Sunday’s Super Bowl was a hard one to watch — for anyone who wasn’t rooting for the Seahawks, that is.
The Broncos were beat from the first half, plagued by a cadence issue that shouldn’t have marred the league’s No. 1 regular season offense. As the Colorado native and Broncos fan that I am, I found the Broncos’ play to be unacceptable and reeking of immaturity.
But let’s get this out of the way: Peyton Manning isn’t to blame for Denver’s lowly performance. In fact, his play wasn’t all that bad.
Unfortunately, Manning will not go down as the greatest quarterback of all time unless he can win two more Super Bowls, which is no easy task and highly unlikely.
Please, sports fans, don’t let Manning’s second Super Bowl loss diminish what he accomplished this season. He had, what I believe to be, the best regular season of all time and was one win away from having arguably the greatest single season performance as well. Returning from surgery and putting up the kind of numbers he did should be an inspiration to athletes everywhere.
Manning’s lack of success in the playoffs does not just fall on him. The Broncos underperformed in every aspect of the game.
The offense didn’t block well or play aggressively, the defense appeared tired and became soft, and special teams welcomed back oft-injured Seahawks return man Percy Harvin with open arms.
That’s not to mention a terrible fumble by Denver wide receiver Demaryius Thomas after making a miraculous catch in the third quarter. Discipline and focus are essential, and the Broncos showed a lack of both.
The Broncos weren’t able to find a comfortable balance between playing conservative and letting loose a little bit — when the game is on the line and high stress situations arise, the Broncos seem to tense up.
The real story here, though, is how well the Seahawks played in their first Super Bowl win. The defensive backfield was explosive, exciting and played with a chip on its shoulder. Two or three defensemen were there to make a play every time a Denver receiver touched the ball, and their hits were fierce. The Seahawks defense lived up to everyone’s expectations and was truly exceptional.
There are no excuses to be made for the Denver Broncos after this game. Injuries were not a big factor. Injured linebacker Von Miller could have posed a threat, but this season will be one to forget for him. The Broncos offensive line was missing two key players, but that didn’t come as a shock because they were hurt early in the season. Inclement weather can’t be used as an excuse.
Halftime performer Bruno Mars didn’t send the Broncos bad vibes (they were already on the fast track to defeat by the time he took the stage, anyway.) In short, the Broncos did not come to play and the Seahawks made them pay.
Denver isn’t done, though. Manning can still lead this team to a Super Bowl win. The Broncos can beat any team in the league, but they were their own worst enemy this year. And until next season, when the Broncos will have an opportunity to remedy that condition, that’s what they’ll have to live with.
Paul Holden is a freshman studying journalism and a Colorado native. Were you also rooting for the Broncos in the Super Bowl? Let him know at ph553412@ohiou.edu and @PaulHolden33.
