# Super Bowl XLVII: Seahawks vs. Broncos **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 20, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248 "2014-01-20T03:17:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/461 "2014-02-05T20:26:19Z")
I’m watching the coverage of the Seahawks’ parade in downtown Seattle. The crowd is estimated at 700,000. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/462 "2014-02-05T21:31:57Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > I can’t be arsed to look it up, but assuming that both teams were equally represented in the stands, the difference in crowd noise between the two factions was pretty impressive to begin with, and increased as the game got farther and farther out of hand. While I was watching the game my thought regarding the crowd noise was “God forbid the crowd gets this loud for a friggin’ GIANTS game.” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/463 "2014-02-05T22:13:10Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > I’m watching the coverage of the Seahawks’ parade in downtown Seattle. The crowd is estimated at 700,000. :eek: The estimated _population_ of Seattle is 635,000 ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/464 "2014-02-05T22:32:23Z")
> [@For You](#): > > The estimated _population_ of Seattle is 635,000 True, but the entire metro area is 3.5M. Still, we love our Seahawks. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/465 "2014-02-06T00:49:41Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > I have no suggestion for a metric. But how is passer rating- so that Chad Pennington is better than Dan Marino - any better than using rings? Actually, while far from perfect, winning percentage is a lot better than either rings or Passer Rating. I don’t see why it’s all that outrageous that Chad Pennington had a higher QB rating than Dan Marino, any more than it is outrageous that Riggs Stephenson, who you’ve probably never heard of, had a higher batting average than Willie Mays, who you probably have. But Chad Pennington only played 89 games in his whole career. He played very well, actually, by any measure, but 89 games ain’t that much. Marino played three times as long. There is no comparison in terms of total value. [QUOTE=For You] The estimated population of Seattle is 635,000 [/QUOTE] Well, maybe within the city limits, but like most large cities the city limits really tell you nothing about how many people actually live in the urban area Seattle sits in, which is more like three million people, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/466 "2014-02-06T01:45:37Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > The way the crowd noise destroyed Denver’s audible game was rather impressive, for being the “visitor” in a neutral stadium an entire continent away from home turf. And a good audible game is one of the best weapons against an aggressive defense. The Seahawks defense was aggressive, but from what I heard they didn’t do much in terms of schemes or formations. There weren’t really very many different looks for Manning to analyze before the snap. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/467 "2014-02-06T02:16:47Z")
[Richard Sherman Says Seahawks Deciphered Peyton Manning’s Hand Signals](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1947171-richard-sherman-says-seahawks-deciphered-peyton-mannings-hand-signals) > [@](#): > > All we did was play situational football. We knew what route concepts they liked on different downs, so we jumped all the routes. Then we figured out the hand signals for a few of the route audibles in the first half. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/468 "2014-02-06T03:37:29Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > While I was watching the game my thought regarding the crowd noise was “God forbid the crowd gets this loud for a friggin’ GIANTS game.” Right? God damn but I hate the new stadium, and its corporate denizens. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/469 "2014-02-06T05:17:11Z")
The two big questions going into this game were: 1. How would Denver’s #1 offence and Seattle’s #1 defense stack up against one another? 2. How would Seattle’s somewhat mediocre offence, which had been on somewhat of a downturn, and Denver’s somewhat mediocre defense, which had been on somewhat of an upturn, stack up against one another? As a Seahawks fan, I was more worried about #2 than #1. The game gave clear, convincing and noncontroversial answers to both questions. There are many ways people may analyze the play of both sides. Some of those analyses are interesting, but in the end, the only stat that matters to the outcome is points put up. Considering that: #1. The Denver offence and the Seattle defense both got a touchdown, and so by that metric they played to a draw. Any time a defense and an offence play to a score draw, it is a clear victory for the defense. #2. Seattle’s offence scored 27 points. Denver’s defense scored none. That’s a convincing victory for the offence. (The only marginal success for Denver’s defense was holding Seattle’s offence to those two field goals early in the game.) No controversial calls or noncalls tainted any of the scores. So the outcome is noncontroversial. I find it satisfying that not only did the team I wanted to win win, but also that the two fundamental questions going into the game were so clearly and completely answered. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/470 "2014-02-06T06:00:42Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > #1. The Denver offence and the Seattle defense both got a touchdown, and so by that metric they played to a draw. Any time a defense and an offence play to a score draw, it is a clear victory for the defense. Not quite a draw, Denver’s offense scored 8 pts, one more point than the defensive TD yielded. OTOH, the Denver TD & conversion occurred in Garbage Time, when Seattle’s D was kind of coasting toward the Lombardi. > [@](#): > > #2. Seattle’s offence scored 27 points. Denver’s defense scored none. That’s a convincing victory for the offence. (The only marginal success for Denver’s defense was holding Seattle’s offence to those two field goals early in the game.) Consider, though, that at that point in the game, the Broncos did not yet realize that they were the Spring Valley Polytechnic Broncos up against the Auburn University Seahawks. They still thought there was something to play for (though, early on, they coughed up a pass play that was 15 yards longer than Denver’s longest successfully pass play). As the game slipped further and further out of the team’s reach, the defense started to phone it in a bit, glancing over their shoulders at the tunnel. If the L of B had not had such a good time sodomizing the best QB of ever, they might have been able to put up a decent fight. Although, it was only on Seattle’s last TD that Baldwin had to dive across the line, even on Lynch’s initial score, he went in standing up, as did Smith, Harvin and Kearse (man, that pinball run-after-catch was a beautiful thing). So, really, Denver’s D was not as bad as they looked, they just were consumed by Seattle’s D and the way they molested the record scoring offense. Denver’s offense set two SB records, and they looked incompetent doing it (hell, if you _have_ to complete 34 passes, that highlights what a bad night you must be having). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/471 "2014-02-06T06:15:21Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Not quite a draw, Denver’s offense scored 8 pts, one more point than the defensive TD yielded. OTOH, the Denver TD & conversion occurred in Garbage Time, when Seattle’s D was kind of coasting toward the Lombardi. Then the Seattle defense scored 9 points, the interception returned for a touchdown, the one-point conversion, and the safety on the first play. > [@](#): > > …and Kearse (man, that pinball run-after-catch was a beautiful thing). Watch it again and notice that the defense spins him around twice, once clockwise, once counter-clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/472 "2014-02-06T06:51:37Z")
Super Bowl XLVII? Revisionist history? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/473 "2014-02-06T06:52:42Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Then the Seattle defense scored 9 points, the interception returned for a touchdown, the one-point conversion, and the safety on the first play. The Seattle defense didn’t score the conversion. Bet me. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/474 "2014-02-06T07:01:21Z")
[A selection of funny tweets from the game.](https://twitter.com/A_W_Gordon/timelines/430100518879236096) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/475 "2014-02-06T07:03:32Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Watch it again and notice that the defense spins him around twice, once clockwise, once counter-clockwise. Yes, I think I have seen it a dozen times. The double reverse spins is why I call it the “pinball” catch-and-run. 4 Broncos (not to thrash a collapsed equine) tried to tackle him in pairs and he went in standing up. > [@Mince](#): > > Super Bowl XLVII? > > Revisionist history? No, the correct number was Super Bowl CDXX – the _hits_ were far out, man. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/476 "2014-02-06T14:14:47Z")
> [@For You](#): > > So, really, Denver’s D was not as bad as they looked, they just were consumed by Seattle’s D and the way they molested the record scoring offense. Denver’s offense set two SB records, and they looked incompetent doing it (hell, if you _have_ to complete 34 passes, that highlights what a bad night you must be having). I don’t think Denver’s offence played so horribly. The first quarter, yes, they were stymied. But thereafter and for the rest of the game they settled in and tried to get things going, with inconsistent, and, as far as point-scoring is concerned, essentially inconsequential success. They did have a number of variably sustained drives, and at times exhibited flashes of what everyone expected them to be -the passing machine picking apart the defense with short and midrange passes. The problems they had were: (1) inability to sustain to the end zone, as on a number of their possessions, despite moving the ball, they stalled out and turned the ball over by failing to make fourth down conversions, also punting once; and (2) mistakes - loosing the ball on fumbles and interceptions. Every team, even great ones, will make mistakes here and there. The Broncos offence (and despite the outcome of the game I still think it is/was a great one) made more mistakes than they usually do, and the Seahawks did a masterful job of creating and capitalizing on them. I think the outcome of the Seahawk D Vs Bronco O was determined much more by the D playing an absolutely great game and making no big mistakes, than it was by the O being incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/477 "2014-02-06T14:25:54Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > … and the safety on the first play. Well, the Seattle D gets credit for this in the same sort of way that an “own goal” in hockey is credited to the other team’s player that happened to be nearest. That safety was strictly a product of Denver’s actions. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/478 "2014-02-06T15:27:07Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Well, the Seattle D gets credit for this in the same sort of way that an “own goal” in hockey is credited to the other team’s player that happened to be nearest. That safety was strictly a product of Denver’s actions. I credit that safety to the crowd noise. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/479 "2014-02-06T16:13:27Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I credit that safety to the crowd noise. The 12[sup]th[/sup] Man plays on defense. That credits it as a defensive score. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248/480 "2014-02-06T16:51:54Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > The two big questions going into this game were: > > 1. How would Denver’s #1 offence and Seattle’s #1 defense stack up against one another? > 2. How would Seattle’s somewhat mediocre offence, which had been on somewhat of a downturn, and Denver’s somewhat mediocre defense, which had been on somewhat of an upturn, stack up against one another? > > As a Seahawks fan, I was more worried about #2 than #1. > > The game gave clear, convincing and noncontroversial answers to both questions. > > There are many ways people may analyze the play of both sides. Some of those analyses are interesting, but in the end, the only stat that matters to the outcome is points put up. Considering that: > > #1. The Denver offence and the Seattle defense both got a touchdown, and so by that metric they played to a draw. Any time a defense and an offence play to a score draw, it is a clear victory for the defense. > > #2. Seattle’s offence scored 27 points. Denver’s defense scored none. That’s a convincing victory for the offence. (The only marginal success for Denver’s defense was holding Seattle’s offence to those two field goals early in the game.) > > No controversial calls or noncalls tainted any of the scores. So the outcome is noncontroversial. > > I find it satisfying that not only did the team I wanted to win win, but also that the two fundamental questions going into the game were so clearly and completely answered. No controversy at all except that I have heard grousing (from Denver fans) that the refs didn’t seem to want to call PI on the Hawks. Just amazing: Until the final play of the third quarter, the Broncos had not scored, but had given up a safety, two field goals, a running touchdown, a passing touchdown, an interception touchdown and a kickoff return touchdown. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlvii-seahawks-vs-broncos/679248.md?page=25)