Three of Super Bowl Sunday's Most Intriguing Storyline

by Zach Basu

In the wake of two incredible NFL conference championship games, the pre-Superbowl buzz has already grown to headline-dominating proportions. The NFC’s Seattle Seahawks will take on the AFC’s Denver Broncos in two weeks’ time at Metlife Stadium for what is sure to be a game to remember. The astronomical hype surrounding Super Bowl XLVIII is evidenced by tickets being sold for more than $25,500 – and for good reason. Here are three storylines to watch out for as we impatiently await this year’s championship game.

Denver’s Offense vs. The Legion of Boom

The winner of this matchup will undoubtedly decide the outcome of this game. The last time the league’s #1 ranked offense took on the #1 ranked defense in a Super Bowl was the 1990 season, when the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills. They say that defense wins championships, as it did that day, but will history repeat itself? It’s hard to bet against Peyton Manning’s arsenal of offensive targets, with Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Julius Thomas combining for 4000+ yards on the regular season. That being said, Seattle’s secondary, self-nicknamed “The Legion of Boom”, has proven their dominance time and time again this year. The foundation of the secondary lies with cornerback Richard Sherman, free safety Earl Thomas, and strong safety Kam Chancellor, all three of whom were named 2013 All-Pros. If anything does kill the Seahawks’ chances, it will be the loss of Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Browner, who was suspended for a second positive steroid test.

Richard Sherman’s Trash Talking

At this point, just about every football fan has seen Richard Sherman’s postgame rant in the face Erin Andrews and just about every football fan will agree that Sherman’s reputation will be in serious trouble if he can’t live up to his words on Super Bowl Sunday. The third-year corner – that’s right, it’s only his third year – has faced difficulty garnering respect his entire life. Sherman grew up in Compton, California, where he became the salutatorian of his class and earned a scholarship to Stanford University. In the NFL Draft, Sherman dropped all the way to the fifth round, a fact that has motivated him to become, in his own words, “the best cornerback in the game.” Having led the league in interceptions the past two years, some say that the All-Pro has already proven himself. Others refuse to condone his cockiness and intense outbursts until the ‘Hawks bring home a championship and he gets named Super Bowl MVP.

Peyton Manning’s Legacy

There’s always been a stigma associated with Peyton Manning’s placement as an all-time top five quarterback; he’s choked too many times to be taken seriously. The unfortunate truth is that Manning, though he’s statistically coming off the most productive season by a quarterback in NFL history, will never be regarded as the best with only one Super Bowl to his name. Despite having beaten rival Tom Brady and having unofficially earned a 1^st ballot spot in Canton, none of it will mean anything – to fans and to Manning – if he can’t come away with a victory on Sunday.

Richard Sherman, one of the league’s most notorious trash-talkers,
will have a lot to prove against Peyton Manning’s Broncos.