KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel is predicting a Seahawks victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. He thinks Seattle will beat the Denver Broncos, and he gives these five reasons.
1. History
Sunday's matchup will be one for the history books. The Broncos have the No. 1 offense in the NFL and the Seahawks have the No. 1 defense. Art says the Hawks have history on their side.
"The No. 1 offense has met the No. 1 defense 10 times in Super Bowl history and the defense has won eight," he said.
2. Preparation
According to Art, another advantage is Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll's penchant for preparation for big games.
"He's had a great record in college in post-season games," Art said. "And certainly as a Seahawks coach he's had big-game success. In his first year when he won a division title with a 7-9 record, they beat the New Orleans Saints 41-36 at The Clink. They've had success last year in the playoffs and they've had success this year in the playoffs. So I think there's a definite coaching advantage that's going to work in Seattle's favor."
3. Plan For Manning
According to Art, the Seahawks are not going to blitz Manning "because that's what he loves to have happen." Instead they will try to contain him with a four-man rush.
"They're going to be patient, knowing he's going to complete passes and hope they're going to make mistakes," he said.
4. Broncos Defense
The Broncos are missing two key starters on their defense. They'll be without cornerback Chris Harris and linebacker Von Miller on Sunday. "I think that's going to soften things up for the Seahawks' offense," Art said.
5. Percy Harvin
Art says the biggest weapon in the Seahawks' arsenal is one they haven't been able to deploy for most of the season: wide receiver Percy Harvin. He was acquired in the off-season but then had hip surgery. Once he was able to fully return, he suffered a concussion in the playoff game against New Orleans.
"He's only played 38 snaps this season in parts of two games. But he's fully healthy, his hip is recovered, he has no concussion effects," Art said. "He's ready to go Sunday. And that's a weapon for which Denver has not been able to scout because there's just so little film on what Harvin's role is in the Seahawks offense. So he's kind of an X factor and it could be a very dramatic advantage in the Seahawks' favor."
Art predicts the Broncos will score 21 points but that the Seahawks will be able to make something happen with Harvin and win the game by three or six points.
"I think the first major sports championship in Seattle in 35 years is going to happen Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey," he said.
You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest and Crosscut.com.