SB 48: Seahawks cruise to crown in Big Apple
Super Bowl 48
Feb. 2, 2014
At East Rutherford, N.J._82,52
Seattle 8.14.14.7_43
Denver 0..0..8.0_.8
The Super Bowl finally made the Big Apple.
The Seahawks won their first Super Bowl title in overpowering fashion, punishing Peyton Manning and the Broncos at the New Jersey Meadowlands.
A mere 12 seconds into the game, Seattle led 2-0 with the quickest score in Super Bowl history. On that first play for the Broncos, Manning stepped up toward the line just as center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball. It flew past Manning into the end zone, where Denver's Knowshon Moreno dived on it for a safety.
Steven Hauschka added two field goals to make it 8-0 after one quarter.
Manning's third-down pass to Julius Thomas sailed way too high and was intercepted by safety Kam Chancellor, giving the Seahawks the ball at the Denver 37. Marshawn Lynch scored seven plays later to make it 15-0.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith, the game's MVP, put an end to the Broncos' longest drive of the day (15 plays in 8:29) with a 69-yard interception return for a TD.
Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for another Seattle TD. The Seahawks led 36-0 before Denver scored on the last play of the third quarter.
As for playing outdoors in the Northeast in February, the weather couldn't have been better. Temperatures were in the 50s on the warmest day thus far in 2014.
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Online:
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL