2012: Seahawks vs. Broncos

[CSKreager]

How differently do you think a SB between these teams might have gone had they met up a year prior at the Superdome?

Both teams had a lead in the final minute of the divisional playoffs before giving up late points, and it would not have been impossible to envision DEN beating NE at Mile High or Seattle being San Fran (as we saw the following season)?

Both teams had some different rosters- Seattle didn't have Bennett/Avril (and, as it turned out, no Percy Harvin yet), and Denver still had Elvis Dumervil.

Denver's defense in 2012 was a lot better than 2013 (#4 scoring defense vs. #23). Their offense was still good (#2 scoring offense) though not quite the record-setting 600 point team of a year earlier.

I think it's more of a close game than what happened the following year.

[7DnBrnc53]

The Broncos would have won. They would have had a healthy Willis McGahee back for the AFC Title Game (he had 731 yards rushing in about ten games before getting hurt) from the IR-DTR list. If Moreno would have been back for that game (he got hurt against Baltimore), those two could have helped make the offense more balanced than it would be a year later.

Also, Denver would have had these players (barring injury) in SB 47 that didn't play in SB 48 (due to injury, FA, or retirement): Ryan Clady, Derek Wolfe, Wesley Woodyard, Dan Koppen, Chris Kuper, Kevin Vickerson, Rahim Moore, Keith Brooking, and Elvis Dumervil.

[74_75_78_79_]

The Broncos would have won. They would have had a healthy Willis McGahee back for the AFC Title Game (he had 731 yards rushing in about ten games before getting hurt) from the IR-DTR list. If Moreno would have been back for that game (he got hurt against Baltimore), those two could have helped make the offense more balanced than it would be a year later.

Also, Denver would have had these players (barring injury) in SB 47 that didn't play in SB 48 (due to injury, FA, or retirement): Ryan Clady, Derek Wolfe, Wesley Woodyard, Dan Koppen, Chris Kuper, Kevin Vickerson, Rahim Moore, Keith Brooking, and Elvis Dumervil.

I agree that Denver wins as well. After that 2-3 start, they win-out going into the playoffs with a co-league's-best-record, AFC top-seed 13-3! In a 2012 regular season Power Rankings poll, they are #1. The three (quality) teams who beat them during that slow start - at Atl (the other 13-3), Texans and at NE (both finishing 12-4) - weren't as good as Denver by the time the playoffs began. It was simply a case of Broncos being underachievers vs Ravens in the divisional - a team they beat convincingly at Baltimore Week #15.

Seattle, on the other hand, were real good in that first true playoff year of their basic, what-would-be, core SB-squad. They played like a team that was well on their way. Win their first playoff game on the road (at Wash) then almost pull it off at top-seed Atl. The simple swagger rookie Russell Wilson showed after that loss made you know they were well on their way. And they were...but just not yet. I don't think they get past Candlestick the following week, but had Denver played SF in SBXLVII (averting upset vs Ravens, beating Pats this time at Mile High), I think they win it.

Broncos were the best team in 2012 but just couldn't close the deal in Peyton's first year at helm. '12...'13...'14...'15...four post-season Bronco squads but each one very different from the other. Year-by-year differences, perhaps, more drastic than, say, '82/'83/'84 Dolphins.