SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (15-3) vs. DENVER BRONCOS (15-3)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (15-3) vs. DENVER BRONCOS (15-3)
Sunday, 1:25 p.m., FOX, East Rutherford, N.J.
• OPENING LINE — Denver by 1
• RECORD VS. SPREAD — Seattle 12-5-1; Denver 12-6
• SERIES RECORD — Broncos lead 34-19
• MEETING — Broncos beat Seahawks 31-14, Sept. 19, 2010
• LAST GAME — Seahawks beat 49ers 23-17; Broncos beat Patriots 26-16
• SEAHAWKS OFFENSE — OVERALL (17), RUSH (4), PASS (26)
• SEAHAWKS DEFENSE — OVERALL (1), RUSH (7T), PASS (1)
• BRONCOS OFFENSE — OVERALL (1), RUSH (15), PASS (1)
• BRONCOS DEFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (7T), PASS (27)
• STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Super Bowl features matchup of NFL’s top-rated offense (Denver) and league’s No. 1 defense (Seattle) — sixth time that has happened. Team with top defense has won four of previous five, with only exception being Denver falling to San Francisco 55-10 in 1990. … Only once have teams ranked first in yards gained and allowed met in Super Bowl: 11 years ago when defense-minded Tampa Bay routed Oakland 48-21. … Teams were AFC West rivals until Seahawks moved to NFC West for 2002 season. … Seattle playing in second Super Bowl in team history, having lost to Pittsburgh in only other appearance in 2006 game. … Seahawks’ Pete Carroll in first Super Bowl as head coach. … QB Russell Wilson has 27 wins in first two seasons, including playoffs, which ties him with Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger for most in Super Bowl era. Could join Roethlisberger, New England’s Tom Brady and St. Louis’ Kurt Warner as only QBs to win Super Bowl within first two seasons. Wilson had 101.2 passer rating, only QB in NFL history with 100-plus rating in rookie and second seasons. … RB Marshawn Lynch, who created stir during week by cutting short media availabilities, rushed for 1,257 yards and 12 TDs this season, his third straight with at least 1,200 yards and 10 or more scores. Has run for six TDs and has four 100-yard rushing performances in six career playoff games. Needs 5 yards rushing to pass Shaun Alexander (564) for most in franchise postseason history. … WR Percy Harvin was knocked out of NFC divisional playoff game against New Orleans with concussion, but has been medically cleared. Has yet to play in full game while healthy in first season with Seahawks. … WR-PR Golden Tate led Seahawks with career-high 64 catches and 898 yards, while Doug Baldwin had 778 yards receiving in regular season and caught six passes for 106 yards in NFC championship game. … CB Richard Sherman highlighted Seahawks defense that led NFL in takeaways (39), INTs (28), points allowed (231), total defense (273.6 yards) and pass defense (172 yards). Sherman’s eight INTs led league, first Seahawks player to do so since Eugene Robinson in 1993. He tipped pass intended for Michael Crabtree that was intercepted by Malcolm Smith to seal NFC title game win over San Francisco. … K Steven Hauschka made 33 of 35 FGs in regular season and led NFC with franchise-record 143 points. Has converted all six FG attempts in playoffs. … Broncos playing in seventh Super Bowl, tied with New England for third-most in NFL history and just one behind Dallas and Pittsburgh. … Denver has won its last two Super Bowl appearances, both coming in consecutive years (1998 and ‘99) with John Elway, now team’s executive VP, at QB. … John Fox, who missed month during season to have open-heart surgery, is sixth head coach in NFL history to lead two franchises to Super Bowl. His Carolina Panthers lost 32-29 to New England Patriots in 2004. … QB Peyton Manning 1-1 in career Super Bowl appearances, both with Indianapolis. Set NFL’s single-season marks with 5,477 yards passing and 55 TD tosses. Needs 116 yards passing to surpass Brady (6,424) for most in NFL postseason history, and his 36 postseason TDs rank him fourth all-time. … RB Knowshon Moreno had 1,038 yards rushing, first time he reached 1,000-yard milestone, and had career-best 13 TDs, including 10 on ground. … WR Demaryius Thomas had seven catches for 134 yards and TD in AFC championship game. First Broncos player with two seasons of 1,400 yards receiving. … WR Wes Welker has 79 catches for 762 yards and five TDs in 11 career postseason games. … Julius Thomas set team record for TEs with 12 TD catches. … CB Champ Bailey playing in first Super Bowl in his 15 NFL seasons. … K Matt Prater over flu bug that caused him to miss three practices before team flew to New Jersey. Set NFL record with 64-yard FG in December, and is 30 of 31 on FG attempts, including 5 for 5 in playoffs.