Five touchdowns, two field goals, one safety to one touchdown, and one 2-point conversion. The Seattle Seahawks had one of the biggest blow-outs in Super Bowl history last Sunday, yet they were the two point underdog. How did Seattle stifle the seemingly greatest offense the National Football League had ever seen?

The offense obtains record breaking numbers: 606 total points, 76 touchdowns and Peyton Manning’s 5,477 yards passing. This monster offense was held to only eight points on the biggest game of their lives. However, when we look at the numbers, the Seahawks were underestimated by a large margin. The Bronco’s major offensive weapon was the pass, yet a majority of their yards came after the catch. Seattle was the best in the league with an average of 4.2 yards per pass attempt, so they were able to tackle Denver’s receivers before they could break into a long run. How were they able to wrap-up the best receiving corp in the NFL? The Seahawk’s defensive backs were all at least 6-feet tall, significantly taller than some of Denver’s receivers, such as the 5’9″ Wes Welker. They could easily tackle in the open field making Denver lose what has been working for them all season.

Seattle’s defensive line were also smaller but quicker than the heavy Bronco offensive line. They were able to pressure Peyton and were a brick wall for running back Knowshon Moreno. Not only was Seattle more of a physical threat but Denver had not seen competition like them all year. The American Football Conference (AFC) is significantly worse than the National Football Conference (NFC) in terms of defense. Of the top ten overall defenses from last year, six of them are from the NFC, where Seattle usually plays. The AFC is more offense oriented so competition for the Broncos was nowhere near as stellar as the Seahawk’s defense. Overall, Seattle’s defense proved to be Denver’s kryptonite and earned them a convincing win.