Sports Wrap-up....Superbowl edition

In two weeks, pitchers and catchers will report for Spring Training.  NASCAR will run the 56^th Daytona 500, NHL clubs will be tightening up for a push towards the playoffs and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be in full swing.  Although I look forward to all of these events on the calendar, and the prospect of warmer climes and both sunnier and longer days, I can’t help but acknowledge the sadness that comes with the end of the football season.    And what a season it was for the Seattle Seahawks and the stadium-shaking, earthquake-inducing 12^th man.

It’s difficult for an east coast, AFC-affiliated observer to be fully plugged into the happenings of a west coast, NFC-affiliated franchise, but for some time now, the 12^th man has been rumbling, screaming and stomping their way to send a message to the rest of the NFL: DEAFENING IS OUR ROAR.  The “Legion of Boom” (surely no more accurate a nickname exists for a team today) not only lowered the boom last night on Peyton Manning’s quest for a second Championship, but they put everyone on notice while doing it.  With speed, ferocity, instinct, will, and sheer brute force, they pushed, pounded, smashed and steamrolled their way in a 43-8 drubbing of the Denver Broncos to capture the franchise’s first Super Bowl Championship in its 38 year history. 

Prior to the game, the comparisons were everywhere – the league’s number one defense against the number one offense.   The speed, strength and tenacity of Seattle’s vicious attack vs. the cerebral, record-setting, all-time greatest offense in NFL history.  The number one seed in the NFC vs. the number one seed in the AFC.  And once the ball was kicked off, that’s about where the comparisons stopped.  The Denver safety on the first play from scrimmage was eerily reminiscent of the safety forced by the Giants defense in Super Bowl XLVI against Tom Brady.  From that moment, it was clear that someone wasn’t ready for this.  We all know that the titans of the game can recover and adjust from mistakes, but when your first snap of the ball results in an ugly, unforced error, it just doesn’t bode well.  It didn’t in 2011, and that was all Seattle needed to light the fuse last night. 

We’ve heard all about how offense wins games, but defense wins Championships.   If there’s any doubt about this now, I invite you to go back and watch Super Bowls XLII, XLVI and last night’s game again.  Two of those three featured the two greatest single-season offenses ever assembled in the history of the NFL – one of whom didn’t lose a game until the Super Bowl that year - and yet neither of them hoisted the Lombardi trophy.   Records may be broken, and Hall of Fame resumes bolstered, but if you cannot play sound, strong defense, you will always be vulnerable.  Just ask Tom Brady in 2007 and Peyton Manning today.  Between them in those years, they combined for a staggering 105 touchdowns and 10,283 yards.  Yet in 2007, Brady threw for 2 TD’s while last night, Manning only 1.  A good defense can, will and has twice now, beaten the greatest two offenses in NFL history, on the biggest stage.  After watching Manning and Brady all these years, two things have become evident.  First, it’s been a joy, and a privilege to have watched them together and head-to-head for so long.  The NFL will be weaker when they’re both retired.  Second, although it sure can be fun watching a team put up video game offensive stats week in and week out, I can’t help but think they’re hiding something.  Like the lack of a good defense and any punch in their game.  It’s been true now for some time here in New England and with the exception of 2006, it’s been true for Manning his entire career.  The greatest field general of our time has seldom had the defense required to win a Championship.

With all the norms and standard thinking, Seattle threw everything out the window last night.  A second year quarterback in Russell Wilson against the future Hall-of-Famer and greatest single-season QB in Manning?  Didn’t matter.  The young, trash-talking marquee players of the Seahawks?  Didn’t matter.  The mis-categorized “anemic” offense of Seattle vs. the record-setting offense from Denver? Didn’t matter.  The fact is, if you have a defense that plays the way Seattle does, you don’t need to average 38 points per game.  Hell, they would have won the game last night after their first touchdown.  It’s amazing to realize that Seattle only had to score 9 points to win the Super Bowl.  What’s more is that Seattle did very little in the way of disguising their formations, their intentions, or their playcalling.  What they did was outrun Denver, outhustle Denver, and outhit Denver.   They didn’t try to be cute or try and confuse a quarterback who, at this point in his career, really can’t get confused.  They went after him.  They did what every good defense does – run hard, and hit hard.  They never once allowed Manning to settle in, get comfortable and establish any type of rhythm whatsoever.  When Manning completed a short pass, there were two Seahawks on the receiver with crushing hits.  When he handed the ball off, the back not only got surrounded and stood up, but he got pushed back.  The Broncos could not move the football.  Seattle, on the other hand, moved the ball with speed, agility and sheer will with bruising touchdowns by Marshawn Lynch and two more in the air from Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin; both of whom had no business scoring since several Broncos missed the tackles they should’ve made.  What was that about defense?   Seattle outplayed, out willed, outmuscled, and outran the vaunted Broncos.  Frankly I don’t think anyone in the NFL could beat them last night given the way they played that game.  I also can’t help but think that Tom Brady was watching the game and was thankful he didn’t have to face those Seahawks.   Deafening was their roar indeed.

Seattle hasn’t exactly been a bastion of pro sports success.  Their last Championship (NBA) was in 1979 – and that team now resides in Oklahoma City.  A city that’s given us Frazier, Starbucks, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Jimi Hendrix (just to name a few) once again, at long last, has their Champion.  With the loudest fans in the NFL, the most intimidating homefield advantage, an average player age of just 26 ½, and a solid core of players under contract (including a QB they still don’t have to commit big, long-term dollars to), they may very well be setting up to get even louder in the seasons to come.  Congratulations to Seattle, to the Seahawks, and to the 12^th man.