If Super Bowl week is all about absurdity, it gets no more absurd than this: SB Nation’s Breaking Madden creates a Super Bowl of giants vs. tiny people. Even if you don’t read it all, scroll through for the GIFs, which made me laugh until I cried.
With just under two minutes left in the first quarter, I was winning 366 to zero. I realized that I was on pace to score 1,500 points in a single game. I had never conceived of such a high score. I’d never even heard anyone talk idly about such a thing. There was absolutely nothing the Broncos could do to slow down my pace. I could score just as surely as someone can point and click. It was great. I wanted to ruin Madden in a way I never had before, and I was doing it.
The Machine Is Bleeding To Death
I suppose I should offer a prediction for the real game. A month ago I said Seattle 23, Denver 15. That was with the belief that the weather would be bad. At last check, it appears that it will be chilly, rainy, and breezy, but nothing apocalyptic.
Peyton Manning solves defenses. Going into the Colts-Saints Super Bowl four years ago, I thought Peyton would destroy the Saints defense. The Colts offense might have been as good as it had ever been during the AFC Playoffs. They had multiple receivers who were making plays. An offensive line that gave Peyton all the time he needed. And just enough production from the running backs to keep the defense honest. With two weeks to get ready for the punishing Saints D? It was going to be a blowout.
And then it wasn’t.
Seattle has a fantastic defense. Big, physical guys in the secondary who can match up with the Broncos’ big, physical receivers. The front seven of their defense may not be as flashy as the d-backs, but they’re still one of the league’s elite teams.
Pete Carroll is going to come up with some stuff to make the game fun and interesting.
Marshawn Lynch is built for a game like this.
But Peyton is back in his special place again. He’s broken the NFL, treating the best defenses in the game like they were a video game he had the cheat codes for. He’s firmly established himself as the greatest QB in NFL history. I think he catches Eli this Sunday.