The Broncos touched down in Jersey City, New Jersey on Sunday to begin Super Bowl week here in the tri-state area. The Broncos went through a light practice on Monday and participated in Tuesday.
Forget about reading all of the garbage that beat writers and the so-called experts/analysts are going to say are the keys to the game. I figured I would look at the big storylines for the game from the Broncos perspective. These storylines are the ones to watch if you are rooting for the Broncos as we gear up for Super Bowl XLVIII. Keep an eye on these when the game kicks off on Sunday night.
I) Winter Wonderland- The weather is the key storyline for this game. As of this writing (Tuesday night) the weather is supposed to be in the mid 30s by kickoff and it is supposed to drop down to the 20s by the end of the game. The wind shouldn't be a factor, and it looks like there really won't be much precipitation. We shall see if the weather changes at all, but it looks like the weather issue won't really be that much of a factor in this game.
II) Seattle's Best: The Seahawks come into this game with the best defense in the NFL. They led the league in yards allowed, points allowed, and turnovers. There is a case that this Seattle defense can be ranked historically as one of the best ever in the annals of NFL history. Can this Seattle defense throttle the high-powered Denver offense? The #1 defense gets a chance to strut it stuff against the #1 offense. It will be the matchup to watch in this game.
III) Orange Crush: The Broncos defense has defied expectations so far this postseason. Without Von Miller and Chris Harris-after the Divisional Playoff- Denver's defense stepped up and played really well in wins over the Chargers and the Patriots. Denver gave up 17 and 16 points respectively in these two games, but they shut down those teams and gave up only 3 points in the first three quarters of each of those games. Can the Broncos defense step up and play solid for one more game? Can players like Terrence Knighton, Malik Jackson, and Shaun Phillips continue to make big plays on this unit?
IV) Special Teams at Sea Level: The Broncos and Matt Prater have benefitted from the ability to play at home in the altitude of Denver. Prater can kick from any distance and he almost always puts the ball out of the end zone on every kickoff. Can Prater handle the elements and the cold weather? Can he handle kicking in Metlife Stadium? I have trouble trusting Prater in a big spot, so I would be a little concerned about his field goal attempts and kickoffs in this game. Also, with the lack of touchbacks expected, the Broncos coverage units need to limit returns in the Seattle return game. If Denver's Trindon Holliday gets a chance to take a kick back, then he could be a factor in this game. Watch out for Holliday if he gets a chance.
V) Mile High Manning: We all know how this game revolves around Peyton Manning. Manning got his team here with two great performances. We all know about how Manning can cement his legacy with one more Super Bowl ring. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but to see Manning in this game with another shot at a ring is the main story of this game. Can Manning put a stamp on his career with a signature MVP performance in this Super Bowl? What if Manning fails in this game again? Make no mistake this game is about Manning.
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