A "Defense"-able Win

For disclosure purposes, I am a New York Jets fan, so when I sat down to watch this game, I was looking forward to a close scoring, well-played game. As a football fan, I did not get that.

I gave up after the Seattle Seahawks went up 29-0 in the opening moments of the second half. I just couldn't find enjoyment in a game where the best quarterback in the league spent over 20 minutes on the bench in the entire first half.

Russell Wilson, the second year quarterback, was giving the Sheriff a lesson in ball control. The Seattle defense proved that they really are the number one defense in the game this year. That combination proved to be a domination of the best offensive team this year.

I was interested in this game, not only for the last game of the season, the great matchup of best offense vs. best defense. Instead, it was a game of the best offense and the best defense against a team which had no business being there.

All the hype of the last two weeks, Manning this, Manning that, proved to be a distraction to Manning and the Broncos. The Richard Sherman tirade of two weeks ago was just a distant memory to Seattle. Only the media reported on it like it was still a big deal. The Seahawks however, ignored it.

I will admit that I checked in a couple of times during the third quarter, the last time to see a fumble recovery by Seattle with less than six minutes to go in the quarter with the Broncos driving.

Even if Denver ultimately does score, it will be anti-climatic. This game was all Seattle from the first play of the game, when Denver committed the cardinal sin known as a safety.

When I finally turned it off for the night, a fumble recovery by the Seahawks resulted in yet another touchdown making the score 36-0 with under 18 minutes to go in the game.

I swear I didn't see the rest of this game just because I could watch “A Few Good Men” on the Sundance Channel for the “fiftieth” time at least, even though I know how it ends. It was more entertaining than this game was.

Wilson played like he was the old veteran, with fifteen years' experience, while Peyton Manning had fear in his eyes like he was in a "big game" for the first time. It was just sad to watch.

You want to know the most exciting part of this game? It was Joe Namath, great New York Jet quarterback and Super Bowl III MVP, tossing the coin before Seattle called tails with the ref catching the coin in mid-air. Now, THAT was exciting, unpredictable!

By the way in case you care, the final score was 43-8 Seattle. The game was over before it started.

Congratulations to Old Friend, Pete Carroll, the Seahawks' Head Coach for a great season and a great win. The MVP, well, if it could be given to a collage it would be the Seattle defense. It could have been "the 12th man".  It could even have been Russell Wilson for taking advantage of every miscue by Denver. But it was given to Malcolm Smith, only the third linebacker to win that award, for leading the defense to a terrific win.

As the old adage goes, “A great Defense will always beat a great Offense.”