NFL COMMENTARY
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, February 2, 2014

Seattle scored first in Super Bowl XLVIII (48), literally, in a New York minute. After that, it was a hopeless downhill slide for Denver.

The safety scored by the Seahawks’ defense on the first play from scrimmage was also the fastest score of any kind in Super Bowl history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

There’s other fun stats too: Elias also reports that it’s the first time the winning team scored more than 40 points while the losing team scored less than 10.

Whatever. On a day of good football weather in East Rutherford, N.J., the Seahawks claimed their first Super Bowl victory by routing Denver 43-8. It was Seattle’s first NFL title in its 38th season in the league.

The win also provided Seattle Coach Pete Carroll with redemption of sorts. Carroll was fired in his first two NFL head coaching gigs at New England and with the New York Jets before winning a pair of national college championships at Southern California.

On this day, Seattle’s defense was too physical, too quick, and, frankly too good for the Broncos to handle. The Seahawks made life miserable for quarterback Peyton Manning from the first snap and never let up.

Adding insult to injury, it was the lowest point total by a Broncos team with Manning as its quarterback.

The rout began 12 seconds into the game, when a snap to Manning flew past him and into the end zone, where running back Knowshon Moreno fell on it, giving the Seahawks a 2-0 lead.

Seattle added a pair of field goals by Steven Hauschka made it 8-0. That was just the start, as the Seahawks’ noted 12th man – its fans – made their presence felt in what is usually a sterile, very corporate environment.

Marshawn Lynch’s 1-yard plunge made it 15-0. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, selected as the game’s most valuable player, returned an interception 69 yards to make it 22-0 and the rout was on. Russell Wilson tossed a pair of touchdown passes to help extend Seattle’s lop-sided advantage.

Now, the discussion for the next six months reverts to Manning’s legacy. Even with a bag full of records and wins, Peyton is 11-12 in the postseason and 1-2 in Super Bowls. Denver is 2-5 in seven Super Bowl appearances.

Next year’s Super Bowl will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.