherman said. “I expected us to stand up. I didn’t expect us to give up a whole lot of points. It’s not our standard to give up a whole lot of points. We haven’t done it all year.”
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