WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL
When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Where: East Rutherford, N.J. Line: Broncos by 2 1⁄2 Total: 48 TV: Fox-32 Radio: 670-AM
KEY PLAYERS
WR Demaryius Thomas figures to have a tough matchup with Seahawks CB Richard Sherman. With the attention on Sherman, it’s Byron Maxwell, the Seahawks’ other CB, who is on the spot. Maxwell has been excellent in place of Brandon Browner with 12 pass breakups and 4 INTs. But he’ll need more help than usual against Broncos QB Peyton Manning.
ON THE GROUND
Even with one of the best passing QBs of all time under center, the Broncos’ best chance to win the Super Bowl starts with establishing a running game that will prevent the Seahawks’ aggressive defense from teeing off on the Broncos’ protection of Peyton Manning. With a solid offensive line and capable RBs in Knowshon Moreno (241-1,038, 10 TDs in the regular season) and Monte Ball (120-559, 4 TDs), the Broncos were 15th in the NFL in rushing (117 ypg) and seventh in rushing TDs (16). The Broncos, though, faced only one top-10 run defense this season, and that was the Eagles in Week 4.
IN THE AIR
Manning vs. Sherman is one of the most anticipated Super Bowl battles in recent memory. Sherman has all but dared Manning to throw his way, but don’t expect Manning to take the bait. With a variety of targets, including Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and TE Julius Thomas, Manning usually is adept at torching the weakest links in a secondary. The question is whether there is a weak link on the Seahawks’ secondary — and will he have time to exploit it? Manning has not been sacked in two postseason games, but all the Seahawks want to do is keep him out of his comfort zone.