We wanted you to know what we know—and by “know,” we mean “think”—about Super Bowl XLVIII, so we went to the Sportsnet experts.
The predictions below are culled from a newsroom’s worth of football wisdom. You don’t get your prediction on this list unless you write NFL stories, edit NFL stories or beat the pants off the people who write and edit NFL stories in a year-long pick ’em pool.
So, experts, what’s going to happen on Sunday?
Justin Dunk, sportsnet.ca writer
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks
The Score: 24–20
The Super Bowl MVP: Marshawn Lynch (100-plus yards rushing and at least 1 TD)
The Breakdown: Seattle’s defence is without question the fastest and most physical group in the entire National Football League this season. Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin bring plenty of pass-rushing prowess off the edge. K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner are tough, versatile linebackers. And we all know about the Seahawks’ secondary, the Legion of Boom, led by Richard Sherman, the outspoken shutdown corner. Seattle’s team speed on defence will overwhelm Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ offence because it’s unlike anything they have seen all year.
Everyone is talking about the matchup of Denver’s No. 1 offence against Seattle’s No. 1 ranked defence, but it could ultimately be the outcome of the less-heralded clash between the Seahawks’ grind-it-out offence versus the overlooked Broncos defence. Denver finished the regular campaign as the seventh-best unit against the rush, while Seattle had the league’s fourth highest rated run game, led by Marshawn Lynch.
There might be some snow coming down during Super Bowl XLVIII, but when the clock hits zeros we will see confetti and Skittles falling onto the MetLife Stadium Turf, because Seattle will ride Beast Mode to a Lombardi Trophy win.
Jeff Simmons, staff writer
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks
The Score: 30–27
The Super Bowl MVP: Marshawn Lynch
The Breakdown: I’ve gone back and forth on this pick all week. I picked the Denver Broncos to win the Super Bowl before the start of the season but I think Seattle is the better and more complete team.
Obviously, it’s difficult to pick against Peyton Manning right now. He is playing the best football of his career and is surrounded by the best group of offensive weapons he’s ever had. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Denver finished their magical season with a Super Bowl ring.
But Denver hasn’t faced a team quite like this all season. Seattle is so physical on defence and can win in so many different ways. That’s how they were able to get by San Francisco and New Orleans with pedestrian performances from Russell Wilson.
This is a game where the Seahawks’ offence may in fact be the difference—especially with Marshawn Lynch, who has been Seattle’s best player throughout the playoffs. Lynch was able to run on a dominant 49ers front seven in the NFC Championship Game and should be able to do the same against a far less talented defence in Denver. The Broncos have not seen a running back of this quality over their post-season run.
The X-factor is Percy Harvin. If he can stay on the field, he opens up so much for his teammates. He’s the one Seahawk receiver who dictates coverage and can open running lanes for Lynch. The Seahawks’ running back may not talk much in the media but he’ll let his play do the talking in the biggest game of his career.
Geoff Lowe, associate editor
The Pick: Denver Broncos
The Score: 21–20
The Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning
The Breakdown: Peyton Manning is the NFL’s all-time leader in fourth-quarter comebacks (40), and it will come down to him in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The forecast at the Meadowlands is not nearly as bad as many feared, but it’s cold at MetLife Stadium come kickoff time. With temperatures dropping down to as low as 27 Fahrenheit (minus-two Celsius) combined with some light winds, both offences get off to a slow start.
In the first quarter, the league’s No. 1 defence prevails against its No. 1 offence and the second frame gets underway with the Seahawks up 3–0. That’s when Manning starts heating up, throwing two touchdowns (one to Wes Welker, one to Eric Decker). Marshawn Lynch punches in a goal-line touchdown and the Broncos head into the break with a 14–10 lead.
After half-time re-adjustments and with the temperature continuing to drop, the Seahawks’ defence comes out rejuvenated in the third. Manning’s under constant pressure and, with the Broncos’ running game proving ineffective, the Legion of Boom intercepts the future Hall of Famer at least once in the quarter. Another field goal brings Seattle within one and then a 20-yard rumble from Lynch puts the Seahawks up six early in the fourth.
After trading possessions, Manning and the Broncos take over at their own 20 with less than six minutes left. Leading an 80-yard drive, highlighted by clutch catches from Demaryius Thomas, Manning completes his 41st fourth-quarter comeback with a touchdown pass to the other Thomas—Julius.
The Seahawks get the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, but can’t do anything with it. With three touchdown passes and 300-plus passing yards for the 14th time this season, Manning is awarded his second Super Bowl MVP.
Jordan Heath-Rawlings, football editor
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks
The Score: 27–23
The Super Bowl MVP: Russell Wilson
The Breakdown: It’s true that Peyton Manning and the excellent Denver receivers matching up against the NFL’s best secondary is a critical element in this Super Bowl. But let’s not forget that it’s just one element. There are three other O vs. D matchups to consider.
The Broncos are far from a perfect football juggernaut—they’ve compensated for lapses in other areas of the game with their historic passing offence. But while Manning’s genius might be enough to score a couple on Seattle’s defence, the Seahawks appear to have the advantage in every other matchup.
Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball against that fierce Seattle run defence? No thanks. Marshawn Lynch against Denver’s run defence is a closer matchup than most realize, but Lynch has shown the ability to run on even the toughest of opponents.
And here’s where the game will ultimately be decided: Seattle’s passing attack against Denver’s suspect pass defence, which got a lot worse when Chris Harris’s season ended against the San Diego Chargers. Wilson hasn’t set the world on fire over the last six weeks, but he has the ability to make plays—and make them under pressure. The Seahawks receiver corps will get Percy Harvin back and is more than capable of making plays downfield against a secondary that will be without Harris and Rahim Moore.
Denver’s best chance at a victory is to get pressure on Wilson and force him into mistakes, because if he has time to leave the pocket and freelance, Denver’s secondary won’t be able to stick to its coverage. Seattle wins this game with its offence, and Wilson takes home the MVP.
Ryan Dixon, senior writer and 2013/14 Sportsnet Pick ‘Em Pool champion
The Pick: Denver Broncos
The Score: 20–10
The Super Bowl MVP: Wes Welker
The Breakdown: Peyton Manning just has the eye of the tiger this year. With questions about the weather, I think Denver looks for Welker a lot in the slot and he ends up being the MVP as Manning’s go-to guy.
I love Seattle’s swagger and it’s tough to discount the fact they seem better prepared to play a smashmouth, cold-weather game, but I just think Denver will find a way to largely limit the Seahawks offence.
I think it’s a one-score game until Manning hits Welker underneath a couple times on a clock-eating drive mid-way through the fourth. And that’s the ballgame.
