The Seahawks have earned their second Super Bowl berth in franchise history thanks to a suffocating defense, a young quarterback coming of age, and fan support that has resulted in small earthquakes. But can they beat the mighty Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, thousands of miles away from CenturyLink Field? Here’s how the Seattle Seahawks can earn their first Super Bowl victory:

A lot of snow

Not a surprise here. The Seahawks will fare much better in snowy conditions than the pass-happy Broncos. In this scenario, Seattle would turn to their solid ground game headed by Marshawn Lynch, and rely on their defense to take advantage of a shaky Peyton Manning in the cold and windy weather. While the Broncos have the edge in offensive potency, the Seahawks are a much more balanced squad, and would be able to use other resources if MetLife Stadium is covered in snow on February 2nd.

An effective pass rush

Peyton Manning barely got touched in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. That is not an exaggeration: Chandler Jones brushed his shoulder in the second quarter, and that was about it. Without the factor of pressure in his face, Manning was able to pick apart the New England secondary and cruise to victory. If the Seattle front seven can knock Manning on the ground several times early in the game, it will alter the rhythm of not only Manning but the entire Denver offense. New England’s problems stemmed from their pass rushers being too exhausted to pressure Manning, allowing the Broncos to crawl down the field and wear out the defense even more. Sacking Manning and ending drives will be crucial for the Seahawks to not only slow down the Broncos’ offense, but to also stay rested and fresh throughout the game.

A near-perfect Russell Wilson

Especially if there isn’t snow, and the Denver passing offense is operating at full speed, the Seahawks will need their second-year quarterback to have one of the best games of his career. To keep up with Manning, Wilson will have to lead touchdown drives or set up field goals on most possessions. Wilson must keep three-and-outs, sacks, and turnovers to a minimum, and he will have to throw two or three touchdowns at the least. It will be tempting for Wilson to abandon the pocket and run, but the Denver defense is one of the fastest in the league and could very well make him pay for scrambling too much. A composed, efficient, and accurate Russell Wilson will put the Seahawks in a good position to win.

Winning the turnover game

It’s this simple: when Peyton Manning is on the field, more often than not, he is going to score a touchdown or put Matt Prater in position to drill a field goal. If the Seahawks are able to take the ball out of Manning’s hands once or twice, and simultaneously avoid turnovers themselves, this game should go Seattle’s way. This is true in most NFL games anyway, but the significance of the turnover margin reaches a whole new level when you are facing an all-time great quarterback like Peyton Manning. The Seattle defense is as capable as anybody when it comes to forcing turnovers: their front seven does a great job of generating pressure, and their loaded secondary of Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor will take advantage of any poor throws. But the turnover margin can’t be won solely by the defense; Seattle’s ball carriers must secure the rock at all times.

Maintaining energy

By the time they depart for the Super Bowl, the Seahawks won’t have played away from CenturyLink Field for well over a month. The Broncos are in a similar position, but they don’t feed off of their home crowd nearly as much as the Seahawks. The 12th Man gives every player on the Seahawks an increased energy and endurance level that has powered the team to the Super Bowl. Even though ‘Hawks fans are some of the NFL’s most faithful, they won’t fill up MetLife Stadium, so the Seahawks must find another way to maintain their energy. The adrenaline and excitement from the spectacle of the game should fill this void, but the Seattle players must each make a conscious effort to keep their energy levels up in the absence of the 12th Man.

Check back later in the week for the second addition of this article: “Super Bowl XLVIII: Keys to a Bronco Victory”

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