By Annie Moore

 

At first glance, Super Bowl XLVIII looks to be a clash between the powerhouse offense of the Denver Broncos and the league-leading defense of the Seattle Seahawks. But the league championship games provide a better look at the threats presented by both teams, on both sides of the ball.

 

Super Bowl XLVIII will be just the fifth Super Bowl since the AFC-NFC merger to pit the leading scoring offense in the league , against the leading scoring defense.

 

Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense have put up big numbers in almost every game this season. Manning eclipsed league records for touchdowns and passing yards in a single season — 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards to date. And why not? With a slew of targets from Wes Welker to Demaryius and Julius Thomas and Eric Decker, to name a few.

 

On the opposite side of the contest, the Seahawks defense has been shutting down some of the most elite offenses in the country.  In 16 games, Seattle allowed a combined 231 points, which led the league. Carolina was close behind with 241, San Francisco was next with 272, and the rest of the league was at least 70 more points behind.

 

This game is being highly touted as the best Super Bowl matchup in many years, these teams dominance has been talked about for weeks. What may be the biggest unknown and the x-factor in Super Bowl XLVIII, the weather.

 

The Meadowlands are anything if idyllic in early February and some would argue that planning a Super Bowl there is a recipe for disaster. Contingency plans have already been made in case of extreme winter weather or dangerous storm systems on the East Coast.

 

But, no matter what day the game is played on, what the weather conditions are, and wherever Roger Goodell decides to sit, Super Bowl XLVIII looks to be a great game, a truly Super, Super Bowl.