The game started off with Trindon Holliday running the ball out of the endzone, only to be swallowed up for the first time inside the 15 yard line. The first play from scrimmage ended in disaster for the Broncos as the
snap came out early and straight past Peyton Manning into the endzone. Knowshon Moreno had to fall on the ball to prevent a touchdown, resulting in a safety.
The Seahawks receive the ball from the punt, and they look to feed Marshawn Lynch. It doesn't happen. He gets knocked back, gains a couple yards, nothing significant. So they reintroduce Percy Harvin to the world, on an end around for 31 yards. That was one of the few plays that the Broncos defense actually played poorly on during the first quarter. They kept the game close while Peyton Manning's first quarter stats line read:3/4, 10 YDs, 1 INT, 0 TD.
And when you look back on the game afterwards it becomes clear how much the Broncos had to rely on Peyton Manning. The Seahawks held them to 27 yards of running offense through the entire game, and forced Peyton to throw. They knew he was going to be the key to victory, and they rushed him on every play. He never managed to get settled.
Key plays that made Denver's day impossible;
1) Marshawn Lynch running it in to give Seattle a 14 - 0 lead, while Peyton still had only 10 passing yards under his belt. This was admittedly only at the start of the second quarter, but the fortitude and change of gameplan that was required from the Broncos would be hard to summon.
2) Percy Harvin returning the second half kickoff. The Broncos down by 22 at the half, and with 2 interceptions recorded there was a lot of work to be done but it didn't seem insurmountable until Percy Harvin set the Seahawks up for a 29 - 0 lead. The play didn't just beat the Broncos on coverage, but it deflated their entire team.3) If that wasn't enough, the Denver defense finally put up a strong performance and stopped Seattle. Forcing them to punt with 7 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They started moving the ball with a good completion to Demaryius Thomas for a first down over the middle. Peyton dropped the ball over the linebackers to Thomas on the very next play, but a great play on the ball from Byron Maxwell knocked the ball loose and gave Seattle the ball back. Denver still scoreless.
By the time the Denver offense started to gain yards (and they eventually got a good stats line for the game), Seattle had built a 29 - 0 lead that had all but guaranteed victory by the middle of the third quarter. Denver were given more space underneath to throw the ball, Seattle knowing that they could afford to give up a few yards, but never the big play. And Denver never got that big play, they were never energised. By the third quarter they weren't even tackling properly on defense.This game really was a blow-out. Denver weren't given time on offense until Seattle had won the game. Seattle were let off by a slack defense on Denvers part. Going into this game it could have gone either way, but just 10 minutes in and it was obvious which team had actually come to play.
Wrap Up:
Seattle Seahawks 43 - 8 Denver Broncos
MVP: Malcolm Smith
Stats:
Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT
Seahawks
Russell Wilson 18/25 206 2 0
Broncos
Peyton Manning 34/49 280 1 2
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG
Seahawks
P. Harvin 2 45 0 30
M. Lynch 15 39 1 18
R. Wilson 3 26 0 16
Broncos
K. Moreno 5 17 0 9
M. Ball 6 1 0 3
Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG
Seahawks
D. Baldwin 5 66 1 37
J. Kearse 4 65 1 24
G. Tate 3 17 0 9
Broncos
D. Thomas 13 118 1 23
W. Welker 8 84 0 22
J. Thomas 4 27 0 11
Defense | T-A | INT
Seahawks
E. Thomas 6-1 0
K. Chancellor 5-4 1
M. Smith 5-4 1
Broncos
D. Trevathan 7-5 0
M. Adams 6-0 0
D. Ihenacho 5-4 0
K. Chancellor 5-4 1
M. Smith 5-4 1
Broncos
D. Trevathan 7-5 0
M. Adams 6-0 0
D. Ihenacho 5-4 0