Broncos win Super Bowl, I think

Peyton Manning became the first quarterback to lead two different franchises to Super Bowl victories Sunday, with the Broncos defeating the Seahawks 31-28 in overtime in Super Bowl XLVIII (that’s 48).
How do I know this three days before the game is played? Madden told me. Or should I say, I got sucked into watching the Madden NFL Super Bowl prediction video in which Manning earns MVP honors on the strength of his 322-yard, three touchdown performance.

Statistically speaking, there is an 80 percent chance this dream could come true. The company correctly has forecast eight of the past 10 Lombardi Trophy winners, and last year accurately called Baltimore’s large lead and San Francisco’s furious comeback with the Ravens hanging on for the win.
The Madden Super Bowl prediction is created by simulating the Super Bowl matchup with updated rosters on Xbox One.

I confess. I grew so tired of the two weeks of empty hype preceding the Super Bowl, I broke down and watched the Madden video, wondering just how the NFL’s No. 1 offense for Denver will stand up to the league’s No. 1 defense of Seattle.

So here’s a recap of the game before the game, according to Madden.

The defenses of both the Broncos and Seahawks asserted themselves early, as the offenses struggled to score points. Richard Sherman further bolstered his case as the best cornerback in the game, returning an interception for a touchdown just before the half and sending the Seahawks to the locker room with the momentum and a 10-7 lead.

The Denver offense shook off the cold New Jersey air and got hot in the second half, with Peyton Manning attacking Richard Sherman and connecting with Demaryius Thomas for a 17-yard TD in the 3rd quarter.

Later in the quarter Knowshon Moreno added a goal line run to give Denver a 21-10 lead. Even though Steven Hauschka managed a field goal as the period ended, the pendulum had clearly swung in the Broncos’ direction.

Manning added a 24-yard touchdown to Wes Welker early in the fourth quarter, and Denver appeared ready to roll to their first Super Bowl victory since 1998.

But Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Golden Tate and a last-second 27-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch pulled the Seahawks to within two points, and the successful conversion knotted things up to send the contest to overtime.

Denver’s defense, shell-shocked from its fourth quarter collapse and Lynch’s Beast Mode run, steeled their resolve and stopped the Seahawks on the first overtime possession, forcing a punt. The Broncos managed to advance the ball to the Seahawks’ 30-yard line, but their drive stalled there and John Fox called in the kicking unit. Matt Prater, the record-holder for the longest ever field goal in an NFL game, stepped in for his first attempt of the game and drilled a 48-yarder to seal the victory and send Broncos fans around the world out of their seats with elation.

Seahawks fans are saying the video is a bunch of hooey, but I imagine some Broncos fans are already celebrating pressing their faces to those orange clingy thingys 9News has been passing out.

Doug Storum can be reached at 303-630-1959 or email dstorum@bcbr.com .

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