Final Two are Set

Fans in Denver and Seattle punched their tickets onto the Magical Mystery Tour bus which will be headed to New York for Super Bowl XLVIII.  After yesterday’s home playoff victories by the Broncos and Seahawks the two number one seeded teams will be competing in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2009.  The game will also feature a matchup of the league’s top offense against its top defense, something that has not occurred in 23 years.   

In Denver, Peyton Manning continued his quest towards the greatest season ever.  Playing against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Manning put forth a virtuoso performance in the conference final.  Scoring on every drive except the first and last Peyton led his Broncos to a 26 – 16 victory.  The Broncos offense amassed 507 yards, the most ever against a Bill Belichick defense.  Manning now has but one game standing between himself and total NFL immortality.  Winning his second Super Bowl in two weeks would add the exclamation point to this legendary season.

However, standing in his path will be the Seattle Seahawks and their Legion of Boom defense.  In one of the hardest hitting games of the season, they snapped the clamps on the San Francisco Forty Niners in the late going of a 23 – 17 win over their hated rival.  Late in the game, after their offense took the lead, the Seahawks defense took charge of the game.  They terrorized 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick into mistake after mistake, forcing a fumble and making two picks, the second in the end zone preserved the triumph. 

Now the two Conference Champions will be headed to the Big Apple for the first ever outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city.  There will be plenty of story lines:  Players vs. Weather.  Offense vs. Defense.  Veteran vs. Youngster.  Beer vs. Coffee.  But none will be as compelling as Peyton vs. The Ages…