Just how common IS “Super Bowl experience,” and what kind of precedent shows that it matters? I mean, it makes perfect sense instinctively, but what exactly goes into it?
Fear or I should say lack of fear goes into any experience, especially getting your team ready for the biggest show on earth.
Well, I have been hearing for years that it makes a difference, but then again, the rather green Dallas team beat the Buffalo team that was returning for their third consecutive appearance. I think the premise has to do with confidence and having the right attitude. We shall see how the team from the toughest division in the conference stands up against a pretty good team that had a pretty soft schedule.
I doubt so-called “Super Bowl experience” matters much. Maybe in the first couple minutes, but once the players get their jitters out, it’s just another (big) game. The talking heads talk it up because they need something to talk about.
The keys for Seattle:
Defense - Put pressure on Manning. Don’t let him pick and choose his targets.
Offence - Get Russell Wilson back into the running game.
Yeah, right, after seeing a great Man like Ray Lewis hoist the trophy last year it would be a crying shame for someone like Sherman to win it this year!
Wilson rushed for 539 yards this year. The most Elway ever rushed for was 304, and he averaged about 200 per year for his career.
On several occasions I saw Wilson run designed keepers and bootlegs.
And 489 yards in his rookie year (2012) with almost the same number of attempts, for a cumulative average of 5+ yards/run. His ability to scramble and salvage otherwise broken plays is impressive.
Considering he isn’t asked to do much passing at all (he’s 22nd in attempts despite starting all 16 games, and 44th in attempts per game), he’s relatively efficient and doesn’t turn the ball over too much. Which is precisely what his team needs from him.
I was waiting for someone to point this out. Denver’s defense harassed the shit out of Tom Brady last Sunday. And I’m not sure who said it about Denver’s offensive line, but it is a pretty good unit and they regularly keep Manning clean. So I don’t know where that assertion is coming from.
The Seahawks are the 1st SB team since the '90 Bills with no players with prior SB experience.
And they lost the game by a foot.
There are quite a few parallels between the two teams of SB-XXV and the teams this year. Here’s hoping the results are the same.
Huh? You mean that one of the teams wins a close game?
No, the strong defensive team wins, not the one with the #1, high-powered, no huddle offense. 
I’m going to say Denver 31, Seattle 17. Peyton wants that second ring and he has plenty of experience with strong defenses.
I like that my loyalties are unambiguous-- Who wants a game where you don’t care about either team? But thanks to having a lot of grad school classmates from Washington, Seattle is on my “root for” list, and thanks to being from Cleveland, the Broncos are on my “root against” list.
Of course, that means that it’ll be that much more annoying if Denver wins, but that’s the chance you take.
According to Airman Doors in the early pick thread, the weather two Sundays from now has been reported as “30s in the afternoon, 20s at night, with a 60 percent chance of wintry mix during the day and an 80% chance of the same during the game.”
Who does this benefit? Or at least hurt less?
Extra aside: the next pundit or columnist who says anything about either “destiny” or “legacy” is gonna get a slap upside the head from me. 
(Because I’m so goddamn tired of both.)
The Seahawks do rather well in a sloppin’ mess, good teams only seem to beat them in pleasant weather or indoors. ISTR that it was snowy the day they stomped the crap out of the Giants there.
On the flip side, Denver tends to have slightly browner air than Seattle, so that should give them an edge playing in NJ. Foul weather vs. foul air, a hard call to make.
I’ll be in Vegas and I will be putting money on the game. Just haven’t decided which way yet. Perfect weather and I might pick Denver with the 3. If not perfect, then it’s gotta be Seattle.