Seahawks crush Broncos for their first Super Bowl title

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (NEWS1130) – The Seattle Seahawks dominated from start to finish as they destroyed the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIII. Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith was named the MVP of the game.

The Seahawks won the coin toss but elected to defer to the second half, which meant they would kick off to the Broncos to begin the game. On the first play of scrimmage in the game, Peyton Manning was surprised by an early snap and the ball went over his head and into the endzone. Denver got back on the ball but conceded a safety to put the Seahawks up 2-0.

Seattle never looked back after taking the early lead. Steven Hauschka booted a pair of field goals in the first quarter to put the Seahawks up 8-0 before they broke it open in the second.

After Manning threw the first of his two interceptions in the game, the Seahawks scored their first touchdown of the night early in the second quarter. Marshawn Lynch powered his way into the endzone on second and goal from the one-yard line.

Denver didn’t register a first down until the 4:32 mark in the second quarter.

Smith put Seattle up 22-0 before the break, as he picked off Manning and returned it 69 yards to the endzone for the touchdown. Manning was hit as he threw and the ball was falling well short of his intended target.

If there was any question about whether Denver would be able to turn things around in the second half, Percy Harvin ended them quickly. Harvin took the opening kickoff of the second half off a bounce and exploded for an 87-yard touchdown on the return.

Russell Wilson threw the first of his two touchdown passes in the late stages of the third quarter as he hit Jermaine Kearse for a 23-yard score, and a 36-0 lead.

Denver finally got on the board on the final play of the third quarter. Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown, and then Manning hit Wes Welker to convert the two-point attempt.

The 36 straight points for Seattle were the most to ever begin a Super Bowl.

Wilson connected with Doug Baldwin for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring. He completed 18-of-25 pass attempts for 206 yards, and became just the fourth sophomore quarterback to win a Super Bowl title. He joins Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner on that list.

Seattle’s 35-point win is the third largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.

A pair of Broncos set Super Bowl records in the loss. Thomas caught a record 13 passes, while Manning completed a record 34 passes.

Denver was the first team to be shut out in the first half since the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll joins some exclusive company with the victory. He becomes just the third coach to win an NCAA title and a Super Bowl title. Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson are the only other two coaches to do so.

The Seahawks are now 1-1 in Super Bowls. The win gave Seattle its first major title since the SuperSonics won the NBA crown in 1979.