Who will win the Super Bowl? Jay Ahuja predicts that it will be nail-biter.

Sports Editor Jay Ahuja

Richard Sherman, one of the most controversial players in the National Football League, famously tipped the last pass of the game into the air, where San Francisco 49’ers wide receiver Michel Crabtree just couldn’t get it, but Seahawks line backer Malcolm Smith could. That play represents how the Seahawks have been playing all season.

For the most part, their offense is on fire, but their defense could very well lead to their downfall.

Meanwhile, the Broncos have been winning with a different strategy.

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, often regarded as one of the greatest in NFL history, has had one of his best, if not the best season in his career. Manning broke an NFL record with 55 passing touchdowns this season and threw for a league-leading 5,477 yards.  Both were career highs, and with Manning’s record powered offense against the Sherman’s pass defense, this will be a fitting game to end a crazy NFL season.

Let’s take a look at some interesting matchups on both teams:

Cornerback Richard Sherman vs. Denver wide receivers: Sherman owns the right side of the field. According to ESPN.com, Sherman is on the field 98% of the time, and he is on the right side. This will pose as a threat for Manning since he already is completing a low number of passes on the right side. Fortunately for Denver, Manning completes 72% of his passes when he is throwing over the middle, and Seattle is 25^th in the league in pass defense when the ball is thrown towards the middle.

Manning vs. Seattle rush defense: The legendary quarterback has yet to be sacked this postseason, but that is likely to change come Super Bowl Sunday. Manning has a quick release, and the Seahawks’ opponents have held the ball for 2.77 seconds from snap to pass this season, which is the fourth longest in the NFL according to ESPN.com. The Seahawks have generated pressure on at least 21% of drop backs in every game this season, something that Manning has had happen only four times (2-2 in those games). Under pressure, it is obvious that Manning struggles. If Seattle can continue playing like they have been all season, Manning is in for a lot of trouble.

Seattle’s run game vs. Denver rush defense: After a little bit of a slump, Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch claims to have gone into “beast mode”. He powered his way to 109 yards and a 5.0 average per rush against San Francisco’s staunch defense in the NFC title game. The Broncos are missing star line backer Von Miller, and this could prove to be a setback if other Denver linebackers do not step up.

My Pick: I see Seattle keeping Super Bowl 48 close with aggressive defense and a solid running game, but I predict that Manning and the Denver Broncos will end up making some key offensive plays to win the game, 34-28.