The Denver Broncos Will Win Super Bowl XLVIII

Setting out the case, part one. We all know where I'm going to start this breakdown, so I'll save us all some time by cutting this introduction short. Nice and succinctly; Peyton Manning.

Denver's offense is the reason they've made it to this point in the season, and will ultimately be the reason they win this years championship. With one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time in their corner, and a dominant receiving corps there's no reason for them to lose this game. That's the theory, and it holds up under close scrutiny, being a record breaking offense on almost as many fronts as there are in the National Football League.

"the people of Denver can assure Indiana of a quite different fate"

When Peyton Manning first jumped ship to Denver many people (myself included) saw it as the Colts accepting that Peyton was probably done and that they needed a fresh start at quarterback. Needless to say, the people of Denver can assure Indiana of a quite different fate. Just two years later Denver's gamble on a then injured future Hall of Famer has paid off tremendously. They've surrounded him with excellent receiving talent, and while Knowshon Moreno hasn't quite lived up to his draft stock he's not exactly a slouch.

Wes Welker will be an x-factor in the passing game.

The argument made (very loudly) from the blue and green corner is that Denver hasn't yet faced a defense this tough all season. This can easily be flipped on its head though, as Seattle's defense haven't come up against an offense that's this good. Richard Sherman is a great shutdown corner, and he may be able to deal with Demaryius Thomas for most of the game. Byron Maxwell is an excellent corner, and he may be able to cover Eric Decker on most plays. Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have played their way into a couple of Pro Bowl nominations, but they can't sit right on the linebackers on every play. You cannot account for the deep game, the short pass game and Knowshon Moreno coming out of the backfield at the same time.

Seattle can be as cunning as they like with defensive playcalling, but they'll be putting themselves up against the greatest on-field playcaller of the current generation. Every time you think you have an edge, it's almost guaranteed that Manning will take it right back. This being said, I reckon that Seattle will be able to curtail him from putting up 40+ points in the passing game. Denver will have to rely more heavily on a run game supported by Moreno, and rookie Montee Ball.

"[Russell Wilson] will rarely be given the kind of time he expects, or needs."

On the defensive side, Denver has an easier task than Seattle. What is tipped as the "weaker" is sure to be the deciding factor, where it isn't immovable object (Seattle D) versus unstoppable force (Denver O). Denver have a pass rushing front four that can go blow for blow with their Seahawk counterparts, which should give them a good chance of making Russell Wilson uncomfortable in the pocket. He will rarely be given the kind of time he expects, or needs. This gives Rogers-Cromartie and Champ Bailey the freedom of not having to cover the receivers for too long. This will allow them to play more agressively, and out right beat these receivers up. The exception here being Percy Harvin.

Knighton leads the Broncos D-Line

This leaves only Beast Mode left in the discussion, and as long as Denver can shut the pass down early it
won't take long for him to be locked up. Not to discredit him, but Marshawn isn't the faster running back out there, he's the most powerful. If you can pack the box with 8 or 9 guys consistently he can be brought down with minimal gains.

Between Peyton Manning, and his excellent receiving corps there can be little doubt that Denver have enough to overcome the dominance of the Seattle secondary. Combining this with a Seattle offense that has been one-dimensional far too often this season, Denver are poised to claim another Lombardi trophy for the Mile High city.

Concluding:

Denver Broncos 35 - 20 Seattle Seahawks

MVP - Peyton Manning

Difference Makers:

Offense - Wes Welker

Defense - Terrence Knighton