Paige: Peyton Manning becomes best QB ever if he wins Super Bowl By Woody Paige The Denver Post January 26, 2014 With a victory in the Super Bowl, Peyton no longer is The Manning Who Would Be King.

Crown him.

Peyton's Peak will be a mile high.

Move over, Pike. Say it's so, Joe. Accept it, Dan, Brett & Bart, Tom & Terry, Slingin' Sammy and Automatic Otto and John Elway and Johnny Unitas.

If Manning and the Broncos win, No. 18, all things considered, will be the No. 1 quarterback in the history of the NFL.

The argument should end.

Five months ago, during training camp, I point-blank asked Manning to respond to the characterization that he could be the greatest regular-season quarterback of all time. Even though he chuckled, he knew the assertion wasn't a compliment. "Everyone can have an opinion," he said with a rare hint of defiance. "I have my own."

I then asked about his legacy. As he always does after winning a coin toss, Peyton deferred.

A few days later, Peyton began the most spectacular regular season a quarterback has produced.

The "regular season" scarlet imprint can be removed forever next Sunday with a victory in the Super Bowl.

It has been debated, discussed, declared, and determined, by most, that Manning couldn't be the king.

Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw own four Super Bowl title rings. Tom Brady had the advantage in Super Bowls and in games played against Manning, and he broke Peyton's touchdown record. Brett Favre had the most victories; Dan Marino had the arm; John Elway had the comebacks, the natural talent and the two Super Bowl titles; Johnny Unitas had the legend. Peyton's younger brother had two championships.

So, how could Peyton Manning be the best and above the rest?

In the NBA, Bill Russell finished with the most championships. Was he the greatest? No. Michael Jordan is the king ... because he is.

Wayne Gretzky was nicknamed "The Great One." Was he the greatest? Yes, we all know that Gretzky was the king ... because he is.

What about baseball? Barry Bonds has been dismissed from the discussion of greatest ever because of suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs. Hank Aaron hit more home runs, legitimately, than anybody else. Babe Ruth saved the game from ruin, made baseball the national pastime and won four World Series. Ted Williams was the game's pre-eminent hitter. Joe was DiMaggio. But, if you do the eye examination, although he didn't have the numbers or the titles, Willie Mays was the king ... because he is.

So, in football, Jim Brown was the paramount running back, and Jerry Rice was the premier wide receiver. But quarterback is the most important position in sports.

Here's what Manning has accomplished:

At age 37, after recovering from four neck surgeries (and a risky surgical procedure he doesn't talk about), and after coming to a new team and a new town, he has won 28 of 35 games ... and set every season passing record in the league's annals.

He will earn an unparalleled fifth NFL MVP award this week. He has been selected to more Pro Bowls (13) than any other quarterback. He has won the second-most games of any quarterback in league history. In 13 of 15 seasons he has been to the postseason, won division titles and finished with double-digit victories. He has the highest number of game-winning drives. He holds or shares 55 regular-season and postseason records. He is the smartest quarterback and the hardest-working man in football.

He is, alas, 1-1 in Super Bowls.

Because of Peyton, and for the first time since Father Flanagan opened Boys Town in 1917, Omaha is famous.

But, even more significant, Manning has dramatically changed and improved the NFL.

His visionary version of the no-huddle, high-octane, hurry-up-and-wait offense has forced and fostered altered philosophies of coaches, defenses and quarterbacks in professional, college and high school football. Watch how Brady points at a middle linebacker. See a college quarterback back away from the line and audible to another play. See a high school quarterback try to emulate Peyton. Laugh when the Chargers jump offside five times in a playoff game because of Manning's hard

count, and contemplate how defenses disguise and switch schemes. No other quarterback has influenced the game as much as Manning does.

He won't win the most postseason games and Super Bowls. He probably won't pass Favre in victories. He never had the strongest arm, or the most mobility.

But, you know what? Beat Seattle, and he will be King Peyton The First.

Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Willie Mays and Peyton Manning belong on sports' Mount Rushmore ... because they are the four kings.

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Kiszla: Broncos' Mike Adams has dream of walking home after Super Bowl By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post January 26, 2014 Win the Super Bowl, go to Disneyland. Or so the cliché goes. Broncos safety Mike Adams has a bigger dream, a dream so real it hurts.

Win the Super Bowl and Adams is going for a long walk, straight to the dead-end street where he was raised, a place folks warned he would never escape.

"If we win the Super Bowl, I'm going to keep my helmet and pads on and I'm walking home," Adams insists.

Home is Paterson, N.J.

"It can be almost like a cancer," said Adams, describing his hometown. "And I say that because the negativity in that place can be like a snowball rolling downhill."

Paterson is 12 miles up the Garden State Parkway from this year's Super Bowl and a world away. I asked Adams: Think motorists will notice a grown man in a Broncos helmet as he strolls down the highway?

"After I get to the IHOP on Route 3, I'll start hitchhiking," said Adams, laughing. "But they'd probably think I'm just some crazy person."

There are 101 sweet success stories at the Super Bowl. Maybe we can lend an ear to the story of Adams.

Adams is among the Jersey Boys returning home to wear orange at Super Bowl XLVIII. Defensive end Robert Ayers was born in Jersey City, not far from the team's championship-game headquarters. Oddsmakers have made it 4-to-1 that Knowshon Moreno will cry as "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played at Metlife Stadium, less than an hour from the field where he carried the rock for Middletown High School.

The city of Paterson, according to native son and New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz, is a place where too many friends got a casket instead of a high school diploma. Adams never knew his father. His mother died of ovarian cancer during Adams' rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers. So who gets the credit for Adams making it to the Super Bowl?

"Selfishly," Adams said, "it's hard to give someone else credit for what you've gone through and how you've shaped your life."

Adams made the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware. Ten seasons later, he endured a demotion from the starting lineup in Denver, only to be one of the next men up for the Broncos when Rahim Moore got hurt. Adams' interception turned a close game against Houston into a rout.

Winning the Super Bowl would be the happy ending to the movie of Adams' football life. In fact, he's already got a working title for the flick.

"I Earned My Spot," Adams said.

Kickin' it with Kiz: Super Bowl in New Jersey? That's cold, man By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post January 26, 2014 Commish Bad-ell. Hey, Kiz: When is the tenure of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell up? First, the idea of a cold-weather Super Bowl, then talk of making marijuana tacitly legal for players, not to mention all the dress-wearing aspects of the game he's creating? When are we going to get rid of Goodell before he destroys football?

Sonny, angrier than Richard Sherman

Kiz: Forget the Roman numerals. Denver vs. Seattle should be known as Super Bowl 420, a showdown between marijuana-friendly cities. With that in mind, we at Kickin' It Headquarters would like to ask one question to whoever awarded the championship game to New Jersey: What, were you high? The reasons for placing the Super Bowl in New Jersey after 9/11 were undoubtedly noble, but it's a stupid idea in practice. Go ahead, name the least-glamorous city to be host of the Super Bowl. I vote for Jacksonville, Fla. But Jacksonville is Paris compared to East Rutherford, N.J. From the no-tailgating edict at MetLife Stadium to asking ticket-buyers to sit out in the cold while they await kickoff, this game figures to be a case study of why pro football is far more enjoyable when experienced from your sofa rather than in person. And I humbly submit the inferior stadium experience is the No. 1 problem across the entire NFL.

Stay classy, Richard. Many are trying to paint Richard Sherman as a role model, citing how much the Seattle defensive back has accomplished off the field. They say he is a nice, thoughtful guy. Maybe so, but Sherman has no class. People generally don't like athletes with no class. Champ Bailey, Rod Smith and Peyton Manning are prominent Broncos who have consistently exhibited class.

Dave, Conifer

Kiz: I find Sherman to be harmless, rather than classless. But he's not particularly imaginative as he tries to carry the trash-talking torch from classic smack-talk artists such as Muhammad Ali and Shannon Sharpe. They were genuinely funny, delivering their tirades with a wink. Sherman was nothing more than loud with the sound bite heard 'round the world after Seattle beat San Francisco in the NFC championship game. Props to Sherman, however, for trending on Twitter. Here's wondering if an examination of P.T. Barnum was part of Sherman's education at Stanford. Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

Silence is golden, Belichick. It might be early, but the 2014 sore loser of the year goes to New England Patriots coach Bill "Bellyache" Belichick. His comments criticizing the hit Denver receiver Wes Welker made on cornerback Aqib Talib were ludicrous.

Bill, never wears a hoodie

Kiz: Belichick has seen a lot worse things in the NFL than Welker's decleating of Talib. But you might not like my take: Welker is not a dirty player. But the rules on rub routes are written to encourage dirty hits. No flag? I get it. But does the rule need to be changed? Absolutely.

Alliterative ace.You must not be feeling well, Kiz. You are not your usual self. You wrote a nice article about Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov instead of bloviating the usual Broncos baloney.

Tom, Boulder

Kiz: I'm not exactly sure what bloviate means, but think it might be what happens after I eat a fried baloney and sautéed onion sandwich, which is what my granny liked to prepare for lunch while I watched Saturday cartoons.

Good omen. And today's parting shot is from a Broncomaniac looking for signs this is Denver's year:

Kiz, I wanted you to know that as of Jan. 31, on the new Chinese calendar, 2014 is the year of the horse.

Klis: Seahawks' wooing of Peyton Manning an interesting footnote now By Mike Klis The Denver Post January 26, 2014

Seattle coach Pete Carroll sat on a private plane at Centennial Airport, hoping to get an impromptu audience with Peyton Manning.

Hope became disappointment. For a guy who calls more checks at the line of scrimmage than Omaha has steaks, Manning doesn't like audibles.

It was March 2012 when we learned Manning was not enamored with the idea of playing in Seattle. Or at least he wasn't ready for Carroll's hard-sell approach.

Manning had visited the Broncos on Friday, March 9. The Seahawks wanted Manning to come visit their headquarters in suburban Seattle too, but they couldn't get him on their schedule. So the next day, March 10, as Manning was hanging out at the homes of Brandon Stokley and Mike Shanahan, a Seahawks contingent that included Carroll and general manager John Schneider flew in a private jet to Centennial Airport, hoping to get a meeting with the free-agent quarterback.

Manning didn't show and that evening flew on to Arizona for a visit with the Cardinals.

Manning, it turned out, was more of a John Fox kind of guy.

It wasn't so much that Manning didn't like Carroll as he was uncomfortable with the rush tactic. By all accounts, when Manning visited the Broncos, he was still reeling from getting released — fired! — three days earlier by his longtime team, the Indianapolis Colts.

The Broncos were Manning's first visit in his uncertain foray into free agency. Manning was uneasy with the process. The Seahawks' desperate arrival near Broncos headquarters, while flattering, was a bit like the car salesman coming up to deliver his pitch when all you want to do is look around.

No, thank you. Just looking.

Three weeks later, Broncos football operations boss John Elway — a former car dealership owner who lured Manning in part because of his soft-sell approach — was sitting in a chair off a lobby at the luxurious Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., where the NFL was holding its annual owners meetings.

"Congratulations on your cube!" Carroll said, using the slang term for quarterback as he walked past Elway.

"Thanks," Elway said, before quickly turning back. "You too!"

Instead of Manning, Carroll and the Seahawks settled on another free-agent quarterback, Matt Flynn. A month later, Carroll and the Seahawks drafted a small-sized quarterback named Russell Wilson in the third round.

Sunday, the Seahawks and the Broncos will descend upon their hotels in Jersey City, N.J., to begin Super Bowl XLVIII proceedings. It will be Wilson against the quarterback who snubbed Carroll back on March 10, 2012.

"It's kind of interesting that we're playing at this point and we wound up with Russell and they wound up with Peyton," Carroll said during his news conference Friday in Seattle. "So it's pretty cool."

Carroll said he would have drafted Wilson even if he had signed Manning. That is believable because a round earlier in that same 2012 draft, the Broncos selected Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler.

All turned out well for Carroll.

I didn't think his rah-rah style would translate to the NFL. But it works with a young team that is led by a young quarterback.

Manning is too serious. He's the A-plus football student who is always studying. I can't see him mixing with an energetic coach who bounces off walls, fist pumping everyone who walks by.

Then again, Fox fist pumps all the little people. Who knows how it would have turned out had Manning decided to hear Carroll out nearly two years ago on the Seahawks' private plane?

Doesn't matter.

What matters is how it turns out next Sunday when Carroll's team takes on Manning's team in the Super Bowl.

Denver Broncos' defense looks much better after dent removal By Mike Klis The Denver Post January 26, 2014

One more time, the Broncos owe a big thanks to their old friend Mike McCoy. The San Diego Chargers coach came up with a doozy game plan against his former team six weeks ago. Not only did the Chargers win that Dec. 12 game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, they embarrassed Denver's defense by possessing the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

Immediately afterward, the Broncos' defensive players walked to the left side of their locker room and, as the media waited outside with pens and harsh assessments, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton called his unit together.

"I felt like it was the right time for it," Knighton said. "I said, 'If anything needs to be said, now's the time to let it on out.' "

The 27-20 loss to the Chargers in Game 14 was the turning point for the Denver defense. Through 14 games, the Broncos ranked 26th in the 32-team NFL with an average of 26.6 points allowed. In their four games since — two in the regular season against Houston and Oakland and playoff victories over San Diego and New England — the Broncos have allowed an average of only 15 points per game.

"We kind of made a pact after the San Diego loss — not taking anything away from San Diego, but we didn't have our best stuff," said Broncos coach John Fox. "Basically, everybody made a pact that we're going to be the best we can be these last five games. We've gone through four of them; we've got one remaining."

And it's the biggest one. The Broncos play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII next Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

What people might not understand is the Broncos are the only NFL team this season that had to continuously play two styles of defense within the same game. In the first half, when opponents tried to keep quarterback Peyton Manning off the field, they would run the ball. In the second half, when opponents frequently fell well behind, they would chuck it all over the field. When the Broncos gave up 48 points in a victory at Dallas this season? They were ahead 35-20 early in the third quarter before Tony Romo went wild. Denver escaped with a 51-48 victory.

Seattle's No. 1-ranked defense didn't have to go through this. The Seahawks didn't build big leads like Denver did. Their offense simply doesn't score like the Broncos. No other team in NFL history has.

"A lot of people don't understand how a defense has to learn how to play with a lead," said Brian Dawkins, a former star safety with Denver and Philadelphia who watched the Broncos' practice Friday and delivered the team's postpractice prayer. "The offense doesn't call the same plays when they're behind. They're more aggressive. So now you have to play the two- minute offense the whole second half."

They're still learning. While the Broncos have allowed only 60 points in their past four games, 44 were scored in the fourth quarter after Manning built commanding leads. In the playoff victories, Denver was able to shut down the Chargers and Patriots through three quarters.

"It's almost like a whole new game plan in the second half," Knighton said. "But it's something we're used to because (defensive coordinator Jack) Del Rio has been preparing us for that all season."

There have been defenses such as the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2006 Indianapolis Colts and 2007 and 2011 New York Giants that struggled in the regular season, only to get some key players back from injuries and become Super Bowl champions.

What's baffling about the Broncos' defensive transformation is their improvement despite steady attrition.

"We've never stopped losing guys," said cornerback Champ Bailey. "Every week it seems like someone goes down."

Don't underestimate Bailey's return, though. In fact, point to it. He came back from his foot injury for good after the Game 14 loss to San Diego, just as the defense's remarkable four-game run began.

It also has been a more disciplined group overall since that Dec. 12 loss. Von Miller is the Broncos' best pass rusher, but he has a tendency to freelance. His replacement, Nate Irving, has been solid.

Rookie defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, a first-round draft pick, hasn't tried to do too much while replacing the injured Kevin Vickerson.

"I think another thing they started doing was to tackle better," said Dawkins, now an NFL analyst for ESPN. "And not just individual tackling. It's swarming, running to the football. That erases a lot of mistakes. You especially saw this last week (against New England). And they'll have to do that next week because Marshawn is a beast."

Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks' star running back, is tough to tackle. The Broncos won't try to stop Lynch with one guy. They will try to tackle him with two or three. Then the pile will be hit with two or three more.

"It's a different attitude," Bailey said. "That's all tackling is. Everybody learns how to tackle when they were kids. It's not about technique. You minimize missed tackles, it takes a lot of mistakes away, a lot of big plays away."

The new attitude, the better tackling, the improved defense, it all happened thanks to the Broncos' loss in Denver to McCoy's Chargers in Game 14.

"After that game, guys really started dialing in," Bailey said. "Ever since then, our preparation and our focus has been there. That's the way it has to be this week."

Broncos' special-team unit must recharge for playing at sea level By Mike Klis The Denver Post January 26, 2014 Let's kick this off with a reminder the ball doesn't travel well at MetLife Stadium.

A rusty group of Broncos kickoff coverage players will have to tighten up their shoulder pads come Super Bowl Sunday.

"We haven't hit anybody in a couple weeks, so were all champing at the bit," said Broncos special-teamer Steven Johnson.

Back in mid-September, when the Broncos played Game 2 against the New York Giants, kicker Matt Prater had five of his eight kickoffs returned, his season-low touchback rate.

And that was when Prater was feeling well and the temperature was 70 degrees. The forecast for Super Bowl Sunday at MetLife calls for a high of 36 degrees with an 80 percent chance of a rain-snow mix.

Prater contracted a virus this week that caused him to miss his third consecutive practice Saturday. He's recovering and will travel with the team Sunday to New Jersey.

Prater led the NFL by a substantial margin this season with 81 touchbacks. And he was 12-of-12 in kickoff touchbacks during the Broncos' two home playoff wins.

Broncos special-teamers haven't covered a Prater kickoff since the regular-season final Dec. 29 at Oakland when Taiwan Jones fielded the ball 8 yards deep in the end zone and returned it 24 yards before he was blasted by Wesley Woodyard and fumbled.

It will be exactly five weeks between that Woodyard hit and Prater's first kickoff in the Super Bowl with Seattle's Percy Harvin or Doug Baldwin awaiting deep.

In the Broncos' preseason game at Seattle back in August, the Seahawks' Jermaine Kearse had a 107-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Holliday return. Then again, the Broncos have a chance to break a kickoff return too. Trindon Holliday had an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Giants the last time the Broncos played at MetLife.

"No one talks about it, but special teams are part of the game too," said Broncos coach John Fox. "Our Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, we had two touchdown returns, back to back."

Fox was the Giants' defensive coordinator in 2000 when Ron Dixon and Baltimore's Jermaine Lewis exchanged kickoff return scores.

Footnotes. First thing Monday, the Broncos will inspect the outdoor practice field at the Jets' facility in Florham Park, N.J. If it's determined the field is frozen, the team will probably practice at the Jets' indoor facility. ... Broncos players and coaches will bus out of the team's headquarters starting at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. They will fly out of DIA around 11 a.m. and land in Newark between 3:30 and 4 p.m. EST. ... Besides Prater, defensive tackle Sione Fua missed practice Saturday because of a calf injury.

Demaryius Thomas speaks on match-up with Richard Sherman By Mike Klis The Denver Post January 26, 2014

Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas has drawn the opponents’ top cornerback all season. He likely will again in the Super Bowl against Seattle’s Richard Sherman, who is considered among many, most notably himself, to be the league’s best cornerback.

“He’s a great player,” Thomas said Saturday. “I’d love to have that matchup to show what kind of player I am. I don’t know if he’ll match up, but like I said, he’s a great player.”

Broncos send Matt Prater home as virus protection By Mike Klis The Denver Post January 26, 2014

In the old days when a player like Broncos kicker Matt Prater came in sick, he’d lay down on the trainer’s table for a bit but attend the special teams meetings.

Now they send him home so his germs don’t spread. Prater was sent home for a third consecutive day Saturday. He’ll join the team for its trip Sunday to New Jersey.

“Yeah, we have hand washers, sanitation devices all over the building,” said Broncos coach John Fox. “We sent him home. He’s going to be fine for the game. Hopefully he feels much better tomorrow morning as we prepare to fly to New Jersey.”

International Broncos fans, Chapter 2: Global Reach By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post January 26, 2014

Jakarta, Indonesia. Kenya, Africa. Sao Paulo, Brazil. Beijing, China. Marseille, France. Brisbane, Australia. Warsaw, Poland.

There are Broncos fans scattered all over the globe and they are all figuring out how to watch next Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Seahawks.

Since I sent out my request to hear from international Broncos fans on Thursday, I’ve received more than 150 emails. There are a lot of cool stories out there. Unfortunately, I can’t share them all. I’ll continue to post this blog throughout Super Bowl week while I’m stationed in Times Square.

Here is Chapter 2:

PALAU

Alii (Greetings) Patrick! I bet you a bag of skittles I am the most unique Broncos fan out there!

My long strange, journey began when I moved from Denver in ’98 to San Francisco where ironically enough I ended up working as a production director for the Oakland Raiders’ radio broadcast (ugh).

From here I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start a television station in the tropical island paradise of Palau! Somehow I parlayed my background in sports-talk radio into Oceania Television’s sports news anchor and host of a yearly Superbowl special called the “Jock Block.” This year will be my sixth Superbowl special, but first cheering on my most beloved home team — my ultimate dream come true!!!!

In Palau we celebrate Superbowl Monday starting at about 8 in the morning, but my wife, Vee, along with my three boys, will have our hearts at home in Colorado with our family and friends as we watch Peyton and the boys bring home the Lombardi Trophy. GO BRONCOS!!!!

BTW-The average yearly temp. here is 80 degrees. Best place in the world to watch the SB ;)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

I live 8,762 miles from Mile High Stadium and have conducted a long-distance love affair with the Broncos from my home in Melbourne, Australia since 1986.

I traveled to the U.S. in 1983 for a family holiday and was captivated by football, but it was not until three seasons later that I settled on a favorite team. John Elway’s right arm was the clincher for me, and I became a mad Broncos fan.

In those days I could only follow game results by ringing a USA Today hotline (at around $5.00 a minute!) every Monday morning and hearing the scores read out. Australian TV showed a delayed replay of one game per week, so I got to watch the Broncos play about twice a season!

The Superbowl was always broadcast live so I experienced the heartbreak of three Broncos losses in 4 seasons, and always felt the pain of John’s 0-3 Superbowl record.

By 1997, we had much better TV coverage of games and I was able to watch live as we went from the gut-wrenching low of the Jacksonville loss to the ecstasy of Superbowl XXXII, John’s beautiful redemption. Game time here starts 3 a.m. Monday mornings so you have to be dedicated!

I made a dream come true in 1995 by flying to Denver to watch my team play for the first time in person. I dressed like an Australian for the occasion and nearly died from hypothermia in the snow on the top deck of Mile High!

By the time we’d walked up the hill to our hotel on Zuni Street, I was so cold I couldn’t hold the room key and open the door! To make it worse, the Chiefs dominated us that day and won 21-7. But I did get to see an Elway to Sharpe TD pass and I was just thrilled to be there in the place of my dreams.

I’ve now seen my team play five times and we’ve never lost since! I’ve seen wins in old Mile High, new Mile High, Arrowhead and Sydney. I’ve spent my savings traveling to watch the Broncos play and it’s been worth every cent! My first time in the new stadium was during the 2012 season when we pummeled the Saints. To me that was the day the Broncos really broke out and became the best team in the NFL that they are right now. And the greatest part of it? That day was my kids’ first Broncos game!

Choosing to become a Broncos fan was one of my life’s great decisions; they have given me so much pleasure, pain and excitement over the last 28 seasons. From crushing Superbowl losses to the ultimate joy, from the horror of blowing the AFC West title in 2008 to Tebow’s incredible, miracle winning streak of 2011 (DT’s OT TD against Pittsburgh is one of my favourite Broncos moments, despite knowing we had no chance of a title that season), from the pain of letting a Lombardi trophy slip last January against the Ravens to the indescribable tension of knowing that trophy number 3 and Peyton’s crowning as a two-time Superbowl champion may be only days away… Being a Broncos fan has been a special, amazing privilege. The staff of the Broncos and the people of Denver have been beautiful to me when I’ve made

the long, expensive journey there, and they made my kids feel like Broncos royalty last season at the stadium.

I played the game here in Melbourne for 5 seasons from 1990-94 and I will be watching the Superbowl from the home theatre of an old team-mate’s house with about 40 other guys that used to play here. We will have food, drink, decorations and even Superbowl merchandise! I’m even taking my kids out of school to hopefully watch the Broncos win it all! In my dreams I will be in New York but at least here I know I’ll be warm! Kindest regards to the entire Broncos Nation… Go Peyton, Go Champ, GO BRONCOS!!

– Clyde Sampson

KUWAIT

Thank you for thinking of us out there, overseas. I am from Kuwait; a small country in the Middle East. I started to watch the Broncos while I was pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Colorado at Denver (January 1998 – December 2002), which as you know just few blocks away from Mile High Stadium. My love for the Broncos started when John Elway & Co. won their first Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers just few weeks after my arrival to the US. That day is unforgettable!

Today, I am working on brainwashing my two boys (Hamed & Fahad) and girl (Farida) into loving the Broncos just like their dad and I think I am doing a good job. This morning, I told the boys “when you grow up and go to university, I will send you to California and visit you frequently”. Thinking that it will be a place that they would love — because they went to a lot of fun places there such as Disney and Universal Studios. However, instantly, determined and simultaneously, both replied “we want to go to Denver and the Broncos”.

After moving back to my home country, and with the huge time difference (10 hours) I have never missed a game, thanks to those cable TV channels and recently to the NFL Gamepass HD stream service. I can’t wait to watch the Seahawks and Broncos game and I hope this time Manning and his team can finish job.

Sincerely,

Mohammad Alshalfan Kuwait

BEIJING

My name is Max. I’ve been living in Beijing since last November teaching English. I grew up in Winter Park and hardly ever missed a game growing up. My dad has had season tickets for 30 years and began taking me and my brother to games in baby

backpacks. I live and breathe orange and blue and moving abroad was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make simply because I didn’t want to miss Broncos games.

I made the sacrifice, though, and it was almost unbearable last year when we lost to the Ravens. This year I bit my lip watching every game from my bed at 2-3-4 in the morning — wanting so bad to be there. When we made the AFC ship, I tried like hell to come back to watch the game, but before Chinese New Year it’s nearly impossible to get travel tickets. I’m often in my bed yelling at my computer (I stream the games online since I don’t have TV here), clapping my hands, punching mattress and my girlfriend gets angry because she’s trying to sleep before she has to get up for work.

I, on the other hand, specifically accepted a job where I could get Mondays off just so I could watch the Broncos games. I actually had to take a pay cut to do so. For the AFC game I went to one of the 24 hour bars with some friends at 3 a.m. I’d absolutely love to come home for the Super Bowl and watch with my family but I just don’t think I’ll be able to make it happen.

Last year I attended the official NFL sanctioned party here at a five-star hotel in downtown Beijing. For $50 we got endless Budweiser, the game on giant screens, breakfast buffet, open bar, halftime show by four NFL cheerleaders, and Reggie Bush was even there. We got to meet him and he even was nice enough to do a shot with us — all at about 9 a.m., mind you. SO, if I can’t be with my family for the Super Bowl, this will have to suffice again this year.

Go Broncos

SAN PAULO, BRAZIL

I’m a lifelong Broncos fan who’s also a U.S. Diplomat currently posted to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

My earliest memories of NFL football were both cruel and unusual (Superbowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV).

Growing up in D.C. I was forced to watch countless replays of DEN vs. WAS from 1987…secretly hoping that our defense would find a way to contain Doug Williams and Timmy Smith in that entirely forgettable second quarter (to no avail).

While posted to Amman, Jordan, I watched the Tim Tebow-led playoff loss vs. New England with a Colorado native. Last year, I suffered in silence as Jacoby Jones hauled in the “miracle” that ended our season. A loss is tough. A loss on minimal sleep is much tougher (Jordan is nine hours ahead of Denver).

With renewed optimism, I’ve been following our record-setting offense all year. Quietly optimistic, yet not confident enough to mention the “SB” until it became reality last weekend. I’ll catch the big game at O’Malley’s. It’s the one Irish Pub in a city of 11 million that routinely shows games.

My favorite Bronco is Champ Bailey because he quietly goes about his job with the full respect of teammates and opponents alike. Let’s hope he goes out the way he should on Feb 2 vs. Seattle.

All our best from Brazil, Go Broncos!

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

For those of us die-hard Broncos fans Down Under, you can call Super Bowl 48 “MMF” (Monday Morning Football) as the game will come on here about 10 A.M. Monday morning.

We will be playing hooky to watch and can help you with all of your betting needs since we will be watching it from the future so will know all outcomes before they happen in N.J.!

Our greatest challenge on Super Bowl Monday will be to find a U.S. television feed with all of the new commercials, getting our hands on some Coors Lite and keeping the koalas off the antenna (can you believe most folks here don’t have cable??).

Oh, and we must work to stay cool on Super Monday, too. We had a week of temps in the 105-115F range just a couple of weeks ago. Sorry to rub that in given the winter ya’ll are having.

We can’t wait so “hurry hurry” for game time!

Signed, Diana & Susan Broncos Fans exiled in Adelaide, South Australia

MARSEILLE, FRANCE

I’m an international Broncos fan. I live in Marseille (south of France). I must say I’m quite a recent football fan. I started to really get interested in this game when Peyton had his neck surgeries and when eventually he signed to Denver.

Of course I love Peyton and how he is smart, but more than that I really like how the entire organization seem to work well together from players to coaches, John Fox to John Elway. Players genuinely seem to appreciate themselves and seek the same goal: winning.

It’s great to see all these WR with around the same number of TDs, this is really a team play. I also like how Peyton and Adam Gase seem to emulate themselves create great game plays.

Moreover I must say nowadays with internet it’s quite easy to follow a foreign sport/team. I have a subscription to the NFL Network, so I can watch every games and for news about the team I read the online version of your newspaper. I even watch the Pressbox show whenever I find the time. Of course, my dream would be to come in Denver and see a game.

So that’s make two things I absolutely love about Colorado: the Broncos and South Park :)

Cheers, Sébastien

Broncos Q&A: Rookie quarterback Zac Dysert By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post January 26, 2014

It would take a major catastrophe for Broncos rookie Zac Dysert to play in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday.

You know it, and he knows it.

But that doesn't mean the 23-year-old quarterback from Miami (Ohio) hasn't enjoyed every moment of his ride to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Sure, he didn't take a snap during the regular season, and even his preseason playing time was sparse — 12-of-23 passing for 179 yards and one touchdown.

But he has sat next to Peyton Manning to watch game film and break down opponents. He has learned from the master. That's not a bad apprenticeship, especially for a guy whose hometown is Ada, Ohio, where the Wilson factory makes all of the NFL's footballs.

Q: You're wearing an Atlanta Braves baseball cap. Are you a big baseball fan, a big Braves fan?

A: Naw, I just like the hat. I'm a big hat guy and I feel kind of naked if I don't have a hat on. I've had this hat for years.

Q: What's the ride to the Super Bowl been like for you?

A: Obviously it's been awesome. I mean, to go your first year as a rookie? I don't think it's even sunk in yet. To make it to the Super Bowl is so hard. I mean, it's hard just to make an NFL team. I'm trying to enjoy the experience, but I know it's a business trip.

Q: What's it been like to get to know Manning and work beside someone that many consider to be the greatest quarterback of all time?

A: It's awesome, but it's something that's hard to put into words. He challenges you every day — he challenges everybody every day — and that's why we are so good this year. Everybody is accountable to themselves, and that makes everybody else accountable. I watch how Peyton practices, how he studies, how he handles himself off the field. I'm learning something from him every day.

Q: Do you get to see the fun side of Peyton?

A: Yeah. He puts in more work than anybody here, but at the same time, he knows how to have fun. He knows that you would drive yourself crazy if all you do is work, so he's found a great line between fun and business.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: I'm a big movie guy. I would go to the movies every night of the week if I could. I just love it. It's a great escape.

Q: What are the movies you have seen lately?

A: I saw "Devil's Due" the other day. It wasn't that great. I like scary movies, but it wasn't that great.

Q: What other movies have you seen recently?

A: I saw "Wolf of Wall Street." It was crazy, that's for sure, and it was way more than I expected. "Bad Grandpa" was probably my favorite, so far. I was in tears a couple of times because it was so funny.

Q. What's your experience been like since you've come to Denver?

A. It's been amazing. We have incredible weather and friendly people — more friendly than back in Ohio. It's sunny all of the time and I love to be outside. I went up to the mountains a couple of times, and went to the Garden of the Gods a couple of times. I just love being outside."

About Zac Dysert

2004-07: Was a star three-sport athlete at Ada (Ohio) High School (football, basketball and baseball) and received the Ohio Coaches Association's Art Teynor Award as Ohio's all-division football player of the year after his senior season. The quarterback finished his high school career with 11,174 yards passing, ranking second in state history, and 100 touchdown passes.

2008: Redshirted as a true freshman at Miami (Ohio) and was named the RedHawks' scout team offensive player of the year.

2009-12: Four-year starter at quarterback for Miami, producing a school-record 12,678 total yards (12,013 passing, 665 rushing). He broke Ben Roethlisberger's career record and finished second in Mid-American Conference history. He was the RedHawks' first three-time captain and passed for 73 touchdowns in his career. He threw for more than 300 yards in 19 games during his Miami career and tossed five or more touchdown passes in five games.

2013: Selected by the Broncos in the seventh round (234th overall) of the NFL draft. A game-day inactive for all 16 games as a rookie.

Denver Broncos host final home practice for Super Bowl XLVIII By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post January 26, 2014

The Broncos were a loose and energetic bunch Saturday morning as they held their final home practice at their Dove Valley headquarters before departing for Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey.

The Broncos are scheduled to fly out of DIA at about 11 a.m. Sunday and arrive at Newark International Airport late Sunday afternoon. They will resume practice on Monday at the New York Jets headquarters at Florham Park, N.J.

"We've been working hard and we just can't wait to get to New York, it's an exciting feeling," linebacker and team captain Wesley Woodyard said. "I think our coaches did a great job of putting in our game plan and taking advantage off all the time we've had here. They made sure we watched film, and it's key that everybody hones in on what they have to do."

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who could be covered by star Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, said he's ready for the challenge.

"He's a great player and I would love to have that match-up," Thomas said. "It would show what kind of player I am. But like I said, he's a great player."

Two Broncos — kicker Matt Prater and defensive tackle Sione Fua — were absent from practice Saturday. Prater is still suffering from a virus, but coach John Fox said he expects Prater to be better, and no longer contagious, when the Broncos fly to New Jersey. Fau has an injured calf and has been listed a doubtful for the Super Bowl.

"We sent (Prater) home, but he's going to be fine for the game," Fox said. "Hopefully he feels much better by tomorrow morning when we leave for New Jersey."

Fox said he's not worried about a "flu bug" sweeping through the team.

"It's happened all season and it happens all over the league," he said. "Guys do get sick; it's like any household in America. We are confident he'll be fine."

Super reunion awaiting ex-Badgers Montee Ball, Russell Wilson

By Irv Moss The Denver Post January 26, 2014 The way running back Montee Ball sees his rookie season in the NFL is that he's playing his best football just when the Broncos need him to.

The fact that he's had strong performances in relief of Knowshon Moreno in playoff victories over San Diego and New England allows him to think he's meeting expectations for a second-round draft pick.

"I think the Broncos drafted me with this time of the year in mind," Ball said. "It's the playoffs and I came into the picture at the right time."

The picture may not have been that clear early in the season. In the second game, Ball fumbled into the New York Giants' end zone, ending a scoring opportunity for the Broncos. That game was played in East Rutherford, N.J., at MetLife Stadium, where the Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will meet in Super Bowl XLVIII next Sunday.

The turnover caused Denver coach John Fox to go a little slower with Ball's playing time. In a three-game stretch against Dallas, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, he carried the ball a total of only four times.

"We didn't have any doubts about him," Fox said Friday after practice. "We drafted him pretty high. I think he has grown as a player and done a tremendous job."

But Ball, a former Wisconsin star, didn't look favorably on the lull after his fumble.

"I don't think the coaches lost confidence in me, but I lost a lot of confidence in myself," Ball said. "I'm a rookie and I didn't want to let my team down."

Moreno thinks his teammate has done just fine this season.

"He's helping to keep everyone healthy," Moreno said. "It takes more than one running back. He has stepped up to the plate and has been a great part of this offense."

Ball helped close out the Broncos' 26-16 victory over New England in the AFC championship game last weekend by converting a fourth-down play with a 5-yard run, enabling them to run out the clock. Now he's off to the Super Bowl as a rookie, a destination many players never get to see.

The NFL can be a small world. Ball and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson were Wisconsin teammates for one season. Wilson quit professional baseball to join the Badgers to finish his college football career.

"I got to know him pretty well," Ball said. "I wasn't surprised when he came back to football. I really think his heart is in football."

Ball is taking a veteran's viewpoint into the Super Bowl.

"We understand this is an opportunity that rarely happens for players," Ball said. "We're going to make the most of this one because it's the only one that's guaranteed."

Robin Fox, wife of Broncos' John Fox, embraces role as coach's coach By Thomas George The Denver Post January 26, 2014

The Texas flight from Dallas to Austin late in the summer of 1984 seemed routine to Robin Fox, then an American Airlines flight attendant. A quick trip. Prep the passengers. Prep the galley.

But this bushy-haired, striking fellow sitting near the galley kept chatting with her. He kept flirting.

"It was such a short trip, not a lot of time to talk or make a personal connection," Robin said. "But not for John Fox! He was an assistant football coach then at Iowa State. We just kept talking. Who started it? He did, of course."

Soon they were dating. Soon there was a marriage proposal from John over dinner. Soon there was a wedding on Feb. 23, 1985, in Robin's hometown of St. Louis.

"After our wedding, the next morning, we flew from St. Louis to Los Angeles, where the Express from the old United States Football League had their opening game of the season and where John had taken a job as a defensive coach," Robin said. "We land, rush to the L.A. Coliseum and he hands me one ticket. I ask him, 'How do I find you after the game?' He says, 'Just find the other coaches' wives and follow them.' I go up into the stands. I am sitting there for a while all alone. And just before the game starts, I am thinking: 'What did I just get myself into?' "

It is much clearer now.

The journey of a coach's wife, the role of becoming the coach's coach, is full of joy yet fraught with traps.

How do you handle the winning, the losing, the hirings and the firings — especially when your husband becomes an NFL head coach?

How do you help him reduce the excruciating stress and manage your own? How much do you share with him about the children when he is so absorbed and responsible for an entire team and franchise? How do you deal with so many people wanting a piece of him, good or bad, incessantly? How do you accept crisscrossing the country from job to job and birthday, anniversary and holiday celebrations — your family's entire life — always being managed around football?

What do you do with the anguish when you lose a Super Bowl, as John did as coach of the Carolina Panthers to the New England Patriots, 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII?

What do you do 10 years later, back at this giant game, with John coach of the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seattle Seahawks a week from Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.?

Nearly 30 football seasons, nearly 30 years as a coach's wife, as the coach's coach, have taught Robin Fox that she can make choices but that she cannot select consequences. In a season when John might have died from heart failure on Nov. 2 and then missed the next four NFL weeks recovering from surgery, Robin Fox clearly knows she has gotten herself into more than the cliché role of a good woman standing behind a good man.

"I feel like I am his protector," Robin said in her first discussion of John's surgery and their lives. "I am his Momma Bear on a lot of things. He is such a nice person, so open and kind. We have to have a lot of good cop, bad cop situations sometimes. How else could I handle this? I was in jeopardy of losing my best friend. My partner for life. Absolutely, this was life threatening. Anytime your chest is cracked open and your heart is operated on ... "

John, in a recent phone conversation, declared: "Robin saved my life."

Change of plansThe Broncos had rolled to a 7-1 record and were set to enjoy their bye week Oct. 28 through Nov. 4. That meant no game for them in Week 9 of the NFL season.

"I wanted to go fishing off the Florida coast," Fox said.

But Robin coaxed him toward another idea.

Both knew before the season that John needed heart surgery. John said he knew for some time that he had a genetic heart defect — "I was told from the German side of my family," he said — that needed addressing. He would do it after the 2013 NFL season, he decided.

But Robin insisted that the bye week was time to check on things. And that since they had spent 10 years in Charlotte during his Panthers time as head coach, since they still had a home there and familiar doctors there, that Charlotte was the place and the bye week was the time.

"He loves his bye week," Robin said. "He finds fishing relaxing and enjoyable. I convinced him this was more important. He agreed.

"The doctors had told us before the season that he might make it through the season without the surgery or he might not. We just needed to let the doctors know the first signs of any trouble. So we went to North Carolina during the bye week to see if John qualified for a less-invasive procedure. He did not."

On Oct. 31, they visited the Duke Medical Center and soon afterward visited with his cardiologist. Same report. The surgery could wait. Call if any trouble. Then it was on to Charlotte where on Saturday, Nov. 2, Fox was playing golf with friends near his Charlotte home when he could not breathe, felt faint and fell to the ground.

Robin said: "I was actually running errands with a girlfriend in our neighborhood. We pulled our car over because an ambulance came racing by; we had no idea, of course, where it was going. It was going for John. I got a call soon after that from one of his friends that said get over here and that John was in some trouble and on his way to the hospital. And I thought, 'Here we go ...' "

Robin knew. It was time for her husband to deal with his heart. He was stabilized at the hospital. He would have a nearly four-hour surgery two days later. An aortic valve to the heart would be opened to increase blood flow.

She remembers when he awoke from surgery.

"That is very difficult," Robin said. "A lot of people have seen family members right after such a surgery and it is difficult. But he had great care around him. Great support from close and afar. The doctors had given me a list. I kept checking things off that list.

"He came through."

Check.

"He woke up."

Check.

"The breathing tube was taken out."

Check.

"He is breathing OK on his own."

Check.

"It was a long list," she said. "There was a lot to check as we moved forward. But John has awesome will. His will ... "

Fox was released from the hospital on Friday, Nov. 8. Both returned to Denver on team owner Pat Bowlen's plane on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. John visited with his team on Thanksgiving. He returned to Broncos headquarters on Monday, Dec. 2. He coached his next game on Dec. 8 in Denver against the

Tennessee Titans. His team would unite and rise to a 15-3 record and to Super Bowl XLVIII.

"If I had my way, I would have been 60 miles off the coast of Florida fishing when this might have happened and nobody might have been able to get to me in time," John Fox said. "I've learned to listen to Robin."

The coach's coach.

Family valuesRobin Fox was born in St. Louis and moved to Collinsville, Ill., by the time she was in the first grade. It is a big basketball city, she said. She loved baseball, too, and worked as a tour guide for the St. Louis Cardinals at the old Busch Stadium while she was in college at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Her parents — Sharon and Joe Militello — used to tell her she could pick her choices but not her consequences. They taught her younger brother, Rick, that, too. Sharon was a stay-at-home mom, and Joe owned a commercial construction company.

"I went from Militello to Fox," Robin said. "I went short. That was smart. I grew up with very strong family values carrying me, and they still are. A lot of who I am comes from those values. And they are big when you become a coach's wife."

And handy for a mother of four children: Matthew, 26, who graduated in business from Elon (N.C.) University; Mark, 23, who is studying film at Elon and graduates this spring; Cody, who turns 22 in February and is studying pre-law at New York University; and Halle, 14, who is an eighth-grader in Denver.

"As a collection, they are very strong, independent children, and that is just how they had to be," Robin said. "They have had to have thick skin. Someone is always going to say something about their dad that they won't like. You have to be able to handle that.

"We don't read a lot of papers or watch a lot of sports things. I wanted John to be as normal a dad to them as possible. But some things are going to happen. It's unavoidable, especially in the teenage years. But I remind them: We are all in this fishbowl together. We need to have each others' backs. I tell them they can pick choices but they can't pick consequences."

Sometimes when Robin Fox needs a word of advice about being a coach's wife, she seeks out Judy Coughlin, the wife of New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Judy Coughlin has seen nearly 46 years of her husband coaching, of living the life of the coach's coach.

"Tom texted John immediately when he found out John was in the hospital," Judy Coughlin said. "Robin texted back: 'I have John's phone and he won't be using it.' In this business, you have to have a strong woman to handle the other things. And Robin is that. The husbands don't even realize what happens outside of football.

Robin is easy to know and easy to talk to. I can't say what Robin went through. I know it just had to be very stressful and frightening. Stress is the No. 1 thing for coaches, even though most of the time they try not to show it. They are under constant stress. I can't imagine. No coach's wife ever wants to have to."

Robin cherished the support.

"I cannot tell you how many texts I received from around the league from coaches' wives," Robin said. "We have special relationships. The fans here in Denver and the Bowlen family gave us tremendous support and we are so grateful. It never really crossed my mind to ask John to give up coaching. I just wanted to get him back healthy. I wanted him to go back to coaching as soon as he was able to. Football is our life. It's what we do. I could never ask him to give up something that he has such passion for. I've never thought about what I would be doing if I was not in this football life. I just do it. I have been doing it for so long."

So long that she knows how treacherous the road is to the Super Bowl, even without heart surgery during the trek. They "crack" your chest open, and who knows how it will end? You can't pick your consequences.

But Robin Fox appreciates hers.

"It's a hard thing to put into words," she said. "From heart surgery and possible death to the Super Bowl is all emotion and feeling. Sometimes it's overwhelming. To be where we are ... It takes a lot of hard work. And in this league, there are coaches, teams, people who put in the same amount of work and sacrifice. And sometimes it doesn't work out. I have been on that other side.

"Just today I was planning for this Super Bowl trip, who is going and who is not, the schedule, the timing of everything, and I was thinking, 'Wow! This is tough!' and then I remembered what it feels like to have this chance. I remembered John. And I realized it was all OK. That I'm ready. Because losing John? I wasn't ready for that."

Champ Bailey the new voice of Denver International Airport trains By Joe Nguyen The Denver Post January 26, 2014

Peyton Manning had been the voice of Denver airport trains over the holidays, but now another future Hall of Famer is taking his place.

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey is now the new voice on the trains at Denver International Airport.

“I like to invite all of our great fans across the nation to unite in orange as we prepare to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl,” Bailey says in the recording.

Listen to the full audio below, courtesy of DIA.

Broncos Insider: Super Bowl ticket prices falling, forecast shows freezing weather By Joe Nguyen The Denver Post January 26, 2014

Good Friday evening/Saturday morning, Broncos fans. And happy weekend. This is your Broncos Insider Newsletter from The Denver Post.

THE SEAHAWKS WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN PEYTON MANNING, writes The Post’s Troy Renck, reporting again from Renton, Wash. “So they parked a jet at a Denver-area airport, hoping to get an audience with Manning. ‘He called me,’ Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Friday before stifling a laugh. ‘And it pretty much went downhill from there.’” http://dpo.st/1mUSh1y

10-DAY FORECAST for East Rutherford, N.J., shows a high of 2 degrees, a low of -4 degrees, and a 60 percent chance of rain/snow showers, according to weather.com. “While hedging their bets because a lot can change, meteorologists say that the New York metropolitan area will probably endure freezing temperatures nearly every day through game day and that several storms may bring some snow, including during the game,” writes the New York Times’ Ken Belson. “All this is in keeping with the seasonal patterns that show the period between mid-January and mid-February is the coldest time of the year and the most prone to winter storms.” http://nyti.ms/1d1VQL1

THE INJURY REPORT: Knowshon Moreno was limited again in practice because of a rib injury suffered during the AFC championship. Mitch Unrein was also limited (knee). Matt Prater missed practice again on Friday with illness. Moreno is officially listed as questionable for the game, but expects to play.

THE BRONCOS’ SCHEDULE: The Broncos practice again on Saturday starting at 10:40 a.m. (first 20 minutes open for media viewing/photography) … 12 p.m. John Fox addresses the media … then players available for media off the field.

DENVER POST GAME PLAN: Press Box will broadcast LIVE from Radio Row from 7-9 a.m. MT Tuesday through Friday at denverpost.com/pressbox. And we debut a new show from 3-5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday: The Denver Post Super Bowl Live from New York! With Woody Paige and Friends, also on Radio Row, featuring Post columnist Woody Paige and a cast of sports writers and celebrities talking about the Big Game. And look for special sections in print all week with tons of stories and commentary from The Post sports team. Follow it all at denverpost.com/superbowl

“THAT’S A DANGEROUS MAN RIGHT THERE,” says Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, referring to Seattle wide receiver Percy Harvin. “He can change the game if

you allow him to. I remember playing him when he was in Minnesota, and he’s one of the most explosive guys coming off the ball.” http://dpo.st/1fdsgHb

“IN A GAME EXPECTED TO BE VERY CLOSE, the winner could be the team that best handles the hype, nerves and pitfalls of the most-scrutinized week in American sports,” writes Patrick Saunders. “‘Now, more than ever, with Twitter and all the social media, the players have to be in control,’ ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth says. ‘The players can’t afford to get caught up in all of the hype.’

“In the week preceding Super Bowl XXXII, when the Broncos shocked the heavily favored Green Bay Packers 31-24, coach Mike Shanahan had a perfect game plan in place. ‘Mike had a pool table, ping-pong, movies, video games, everything we wanted,’ Shannon Sharpe said. ‘There was no need to go out. We spent time with our teammates and that pulled us even closer. Besides, I was never the going-out type.’” http://dpo.st/1mUUf1U

WHAT VEGAS IS SAYING: The odds still have Denver as generally a 2.5-point favorite. Live updates: http://dpo.st/1cyWW3S

[TERRANCE] “KNIGHTON IS GOING TO BE A BIG PART … in stopping Marshawn Lynch and making things difficult on the Seahawks offense:” … “Knighton made four stops in the run game for one yard or less against an offensive line that had steamrolled two straight teams. Seattle center Max Unger had better work overtime studying Knighton’s moves. The Denver lineman just killed New England center Ryan Wendell … His sack of Tom Brady on 4th-and-3 late in the third quarter, with Denver up 20-3, was the clincher for Denver,” writes Sports Illustrated’s Peter King in MMQB.

WES WELKER REFUSED TO GET EMBROILED in the great rub-out controversy that has become part of the hype leading up to the Super Bowl, writes The Post’s Patrick Saunders. “On Friday, Welker repeatedly declined to stir the waters when asked questions about his controversial hit on New England cornerback Aqib Talib in last Sunday’s AFC championship game. The hit, though legal, rubbed Seattle Seahawks cornerback Walter Thurmond the wrong way.” http://dpo.st/1mULLYT

QUOTABLE: “You have to be physical, because these guys are going to get you at the line, they are going to get you at the top of routes and they will come down to hit you. So you have to make sure you bring it to them as well,” says Eric Decker. Patrick Saunders looks at how the Broncos will cope with the Seahawks’ physical defensive backs. http://dpo.st/1jt3sys

RICHARD SHERMAN WAS FINED $7,875 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting during the NFC championship game against the 49ers. http://dpo.st/1mUSh1y

HOW THEY PLAN ON WATCHING the Broncos abroad: Patrick Saunders called on Broncos fans outside the United States to share stories about how they became fans and more. One guy mentions he plans on watching the Super Bowl this year

on his boat in the Caribbean — in other words, way better than your living room: http://dpo.st/1mUNsFu

STILL WANT TO GO? You may be in luck, if you keep waiting. Writes ESPN’s Darren Rovell, “On Friday, nine days before the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks meet at MetLife Stadium, the cheapest ticket to buy for the Super Bowl was $1,779 on NFL Ticket Exchange, the league’s official resale site. That’s $409 cheaper than it was on the site with this many days left last year and $809 cheaper than the year before. Since the conference championship games ended, ticket prices have steadily plummeted. The get-in price on the NFL Ticket Exchange was $2,700 on Monday.

“So, how cheap could Super Bowl XLVIII tickets get? It likely will come down to the weather forecast heading into next weekend. Brokers say it’s possible, should the forecast get better, that the big money from New Yorkers that is currently sitting on the sideline will be taken out of wallets and put into the game.” http://es.pn/1mFzhkP

(MOST) FANS CRAVE SUPER BOWL BLIZZARD. Everyone — except those in Colorado and Washington — want to see a snowstorm hit Super Bowl XLVIII, according to a recent ESPN poll. http://dpo.st/1jM7Zd5 You can vote in our own version of the weather question here: http://dpo.st/1mUUf1U

THE HISTORY OF CARROLL AND FOX. Did you know: John Fox and Pete Carroll had assistant coaching stints at Iowa State? Field Gulls writer Kenneth Arthur compares the similarities in the coaching histories of the two Super Bowl-bound coaches in “The long, non-storied history between Pete Carroll and John Fox.” http://bit.ly/1ax8LKz

AN UNDRAFTED REFUGE: On the Seahawks’ roster, there are 21 players who were began their careers as undrafted free agents. “There are a lot of guys here who had to battle for every inch, at every step of the way, to even have an NFL career,” Seattle receiver Doug Baldwin told National Football Post’s Len Pasquarelli. http://bit.ly/1aUec0C

AN UNDERRATED RECEIVER: Speaking of Doug Baldwin, Seattle Times columnist Jerry Brewer explores the receiver’s ability as a playmaker for the Seahawks. “Baldwin has been so good, especially in the playoffs, that the Super Bowl limelight might alter his underrated/underappreciated label,” Brewer writes. http://bit.ly/1f09iBz

No Seahawks player is worse than probable for Super Bowl XLVIII, notes ProFootball Talk’s Mike Florio. “The injured, but based on the “probable” designation virtually certain to play, players are: receiver Doug Baldwin (hip), receiver Percy Harvin (concussion), running back Marshawn Lynch (knee), cornerback Byron Maxwell (neck), defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (ankle), and linebacker K.J. Wright (foot). http://bit.ly/1d1Vu74

EXTRA BITS: “What do two N.F.L. quarterbacks [Eli and Peyton] who happen to be brothers talk about when one of them is playing in the Super Bowl at the other’s home stadium? Home-field tactics? The wind? The turf? Where to park? Which shower head in the locker room has the hottest water? … They talk tickets. As in, how many can you get me?” Eli is Peyton’s concierge, writes the New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1fdxKSp

AND YOUR COLORADO SUPREME COURT spent $3,200 to drape four blue and orange “Go Broncos” banners on the stately columns on the front of the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the Supreme Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals. Just showing some spirit? Or opening up the possibilities of bias charges? The Post’s Jordan Steffen explains: http://dpo.st/1jLUWbn

Baseball's curve pushed Russell Wilson to NFL stardom By Troy E. Renck The Denver Post January 26, 2014

RENTON, WASH. — In his other athletic life, Russell Wilson was little more than a light-hitting second baseman. He platooned against left-handed starting pitchers, his combination of athleticism, dedication and wisdom unable to translate in the batter's box in Asheville, N.C. He told the Rockies when they drafted him of his desire to be a two-sport athlete, if not Bo Jackson, maybe a less-amplified Deion Sanders. He had never failed at anything in sports, so the idea of a part-timer on the diamond at North Carolina State reaching the big leagues didn't seem that preposterous.

Then life threw him a curveball. Plenty of them.

He was batting .228 for the Single-A Asheville Tourists on June 27, 2011 — 93 games into his minor-league career — when he quit baseball and enrolled at Wisconsin for a final season of college football. He had to repay the bulk of the $200,000 signing bonus the Rockies gave him as a fourth-round draft pick, but his urge to make it in football proved brilliant.

That decision, which led to Wilson's transformation into a household name as the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback entering the Super Bowl next Sunday against the Broncos, has been oft-explored but not dissected by those who knew him then.

It was on Wilson's mind as he kneeled down in the victory formation at the end of Seattle's stirring 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

"The thing I thought about during (those) last snaps was, 'Man, I could have been playing baseball right now,' " Wilson told reporters.

His time in the minor leagues, said former Asheville teammates, provided a window into his current success despite his trouble hitting the curve. The batting cages in North Carolina revealed not so much resilience as confidence and commitment. It was there that he showed characteristics of a Broncos quarterback. Not Peyton Manning but rather Tim Tebow.

Wilson, a second baseman with good range and an above-average arm, showed up hours early to get in cage work with former coach Lenny Sakata, who tried to help him become a better hitter.

"We got really close during the season. He was a big Christian and a humble leader," Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson said. "He rubbed some people the wrong way with his work ethic. Some people thought he wore himself out before games. But he was a player who studied the game and helped out other guys. He left (to go back to football) but did it the right way, and we all respect that."

"Tremendous work ethic"

It's doubtful Wilson would have reached the big leagues by now, no matter how hard he worked. Given his career arc, he likely would be at Double-A Tulsa or competing for a starting job in Triple-A Colorado Springs this spring.

There was something about Wilson during those days on the farm, however, that led teammates to gravitate toward him. Kyle Parker, a former star quarterback at Clemson and a power hitter pegged for Triple-A ball this year, is convinced Wilson would have eventually figured out how to hit. He just grinded too hard and was too talented not to unlock the secret.

"He was a great dude with tremendous work ethic. He was going to be successful, be it in football or baseball," Parker said.

Wilson is everything Manning is not. At least physically. He's 5-foot-11, 206 pounds. He relies on his feet (1,028 rushing yards in two seasons) as much as his arm (6,475 yards passing over the past two seasons with 52 touchdowns, three fewer than Manning threw during the 2013 regular season). The software is not the same, but the hardware is identical.

Wilson's greatest strength comes from what fans don't see. In the film room. At practice. At the training facility here. He arrives early. Really early.

"Man, around 6:15 a.m. It's hard to beat him here. It rubs off on guys. You don't want to be slacking when you know he's in here getting better," linebacker Malcolm Smith said.

Wilson's preparation shows in his decision-making on game day, teammates say. His strength isn't through "Omaha" audibles but understanding tendencies when plays break down. He had not played particularly well last Sunday, when he used a fourth-and-7 opportunity from the 35-yard line to punch the 49ers in the gut. He called a double-count, hoping the 49ers would fall for the ruse. San Francisco's Aldon Smith cooperated, jumping offside and stopping, negating the pass rush. Armed with a "free" play, Wilson fired the ball deep knowing his receivers, as they had practiced repeatedly, were running vertical routes to the end zone.

Jermaine Kearse made a leaping grab that held up as the winning score.

"Russell is fabulous in everything we have asked him to do. He's done a great job of managing all of the situations, and he's come up big just about every time,"

Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "We don't want to push him to the limit and ask to him to do too much and have that show up in his play. But I don't know if we could do that to him."

Wired for success

It can be hard work being a young star quarterback, with the demands for time, but Wilson is a young star because he's worked for it, rising from a third-round draft choice to grab the starting job as a rookie. It doesn't hurt that he fell into an ideal situation. Would he have enjoyed a meteoric rise in Buffalo or Cleveland? Wilson can turn around and hand the ball off to the league's most destructive running back, Marshawn Lynch, whose finely tuned cruelty to a defense's midsection opens up the field for a capable, underrated receiving corps.

"He has great guys around him," said receiver Doug Baldwin. "He has one of the best running backs. He has an offensive line that keeps him up, giving him an opportunity to make plays."

Wilson, though, still has to capitalize, and often does. The Patriots' Tom Brady overthrew a deep pass to a wide-open Julian Edelman late in the first quarter against the Broncos last week. Complete that pass and the complexion of the game changes.

Wilson's success has been a series of surprises because he doesn't allow for them. He attended last year's Super Bowl to get a "feel for it," he said. He has talked with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees about how to manage his time and, according to ESPN, even had the Seahawks' practice footballs slicked up to mimic those used for the Super Bowl.

There's no detail too small to overcome. Unless, of course, it's a curveball.

"But you know what? I think he would have made the right adjustments and become successful in baseball," Dickerson said. "He tries so hard to get better every day. It was noticeable, and it's evident with everything that he's done in his two years in Seattle."

Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck

Young guns

Russell Wilson, 25, is the sixth-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history and is looking to become the third-youngest to win the game. The others:

23 Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers was 23 years and 340 days old when he won Super Bowl XL.

24 The Patriots' Tom Brady was 24 years, 187 days old when he won Super Bowl XXXVI.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll in first super bowl too By Troy E. Renck The Denver Post January 26, 2014

RENTON WASH. — The Seahawks don't have a player with Super Bowl experience, and coach Pete Carroll can't offer any advice.

He's never even attended a Super Bowl.

"I said I wasn't going to go unless my team was in it," Carroll said last week. "It really couldn't have worked out any better."

Game plan in place. Carroll isn't taking any chances with his team's preparation.

While some head coaches install only portions of the game plan during the Super Bowl bye week, Carroll put it all in place. He did so by design.

"We treated it like a normal week," Carroll said. "We got everything done so that (this week) we are not dealing with the heavy learning stuff."

Wright stuff. K.J. Wright played in the NFC championship game, but he wasn't himself. He was Seattle's strongside linebacker against the 49ers and admittedly had some conditioning issues after his return from a Dec. 8 foot injury. He expects to return to his usual weakside linebacker position against the Broncos.

"I should be out there full go," Wright said.

Quinn staying put. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said he doesn't believe Seattle's playoff run hurt his chance to get the Browns' head coaching job. While coaches still in the playoffs can interview for other jobs, their focus is divided.

"No," Quinn said, when he was asked whether that led him to get passed over by the Browns, who ended up hiring Mike Pettine on Thursday. "I couldn't be more fired up to be part of this team and moving forward here."

Browns brass said Quinn was the runner-up for the job, which Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase declined to pursue.

Hochman: Broncos coach John Fox pushes all the right buttons By Benjamin Hochman The Denver Post January 26, 2014

John Fox, the godfather, even sounds like "The Godfather," resplendently raspy — though the only horse heads that this hoarse headman deals with are those of the Broncos.

When Fox talks, one has to listen that much more carefully, so as not to miss his wisdom, as if his voice were preordained to perk.

"When Coach Fox comes in the room," safety Mike Adams said, "everyone knows."

I get it. This is Peyton Manning's team. He's the best player playing the most popular sport's most important position. He's bigger than John Lennon. (Shoot, maybe even John Elway.)

But Peyton's presence keeps Foxy from getting the credit the coach deserves.

I heard a radio host say Manning is Fox's meal ticket, that Manning is making Fox look great. Is it possible Fox has something to do with Manning being great? It's not like just getting Peyton Manning or LeBron James means you'll automatically win a title every season. Fox, really, is Erik Spoelstra, the meticulous Miami Heat coach who created the culture and managed the egos en route to titles. And Fox's best coaching job might be that of coaching the coaches.

"I think, first of all, there's an environment you create," Fox said privately Friday. "My leadership style has always been a little bit more of — you're working with us, not for us. And that holds true whether you're dealing with an assistant coach, equipment manager, trainer, basically the building. Including players, who are probably the most important part of the building. It's how you motivate, how you deal with players, not so much as a dictator, but you're working with them."

Fox, 37-16 in three seasons in Denver (counting playoffs), has the keen ability to push the right buttons, push his players and put the right people in the right spots. He had the wherewithal to promote Adam Gase — part Harry Potter wizard, part Peyton Whisperer — to offensive coordinator. Fox knows defenses and trusted Jack Del Rio, whose own wizardry has somehow taken a defense with unproven backups and made it Orange Crush-y. Think about it — in the first three quarters of the past three games, Denver has allowed just three total points.

Yes, having Manning is going to win you games, even if the Broncos were coached by Michael J. Fox. But Manning doesn't automatically mean Super Bowl, and we've

been avalanched with this reality, after all of the stories about his playoff failures told earlier this month. It's similar with LeBron, who didn't win a ring until his second year under his coach, which Manning, of course, is trying to do with Fox.

"Coach Fox, it is his football philosophies that we are following as far as situational play and whatnot," Manning said. "He and I always have conversations about kind of how he feels a defense might play us. He takes me kind of into the defenses' minds of how they might try to stop this play or whatnot. He has great experience as being a defensive coordinator. Those have always been conversations that I have gotten something out of."

Over at the Pepsi Center, when the Nuggets advanced to the 2009 Western Conference finals, the joke was that George Karl's actual best coaching job was the previous season. That's when he somehow led a defense-optional, ego-driven team with Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony to 50 wins.

Fox is in the Super Bowl, but really, perhaps it's more impressive that he 1) went to a Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme at quarterback; and 2) made the playoffs and won a playoff game with Tim Tebow at quarterback, who made Jake Delhomme look like Peyton Manning. And now Fox is doing it with Manning and a makeshift defense.

Told that some people overlook Fox's importance, a defiant Adams said: "No, man. Do you think that? His presence alone and the way he carries himself, he's a player's coach. He's one of the best coaches I've had. He's the ultimate player's coach. He doesn't let you get away with things. He's fair, but he lets you know what is what, and he listens. There are not many coaches that will listen to players, and he listens."

And they clearly listen to him, carefully at that.

Old-school Bailey big fan of brash Sherman By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Champ Bailey is old school. Sharp, shrewd, subtle.

A decade younger, Richard Sherman is just as clever and calculating as his 35-year-old counterpart in Denver, devouring clues from endless hours on the football field and in the film room to dupe quarterbacks on game day.

What sets Seattle's superstar cornerback apart is that he's bigger and brasher than Bailey. He talks a big game and he backs it up.

Bailey, almost bashful by comparison, is a big fan.

"He's a good player, a good player. I've noticed myself watching him a lot more this year," Bailey said. "As guys start to emerge you start paying more attention. He's a good player; he does a lot of good things on the field. Every week he's making a play to change the game."

Bailey also has no issue whatsoever with Sherman's swagger that was all the rage after his post-game rant moments after making the game-saving play in the NFC Championship that sent the Seahawks into next week's Super Bowl against Bailey's Broncos.

"We're all different personalities. I don't have a problem with his personality," Bailey said. "For one, if you don't want somebody to talk, you have to give them a reason not to, that's it. He's probably going to talk anyway but at the same time he is what he is. I like his game."

Bailey is ready for the inevitable comparisons during Super Bowl week with Sherman, who stands 3 inches taller, weighs six pounds more and is many times more loquacious.

So be it, said Bailey, who isn't about to complain about anything, not even the wintry weather in the Big Apple this week.

He's been waiting for this moment for a lifetime.

This time of year, Bailey is usually savoring the sun, surf and sand in Hawaii. A 12-time Pro Bowler, he's the most decorated defensive back in NFL history.

It's taken him 15 seasons to get to his first Super Bowl, and this has been the most trying season of all, one in which he missed 11 games and parts of two others because of a nagging right foot sprain that he originally hurt in the preseason on Aug. 17 in Seattle, of all places.

Bailey's season of fits and starts left him playing in a reserve role down the stretch but when Chris Harris Jr. blew out a knee against San Diego in the divisional round, Bailey returned to his usual spot at left cornerback.

Playing opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last week, he had a superb, though typically under-the-radar, game against Tom Brady in the AFC Championship, collecting three tackles while shutting off his side of the field.

"I definitely didn't want to be standing around and watching it happen in front of me," Bailey said. "But I had to let my body heal. I had to let things get right before I could go out. I'm just glad that I'm back out there participating."

Bailey's contemporaries both past and present are pulling for him to raise the Lombardi Trophy Feb. 2.

"That would be a picturesque moment if that happens," said former teammate Brian Dawkins, who visited the Broncos at practice Friday. "I don't know how he would react. I know how I'm going to react if that does happens for them, especially for him. Tears of joy."

Dawkins contends Bailey's bounce-back season ranks right up there with Peyton Manning's comeback from neck surgeries that led to his release from Indianapolis and his revival in Denver.

After all, Bailey was burned for two big touchdowns in the Broncos' crushing loss to Baltimore in last year's playoffs, then fought through the ridicule, the whispers that he was washed up and the foot injury this year that would have forced many others to call it quits, maybe even for good.

Several of Bailey's current teammates say they want the Super Bowl to serve as the capstone to Bailey's incredible career so he can have that diamond-encrusted ring he's been chasing since 1999.

"Year after year of saying that we're going to make it to the Super Bowl, we're going to get you there, it would mean a lot for us to get this for him," linebacker Wesley Woodyard said.

Bailey appreciates the sentiment, but in his typical self-deprecating manner, he's shying away from such chatter.

"That's great. I love the respect and everything my teammates give me, but it's not about me," Bailey said. "It's definitely about this organization. That's the reason I

stuck around here because I knew it was coming at some point. We'd get a shot. Here we are. Guys want to say it's about me but it's really not."

Broncos K Prater sent home sick again By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Matt Prater missed practice all week with the flu and the Denver Broncos kept him away from the rest of the team so he didn't get everyone else sick.

"We sent him home," coach John Fox said after Saturday's practice in 54-degree weather and sunshine. "He's going to be fine for the game. Hopefully he'll feel much better tomorrow morning as we prepare to fly to New Jersey."

Fox said he didn't think Prater would be infectious by Sunday's flight.

"Guys do get sick, just like any household in America," Fox said. "We feel confident he'll be fine shortly."

Prater, who was chosen for the Pro Bowl this season, missed all three of the team's practices this week as the Broncos prepare for the Super Bowl against Seattle on Feb. 2 at MefLife Stadium.

Prater was a big part of Denver's record-setting 606-point regular season, converting 25 of 26 field goals and all 75 PATs in the regular season. In the playoffs, he's 5-for-5 on field goals and PATs.

His only miss was a 52-yard field goal attempt at Kansas City on Dec. 1 that sailed wide left.

There's no way the long layoff will hurt him, holder Britton Colquitt said.

"He's the best there is and his first kick next week isn't going to look like he missed all of this week," Colquitt said. "Guys don't have to practice every day to do their thing. So, he's just going to get better. I'm sure he'll have an opportunity to make a difference in the game, too."

Prater kicked an NFL record 64-yard field goal in icy weather in Denver on Dec. 8 against Tennessee.

AP-GfK Poll: 49 percent are pro football fans By Dennie Junius and Ralph D. Russo Associated Press January 25, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — About half of Americans say they are fans of pro football, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll, and nearly a third of those fans say they would not consider attending a Super Bowl — even though few have any idea how much it costs.

The NFL is still the most popular sports league in the United States, drawing the highest TV ratings by far. Its revenues climbed above $9 billion last year and the Super Bowl between Seattle and Denver in New Jersey will be the most watched television program of the year.

The AP-GfK poll was released Saturday.

Last year, 56 percent of people polled said they were NFL fans, and that number dropped slightly to 49 percent this year. Even among those who said they were NFL fans, 31 percent said they had no interest in attending a Super Bowl, even if they could afford it.

Fans have complained about high ticket prices, with very few available to the general public at face value, and most fans having to go through resellers to get into the game.

Fans had a wide-range of guesses as to what a face value Super Bowl ticket costs, though 41 percent chose an amount between $251 and $500. The median estimate was $500. The median estimate from fans on what it would cost to buy a Super Bowl ticket on the secondary market rose to $1,000.

Ticket prices for the Super Bowl range from $500 to $2,600, though only 1,000 tickets are available for $500. Forbes reported Saturday that the average price for a ticket to next week's game from a ticket broker or secondary seller such as TiqIQ was $2,505, according to SeatGeek, which tracks prices. Prices change daily.

Nearly half of fans (48 percent) would be willing to pay $250 or less for a Super Bowl ticket if their team was playing in the game and 8 percent said they wouldn't be willing to pay anything to attend the game, even if their team was playing. Overall, the median price fans say they'd pay to attend the Super Bowl to see their team play is $200.

One percent of fans say they'd pay $10,000 to see their team play, the highest response received in the poll.

Fans were about evenly split on expansion of the playoffs. Twenty-six percent favor allowing more teams into the playoffs, an idea being considered by the NFL. Twenty-eight percent oppose it and 45 percent are neither in favor nor opposed.

A broad majority of adults (83 percent) say the Washington Redskins should not change their nickname. Among football fans, 87 percent say keep the name.

Since the last AP-GfK poll on the topic in April 2013, several prominent figures, notably President Barack Obama, have said it's time for the team to change. But public opinion is still about the same.

College graduates are more likely to say Washington should change its name now than they were in April. Back then, 14 percent of college graduates said it was time for a change, now 23 percent say it should change. Men are also now slightly more apt to say the team should change, 16 percent say so in the new poll, compared with 9 percent in April. Among women, opinions have held steady with 13 percent in favor of a change

The Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots tied for most responses when fans were asked what is their favorite team. Each received seven percent of the responses. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers were each the favorite team of 6 percent of the fans polled.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted Jan. 17-21 using KnowledgePanel, GfK's probability-based online panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. It involved online interviews with 1,060 adults, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points for the full sample.

Respondents were first selected randomly using phone or mail survey methods, and were later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't otherwise have access to the Internet were provided with the ability to access the Internet at no cost to them.

NJ pols say Super Bowl program ignores host state By Samantha Henry Associated Press January 25, 2014

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Football fans who think they're coming to New York City for the Super Bowl will find plenty of activities, parties and attractions. What they won't find is a stadium, or the actual game.

That's because it's being played in New Jersey, but some angry politicians say you'd never know it, judging by the promotional materials from the NFL.

New Jersey's perceived slight by its famous neighbor began moments after the NFL announced in 2010 that the 2014 Super Bowl would be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford — about 10 miles outside of Manhattan.

But it reached a fever pitch this week when the NFL unveiled its design for the official game program and tickets — a shot of the New York City skyline — with New Jersey a small speck in the distance.

"Apparently, the NFL needs a geography lesson," Sen. Robert Menendez, (D-NJ) said at a press conference with Sen. Cory Booker and other elected officials held to denounce the NFL's design and reprimand players and broadcasters who refer to the Feb. 2 game as the 'New York Super Bowl.' Menendez also took issue with the "tiny sliver of Jersey City" visible in the program cover, adding; "You're kidding, right?"

Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL who took pains to point out he lives in New Jersey, sent a long list of the NFL-supported Super Bowl activities happening in the Garden State. He insisted that the program and ticket design featured Jersey City, and said the Super Bowl logo prominently shows MetLife Stadium with a view toward New York City, adding that other promotional decor displayed both New York and New Jersey.

But the program design — in which Jersey City can be found if you're looking for it — hit a nerve that was made raw almost immediately after the 2010 announcement that the nation's first cold-weather Super Bowl would be played in New Jersey; news which was heralded on the cover of New York City's tabloids as the 'New York Super Bowl,' and is repeatedly referred to by sportscasters as such.

Gov. Chris Christie chided then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's glee at the announcement, and expressed exasperation with the New York-centric coverage of the Super Bowl host city announcement.

"I look where that stadium is, and it's New Jersey, and when everybody gets on the train or in their cars or on buses, they're going to be coming to that game in New Jersey," Christie said at the time.

Christie hasn't commented on the latest flap over the NFL's New York-centric designs, as his administration is dealing with an ongoing controversy over politically motivated lane closures in September at the George Washington Bridge that were prompted by a member of Christie's office emailing; "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

In a nod to both controversies, New Jersey's largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger, is running a contest for readers to redesign the NFL's program cover by offering a sample design of their own: a photo of the New Jersey Turnpike, accented by Meadowlands tumbleweeds, over the caption: "Time for some traffic problems in East Rutherford — Super Bowl XLVIII."

Thomas: Sherman 'a great player' By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- When it comes to trash talk, the Denver Broncos' wide receivers prefer to let the touchdowns speak for themselves.

And with Super Bowl XLVIII a week away, the players who caught many of Peyton Manning's NFL-record 55 touchdown passes in the regular season have nothing but compliments for the Seattle Seahawks' defense and, in particular, cornerback Richard Sherman.

Demaryius Thomas, who led the Broncos with 92 receptions, 1,430 yards and 14 touchdowns, was asked following Saturday's practice about the prospect of matching up with Sherman in the title game.

"He's a great player," Thomas said. "I'd love to have that matchup to show what kind of player I am. I don't know if we'll match up, but like I said, he's a great player."

The Broncos finished the regular season with the league's highest-scoring offense -- a single-season record 606 points -- as Manning set single-season records for touchdowns and passing yards (5,477). The Seahawks led the league in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense and interceptions.

"I think we're good -- whatever we put out there, we have to be able to execute it," Thomas said. "Like you said, they are the No. 1 defense. They have a great defense and we have a great offense. This is what you play for. I think we'll be fine."

Sherman's post-game criticism of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree has gone viral and been a topic of national conversation. The Broncos' wide receivers have rarely engaged in much in-game talk with opposing players this season.

"I'll speak for ourselves -- I think this team, with what we've accomplished, we're a confident team," wide receiver Eric Decker said. "But also at the same time, we've got to play 60 minutes of football and I think we're pretty humble about it. Not to say or take away from anyone else, I just think no one on our team has really maybe that ability. But I think you're trying to catch your breath instead of talking because Peyton goes so fast. You just get to the line and get ready for the next play ...

"We know what it takes to win. We don't need to talk about it, we need to play about it. And I think that is what has gotten us to this point. We all respect one

another and we have fun doing it -- and challenging one another, competing out here on the practice field. We just carry that over to the games."

Broncos send Matt Prater home By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos head coach John Fox said he saw Matt Prater at the team's facility Saturday morning, but elected to send the ailing kicker home for a third consecutive day.

Prater did not participate in the Broncos' practice Saturday because of a virus and did not practice with the team this week. Fox said Prater was sent home, in part, for him to recover and in part to prevent any other players from getting sick.

The Broncos leave Sunday for New Jersey, where they will play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.

"We've got hand washers ... all over the building," Fox said. "We sent him home, he's going to be fine for the game, hopefully he feels much better (Sunday) morning as we fly to New Jersey."

Prater led the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs during the regular season and was 25 of 26 on field goal attempts in the regular season, including 6 of 7 from 50 or more yards, including an NFL-record 64-yarder on Dec. 8 against the Tennessee Titans.

Prater is 5 of 6 in the postseason, including a 4-for-4 performance in the AFC Championship Game this past Sunday.

Fox said the Broncos taken the requisite precautions all season when it comes to players and staff members who are ill. At one point earlier this season, Broncos head trainer Steve Antonopulos sent Fox home for a day.

"It's happened all season, happened to every team in the league," Fox said. "Guys do get sick, just like any household in America. We feel confident he'll be fine shortly."

Also, Saturday defensive tackle Sione Fua (calf) was held out of practice for the second consecutive day. All of the other Broncos players participated, including defensive Mitch Unrein (knee) and running back Knowshon Moreno (ribs), who were limited in Friday's workout.

Carroll said Manning called him 2 years ago By Terry Blount ESPN.com January 25, 2014

RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks were one of the teams Peyton Manning had on his short list before signing with the Denver Broncos two years ago. Seattle coach Pete Carroll was asked Friday how serious those negotiations became at the time. “Well, he called me,” Carroll said about Manning’s interest. “That was a good start. Then everything went downhill from there, so I guess I didn’t do a very good job on the phone.” Carroll can joke about it now because the Seahawks went on to draft Russell Wilson, who became the rookie starter as a third-round pick. Would they have drafted Wilson if Manning had signed with the Seahawks? “Yes," Carroll said. “And knowing what we know now, we would have drafted him a lot sooner. Obviously, we've all moved on, but it is interesting that we're playing each other now in this setting. It’s pretty cool.” Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked if he wonders how things might have turned out had the team signed Manning. “Yeah, often,” Schneider said. “I think we would have continued to do things the way we do them. We would not have been able to afford several players we have now, but we would have competed in other areas to compensate.”

Shula on cold Super Bowl: 'Why?' By Ian O'Connor ESPNNewYork.com January 25, 2014

Count Hall of Famer Don Shula, the winningest NFL coach of all time, among those who believe the league made a mistake by putting Super Bowl XLVIII in a cold-weather market with an uncovered stadium.

In an interview to air on ESPN Radio's "The Ian O'Connor Show" on Sunday morning, the former two-time Super Bowl champion coach of the Miami Dolphins was asked for his reaction when he found out this year's game had been awarded to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

"Why?" Shula said. "That was pretty much my reaction. I certainly believe that when you get to a game of that magnitude, you want to play it in conditions where weather won't be or might not be something that affects the outcome. So that's why I think Miami, New Orleans, San Diego, all those warm-weather cities are the best cities for a game of that magnitude.

"Plus, the fans. You've got to give the fans an opportunity to come in ahead of time, enjoy what the town has to offer, enjoy the game and then stay for a couple of days afterwards, and enjoy everything. So if it's a brutal weather condition in New York, you're not going to do that."

The 84-year-old Shula, who finished his career with a record 347 regular season and postseason victories and with only two losing seasons in his 33 with the Dolphins and Baltimore Colts, was asked how inclement weather would impact the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on Super Bowl Sunday.

"Certainly it will take away from their ability to play the game to the best of their talent," he said, "and you don't want the weather to influence a game that much. Perhaps it won't, but the odds are that it could be a factor in the outcome if it's brutal weather conditions."

Shula's Dolphins lost the coldest outdoor Super Bowl on record on Jan. 16, 1972, when it was 39 degrees at kickoff inside Tulane Stadium in New Orleans for what would be the Dallas Cowboys' 24-3 victory.

From Super Bowls to super sweets By Kieran Darcy ESPNNewYork.com January 25, 2014

Here's a piece of football trivia guaranteed to stump your friends.

Who is the only person to play in six Super Bowls, the most in NFL history?

No, it's not Tom Brady -- he had a chance to play in his sixth this year but came up one win short. Fifteen others have played in five, including John Elway, Charles Haley and Bill Romanowski.

The answer? Mike Lodish, a former 10th-round draft pick who now sells his mom's peanut brittle for a living.

Seriously.

Now, that's super.

* * *

This past Sunday, Mike Lodish did the same thing millions of other Americans did. He sat at home in front of his television, watching the AFC and NFC championship games.

Lodish was rooting hard for the Denver Broncos to beat Brady's New England Patriots -- but not just because Lodish once played for the Broncos.

His legacy, or at least a big part of it, was on the line.

"It's nice to be a part of a championship team, and it's nice to be a part of history," Lodish said Thursday by phone. "But you never want to get knocked off the top."

Courtesy of Mike LodishMike Lodish has gone from the gridiron to the supermarket with three peanut brittle flavors ...

Lodish didn't appear destined for the top when he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1990. He had played at UCLA and made the All-Pac-10 team, but he was an undersized nose tackle -- 6-foot-3, 270 pounds -- selected 265th overall.

The Bills liked Lodish but still passed him over for another nose tackle in the seventh round, Fred DeRiggi from Syracuse. When Lodish was still available three rounds later, they snatched him up, too.

"I was pissed off that I got picked so late, and I had a chip on my shoulder," Lodish said. "Just like when I was in eighth grade and my math teacher tells me, 'You'll never play at Brother Rice [High School].' If somebody tells me that I'm not gonna do something, I'm gonna do it."

Lodish beat out DeRiggi, whose NFL career spanned all of two games. Lodish played in 12 games his rookie season alone, recording his first two NFL sacks.

Bill Polian, the longtime NFL general manager who now works for ESPN, was the Bills' GM when Lodish was drafted. "I think of Mike and I think of the ultimate warrior," Polian said Friday. "He gave you his best through thick and thin. He never seemed to be injured -- or if he was, he never told anyone. He was as tough and as professional as they come -- the kind of guy you want on your football team.

"Everyone can use a Mike Lodish."

Lodish got to play in his first Super Bowl that very season -- Super Bowl XXV. The Bills were upset by the New York Giants, 20-19, but he still remembers that year fondly.

"Making it my first year -- on a Buffalo Bills team in 1990 that I think was the best team in the world that year, even though we lost to the Giants -- that was the greatest accomplishment that me, personally, I ever felt in my career," Lodish said. "That was the greatest feeling that I had, when I got a chance to call my parents and tell them it's official, I'm a professional now."

Lodish was with the Bills four more years, and three more Super Bowls. He played in 62 of a possible 64 regular-season games, with 12 starts. When he became a free agent after the 1994 season, he moved on to Denver, where Greg Robinson -- his former defensive line coach at UCLA -- was the defensive coordinator.

With the Broncos, Lodish got his one and only chance to be a full-time starter, in 1996. He also got to play in two more Super Bowls, and got to be on the winning side for a change -- with a big assist from one of those five-timers mentioned above.

"When John Elway did the helicopter and went for it [in Super Bowl XXXII], and sold his body out and said I'm getting it for my boys and me and the city of Denver, that play probably had the biggest impact on me," Lodish said. "That's the play that I remember the most, because of John Elway's unselfishness. I think he was [near] 40 years old at the time, and he was playing against a Green Bay defense that had some killers out there; they had some studs. And they rocked him pretty good, but he got up and he said the hell with it, I'm winning this game."

Despite playing in six Super Bowls, Lodish couldn't recall a particularly memorable play of his own.

"Being at nose tackle, there's not too many game-changing plays that happen," he said. "I didn't get a sack, or get an interception as a lineman and waddle into the end zone, or do anything crazy like that. … Just holding down my A-gap, making a play or two inside that A-gap, that's kind of like what I was paid to do."

* * *

Lodish retired three years later, after the 2000 season -- with just 8.5 career sacks, but two championship rings and one very significant distinction. He spent the next three years coaching at his old high school and doing radio and television work. After that, he spent several years as a contract adviser with the NFL Players Association and worked in sales for a communications support services company.

But he had an itch to do something on his own, and he finally decided to scratch it -- with a little inspiration from a television commercial and a little help from his mom.

"Janet Long ironically went to UCLA, and so did her two sisters, and she's doing very well, she's got a wonderful business. She sells an upscale toffee," Lodish said. "My mother and I saw a TV commercial for LegalZoom.com, and we saw Janet on there as one of the customers of LegalZoom that they picked and chose to tell her story because she's so successful.

"I said, 'Mom, let's take your peanut brittle recipe to market. … If she can do it, why can't we?'"

Family and friends had been raving about Patricia Lodish's peanut brittle for years, and, in September 2011, Mike began putting together Pat's Gourmet LLC (named after his mom) -- the company that produces Lodish's Champion Brittle, available in three flavors: peanut crunch, chocolate drizzle and dark chocolate drizzle.

The recipe is a closely guarded secret, but you can guess the reason behind the name.

Mike is the president and CEO, but he doesn't just sit behind a desk. "I'm the guy that's doing the sales, I'm the guy that's doing the operations, I'm the guy that's doing the accounting -- I'm the whole kit and caboodle, the whole nine yards," Lodish said.

Lodish's Champion Brittle -- based in Michigan, where Lodish was born and still resides -- is available in grocery stores in five states and beyond that via its website. He recently struck a deal with Harry & David, known nationwide for its gourmet gift baskets, and hopes to continue expanding in the years to come.

"My ultimate goal with the company is to become a national peanut crunch candy," Lodish said.

But he has already accomplished another goal.

"My mother is still living. And she's been doing great, she's overcome some tremendous obstacles in the last seven years with her health," Lodish said. "I just wanted my mom to know, I created this to honor her and to give her something back."

* * *

Lodish lives in Birmingham, Mich. -- a suburb of Detroit. He's a single dad with a 10-year-old son and sounds very happy with his post-football life.

He hasn't played in the NFL in more than a decade. But he does have some words of wisdom for the Seattle Seahawks and the Broncos, who will be arriving in New York this weekend.

After all, who is more qualified to dispense Super Bowl advice than the man who has played in more of them than anyone else?

"Keep it in perspective -- this is another game; don't get too into the hype of it," Lodish said. "I think the teams that can focus and be disciplined the best during the week and not go out and party, I think that that's a huge ingredient to giving yourself an opportunity to win."

Lodish doesn't watch a lot of football anymore. He's more into hockey, his first love, which he still plays competitively. But, come Super Bowl Sunday, he'll be in front of his television, rooting for the Broncos. And next season, he'll be rooting against Brady and the Patriots again.

It's nothing personal, Tom. Just business.

Unveiling the All-Bruschi Team

By Tedy Bruschi ESPNBoston.com January 25, 2014

When you look around in the huddle and the game is on the line, you want players who are fighters next to you.

Bigger, stronger, faster doesn't apply. I've seen plenty of those guys wilt when the pressure is at its highest.

What are you going to do when facing adversity and a play needs to be made? The second annual All-Bruschi Team recognizes the players who made plays for their team in those situations throughout the 2013 season.

You won't see many of these guys, if any of them, on TV commercials. Not yet. But they are the backbone of their team, players that I truly enjoyed watching this year. They aren't highly celebrated, but they're the flag carriers you need in order to win games.

QUARTERBACK WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Nick Foles Eagles

Foles was the most efficient quarterback in the NFL this year. He led the league in passer rating and passing yards per attempt, and he threw only two interceptions. This is no dink-and-dunk quarterback; he will take you deep and make you pay. Foles led the Eagles to the NFC East title despite entering the year knowing Michael Vick was the starter. Once Vick went down, Foles stepped in and didn't look back. The Eagles might have found their franchise quarterback.

RUNNING BACKS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Danny Woodhead Chargers

On the roster, the numbers next to Woodhead's name look like this: 5-foot-8, 200 pounds. Others might focus on height and weight, but Woodhead doesn't, and his production comes as little surprise this year. He was a two-time Division II player of the year in college and has made big plays whenever given the chance in the NFL. He's a two-time All-Bruschi performer. Woodhead was signed by the Chargers via free agency this season from New England, and Phillip Rivers sure isn't giving him back. Whatever you ask him to do, he can do it. Woodhead's key stats this season: 76 receptions, 429 rushing yards and 8 total touchdowns. You ask linebackers around the league

RUNNING BACKS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM who they don't want to be in man-to-man coverage against and Woodhead's name will come up. This kid was born to play football.

Donald Brown Colts

The fifth-year pro from UConn entered the season as a backup to Vick Ballard. Then the Colts signed Ahmad Bradshaw, which pushed Brown even further down the depth chart. And when Ballard and Bradshaw went down with injury, the Colts traded for Trent Richardson. So what does Brown do? He carried the flag and produced by leading the team in rushing and making plays in crucial moments. Brown welcomed the additions to the backfield by insisting the more weapons for the team the better. Turns out Brown, not Richardson, was one of the most valuable weapons the Colts had all year.

Pierre Thomas Saints

The offensive options that Drew Brees has are endless -- Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles -- but Thomas is the piece of the puzzle that makes this offense special. His versatility sets him apart, especially as a trusty receiver for Brees in the complex screen game that Sean Payton implements. Thomas also provides valuable pass protection for Brees, and he runs hard in between the tackles and moves the chains. Thomas led the team in rushing with 549 yards and led all NFL running backs with 77 receptions.

Anthony Sherman (FB) Chiefs

Don't look at the stats for this guy. You won't find them. What you will see when you watch the Chiefs play is a solid blocker leading the way for Jamaal Charles. Doing the dirty work is what Sherman did all year, and he did it well. Fullbacks are becoming extinct in the today's NFL, but the Chiefs have a good one in Sherman. He's been called the "heart and soul" of the Chiefs' overall group of backs, and if you need him to cover kicks and play special teams, he can do that too. It also seems that if Alex Smith is in trouble and he needs to flip a pass to someone for a TD, Sherman will be there; just as he was in the wild-card playoff game against the Colts. Being there for your team. Doing your job. That's what fullbacks do, and that's who Sherman is.

WIDE RECEIVERS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

WIDE RECEIVERS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Golden Tate Seahawks

This kid is a gamer. Now that Tate has a more established body of work, it's no shock to me that he's the one who came down with that last-second Hail Mary versus the Packers in 2012. He's always up for the challenge and is fearless. He led the Hawks in receptions and receiving yards. At 5-foot-10 and 202 pounds, every ounce of him has attitude and arrogance on the field. How else can you describe a guy who has @ShowtimeTate as a Twitter handle? These are the kind of guys you hate to play against, but you love to have them on your team. Tate is a strong runner after the catch, with exceptional playing strength. Breaking tackles is second nature to him, which is why Pete Carroll also has him returning punts.

Anquan Boldin 49ers

Clutch. Pure Clutch. Ask the Baltimore Ravens what they missed this year and if the immediate answer is not Anquan Boldin, they're telling a fib. Is he the biggest receiver? No. Is he the fastest receiver? No way. Is he the most valuable player you can have on a team? Absolutely! The 49ers think so. Boldin was the Bill Walsh Award winner, given to the team's MVP. Boldin has been with the 49ers for one season and has already established himself as a leader and tone setter. It's not just the 85 receptions, 1,179 yards and 7 TDs. He also blocks like a beast and gives the entire team confidence in knowing that when the ball is in the air and the game is on the line, Boldin will find a way to get the job done and put the team on his back if he's on the field. He's a two-time All-Bruschi selection. This is my captain. If I had a Boldin jersey, I'd be wearing it right now.

T.Y. Hilton Colts

When Colts receiver Reggie Wayne went down with a torn ACL, somebody had to pick up the flag and carry it. Hilton did that and more. He's one of the main reasons the Colts were able to come back from a 28-point deficit against the Chiefs on wild-card weekend; head coach Chuck Pagano told Hilton to go win the game in the fourth quarter, and he did just that. Hilton's stat line for that game was eye-opening: 13 catches, 224 yards and 2 TDs. Seeing young players embrace the bright lights of the playoffs and carry their team is what being All-Bruschi is all about. Hilton is a future star in the NFL. He is no one-trick

WIDE RECEIVERS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM pony either. He can hurt you as an outside receiver but also has the versatility to play in the slot. That versatility, combined with 4.3 speed, makes this kid dangerous. He regularly wears superhero backpacks to games. They need to start making backpacks with a "T" and a "Y."

TIGHT END WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Charles Clay Dolphins

After the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin bullying issue became public, the Miami Dolphins had a built-in excuse to pack it in and call it a year. Instead, this team pulled together and focused on playing good football, and Clay was a huge reason for that. His versatility was a challenge for any defense devising a game plan against the Dolphins. Clay put up statistics that rivaled some of the best tight ends in the game; he totaled 69 receptions for 759 yards and six touchdowns. Clay can also run the ball. The Dolphins will put the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Clay at fullback and give him the ball, just as they did in Week 2 against the Colts, when Clay scored a touchdown from the fullback position. Clay more than picked up the flag when Dustin Keller went down with a torn ACL. Tight end, fullback, H-back -- wherever Ryan Tannehill needs this guy to be -- he can do it and do it well.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN WHY THEY MADE THE TEAM

New England Patriots

Offensive lines are usually the closest positional groups on a team. They win together and they go down together, so I'm recognizing them together. The Patriots' offensive line did it all this season. The Patriots were ranked in the top 10 in rushing and passing, and it starts up front where, after the ball is snapped, if there's a breakdown along the offensive line the play has no chance. This offense is complex and this line has had to change its identity on a week-to-week basis. Whatever game-plan coordinator Josh McDaniels dials up, this offensive line can adapt. Put it all together and this is what you get: The gritty play of center Ryan Wendell, the aggressiveness of left guard Logan Mankins, the workmanlike play of Dan Connolly, the keep-it-loose bookend work of left tackle Nate Solder and the resilient Marcus Cannon at right tackle. They overcame the loss of right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, and Mankins even moved to left

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN WHY THEY MADE THE TEAM tackle to cover for the injured Solder against the Ravens in Week 16. This group may have been the most valuable unit of this team, but don't ask them. They'd rather just drink a brewski.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Brandon Mebane Seahawks

Some players are never noticed by the media and fans, but teammates and players know that "without this guy, none of our success would be possible." Mebane is that guy for the Seahawks' defense. He does the dirty work. He's the guy you can see walking off the field in the background as the postgame on-field TV interview is being done with the "stars" of the game. He's not going to fill up the stat sheet consistently, but you give him a gap to fill and blockers to occupy, put it in the bank and rest easy the job will be done. Go into Seattle's locker room and ask guys like linebackers Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin who allows them to get their jobs done. The answer will be Brandon Mebane. Some guys know that doing their job allows others to make plays and

�get the glory; that s what Mebane knows and that's what he does.

Sheldon Richardson Jets

Richardson has come a long way from cleaning attics to earn money while at junior college in California. He has become one of the best young defensive linemen in the game. His skill set and attitude are perfect for Rex Ryan's defense. Richardson, who finished the season with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks, lines up anywhere along the defensive front and can be effective. Ryan also put the extremely athletic Richardson at fullback and gave him the ball four times, with Richardson scoring two touchdowns. He plays on a line that includes Muhammad Wilkerson, an All-Bruschi selection last year. The Jets' defensive front has two anchors who will wreak havoc on offenses for years to come.

Calais Campbell Cardinals

Campbell is an anchor for the NFL's top-ranked run defense, playing in a division where defenses rule. The Cardinals' defense might be overshadowed by the Seahawks and the 49ers; to be the best you have to beat the best, and Campbell and the Cardinals did exactly that when they traveled to Seattle in Week 16 and won in one of the toughest environments in the

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN WHY HE MADE THE TEAM NFL. In that game, Campbell registered four tackles and two sacks. On the year, the 6-foot-8, 300-pound Campbell had 58 tackles and nine sacks, yet still didn't receive the recognition he deserved as a Pro Bowl alternate. In just his sixth season, he is entering his prime and true accolades will soon follow, but W's are all Campbell wants.

LINEBACKERS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Danny Trevathan Broncos

Trevathan opened the season by making one of the blunders of the year, dropping the ball before he crossed the goal line after he had intercepted a pass by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. The blunder didn't become the norm. The big plays did. On a defense that developed a well-earned reputation for making big plays, Trevathan was often the one stepping up and making them. He intercepted Tony Romo to set up a game-winning field goal against the Cowboys. He forced a fumble that stopped a Chiefs drive in their Week 11 matchup. Big games and big plays -- that was Trevathan this year as he totaled 129 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 3 INTs. This 'backer has come a long way from being a sixth-round draft pick out of Kentucky.

Thomas Davis Panthers

Coming back from an ACL injury is hard enough. Try doing it three times after injuring the same knee. That's right: same knee, same ligament, three times. That's what Davis has done and to watch him play this season knowing what he's come back from should make everyone stand up and cheer for the nine-year pro. Davis started 12 games last year in his first comeback and started all 16 this season, compiling 123 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions. Luke Kuechly may receive most of the national attention, but it's Davis' example of perseverance and resolve that all members of that defense can look to.

Jerrell Freeman Colts

One of the leaders of a resilient Colts defense, he helped produce regular-season victories against three of the final four teams in the playoffs (49ers, Seahawks, Broncos). In those three games, Freeman totaled 30 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. On the season, he rang up 126 tackles, 2 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. As his statistics show, Freeman is a linebacker who can do it

LINEBACKERS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM all. This season I saw him stop the run, defend the read-option, break down stiff-arms, cover some of the best tight ends in the NFL man-to-man, sack the quarterback ... you get the idea. Freeman came out of nowhere. He played college football at Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor. Not the biggest 'backer, at 6 feet and 232 pounds, Freeman also spent three years in the Canadian Football League. Judging by his production and effort, he won't be going back to Canada any time soon.

Daryl Smith Ravens

You try replacing a legend who retired after delivering a Super Bowl championship to the city of Baltimore. Not an easy thing to do. But after Ray Lewis retired, the Ravens needed someone to step in and help rebuild a defense that was short on leadership. Smith was up for the challenge. Signed to a one-year deal in June, Smith led a defense that was ranked in the top 10 in adjusted points per game (per my final "defensive index"), third-down defense and red-area defense. Smith's 123 tackles were best on the team, and he also had three interceptions (10 passes defensed) and five sacks. This defense was written off by many after the 49 points Denver scored in Week 1. Smith not only filled the defensive stat sheet for the Ravens, he helped start the very difficult process of moving on from a legend.

DEFENSIVE BACKS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Duke Ihenacho Broncos

There's much more to the Broncos than Peyton Manning. Their defense has come up big all year, and Ihenacho is one of the reasons. He's an explosive player who fills downhill from his safety position with bad intentions. He started playing football his junior year in high school on a dare; now he dares ball carriers to take him on. In Week 12 against the Patriots, Ihenacho stopped 250-pound LeGarrette Blount in his tracks with a crushing hit that knocked the ball out and ended a Patriots drive. Hard-working and hungry, at 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, Ihenacho doesn't shy from putting his body on the line versus bigger players. He sees and he hits, full speed, and lets the chips fall where they may.

Terrell Thomas Giants

What a comeback year for Thomas. He returned after missing back-to-back seasons with ACL tears. He

DEFENSIVE BACKS WHY HE MADE THE TEAM played in all 16 games this season and finished with 67 tackles, a sack and an interception. Thomas was a solid defender in the slot for the Giants. Steadfast and determined, he was also NFC defensive player of the week after his 11-tackle, 1-sack, 1-forced-fumble performance against the Eagles in Week 8. If you're looking for the comeback player of the year, Thomas should be at the top of the list.

Devin McCourty Patriots

When you enter the NFL as a cornerback and establish yourself as a Pro Bowl player your rookie year, you'd assume your future is bright at that position. But McCourty's time as a cornerback was limited, in part, by injuries to others in the Patriots' secondary. Since moving to safety in the middle of last season, McCourty has turned himself into one of the best safeties in the game. Versatile and unselfish, he did what was best for the team. He's a leader on that team and has adjusted his own personal goals for the chance to win championships. If another young player is asked to do the same in that locker room and has any attitude, he'd better look to locker No. 32 and think again.

Chris Harris Jr. Broncos

Outside of Denver, Harris is one of the best-kept secrets of the Broncos' defense. Step aside Champ Bailey and Von Miller. Harris may be the most valuable piece. Undrafted in 2011, he has the rare ability to play all positions a cornerback is asked to play and do it well. Outside or inside, left or right, Harris will get the job done. Confident and reliable, Harris played the most regular-season snaps of any Broncos defender. He finished with 65 tackles, 13 passes defensed and 3 interceptions. An ACL injury ended Harris' chance to play in the Super Bowl, but people in Denver know he's a big reason they are there.

KICK RETURNER WHY HE MADE THE TEAM

Julian Edelman Patriots

After an offseason full of adversity and change on the offensive side of the ball, Edelman emerged as Tom Brady's go-to receiver, catching 105 passes for 1,056 yards and 6 touchdowns. What's even more impressive is the impact the versatile Edelman made as a punt returner this season, picking up a career-high 374 return yards. As a rookie in 2009, Edelman

KICK RETURNER WHY HE MADE THE TEAM was booed by fans after dropping multiple punts during a training-camp practice, leaving many wondering if the transition from college quarterback was too much for him to handle. But Edelman kept at it and has quietly developed into one of the top returners in the NFL. Tough and talented, Edelman has even played defensive back for Bill Belichick. My kind of guy.

Super Bowl connection for Russell Wilson, Montee Ball By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, COLO. — When the Super Bowl kicks off next Sunday evening, University of Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema will sit down on his couch and make the easiest recruiting phone calls of his life.

What better pitch is there to a high school senior than being able to say, "See that quarterback starting in the Super Bowl? See that running back lined up with Peyton Manning? I coached them."

Bielema and the University of Arkansas are proudly boasting about Bielema's history with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball, two of the four playing in Sunday's Super Bowl coached by Bielema at the University of Wisconsin. The other former Badgers are Seattle defensive reserves O'Brien Schofield and Chris Maragos.

"We tweeted that out from Arkansas Razorbacks, and half of Wisconsin was outraged," Bielema said, laughing, during a phone interview with USA TODAY Sports. "But they're our former players, and I'm proud of it."

Bielema's departure from the University of Wisconsin last year was quite messy, but it didn't affect his relationship with his former players there, especially Wilson and Ball. Bielema says he is in touch with Wilson almost daily, and the Seahawks quarterback picked up Bielema and his wife and took them on an all-day tour of Seattle last year when the Bielemas had a 12-hour layover in the Pacific Northwest.

"My wife, he's her favorite player. He just makes you feel so special," Bielema said of Wilson.

Bielema said he began recruiting Wilson to Wisconsin after the quarterback was granted his release from North Carolina State by early May 2011. By that July, Wilson was on campus in Madison working out with his teammates. He was named a captain by the start of the regular season and led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl.

"We really got into a recruiting battle with us and Auburn, and I think Auburn was telling him it was all on him," Bielema said. "Quarterback run game, pass game, all that. We didn't ask him to come in and be the whole show, we just asked him to come in and command it."

After Bielema wraps up those recruiting calls, in advance of National Signing Day on Feb. 5, he won't be rooting for the Seahawks or the Broncos – but rather for big days from two players who were among the most beloved at Wisconsin.

Ball spent four seasons with the Badgers, and in 2012 set the NCAA record for career touchdowns, with 83. It wasn't always easy for Ball there, especially after losing the starting job as a sophomore. His breakout season came as a junior in 2011, and it wasn't by accident.

"He trimmed down a bunch of excess weight, redefined his body going into his third year, and that was the year that he broke out and turned into something pretty special," Bielema said. "We were gone as coaches in January and February, so it was a few weeks before we saw him, and everybody was like, 'Whoa, who is this guy?!' It was every drill, every start, every finish. He just took everything as a personal challenge and turned it into one of the greatest careers in college football."

Ball, drafted by the Broncos in the second round last April, is Denver's No. 2 tailback behind starter Knowshon Moreno, but he has played extensively during the Broncos' postseason run. That Ball has been the player Denver's coaches and Manning trust in crucial situations has been gratifying for Bielema to watch, especially given Ball's early fumbling issues. Ball lost a pair of fumbles in Denver's first three games, and a third in November. Ball fumbled only twice in more than 920 carries at Wisconsin.

"I remember I reached out to him and said, 'High and tight,'" Bielema said. "The part that was fun for me was that he had gone through a little bit of adversity early in his career, just like he did at Wisconsin, where he had to respond in a positive way.

"As a head coach in college, you don't get to watch much pro football, but I got to catch the tail end of the game last weekend, and he was in there in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. Getting that first down was a triumphant moment for him for sure; you could see the excitement. I recognized that bounce right away when he got up. That was a pretty special moment."

It was special for Ball, too, as he picked up the final first down in the Broncos' AFC Championship game win last week against the New England Patriots.

"When I'm having the problems, I wouldn't have been in there," Ball said. "I lost confidence in myself. But the staff, they never lost confidence in me. They would just tell me that I've got to be more aware of it, and take it more serious, and I did. It just came back with trusting myself, and it being that important to me."

Broncos kicker Matt Prater misses another practice By Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater was sent home from the team training facility before practice Saturday while he continues to recover from a stomach virus.

Prater has not practiced this week, but he will travel with the team to New Jersey on Sunday.

"He's going to be fine for the game," Broncos head coach John Fox said after Saturday's practice.

The only other Broncos' player not participating in Saturday's session, the final practice at Dove Valley this season, is reserve defensive tackle Sione Fua. Fua was listed as "doubtful" on the injury report released Friday because of a calf injury. Fua was inactive in the Broncos two postseason games.

When practice ended, players dashed to the weight room for a final lifting session in their home gym, or headed straight for the locker room to put their final items in their equipment bags that will head to New Jersey. Among Fox's final message to his team was to remain focused amid the craziness that is to come once they land in New Jersey.

"The main thing with me as a player is that I want to go and win the game," receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "That's all I've been thinking about. I'm happy to play in it, but I want to win the game. I feel like once we get there, it will sink in even more."

The team will depart from Dove Valley around 10 a.m. Sunday, hoping that all logistical issues regarding the Super Bowl week – the ticket requests, the scheduling issues – have been handled.

"We understand it's a business trip," Fox said. "You want to enjoy it, and just go about what you have been doing all season. It gets bigger on the outside, and that's it."

Ramsey: Ronnie Hillman, Broncos forgotten man, will rise again By David Ramsey Colorado Springs Gazette January 25, 2014

In the moments after Air Force football practice, Troy Calhoun sometimes talks about a Mountain West opponent who mercilessly destroyed his Falcons.

Yes, we're talking about Ronnie Hillman, the former San Diego State mega-star running back now struggling at the end of the Denver Broncos bench.

At San Diego, Hillman combined dazzling speed with a surprising power. In two games against the Falcons, he collected 363 rushing yards and four touchdowns. In his two-season San Diego cameo, Hillman offered equal-opportunity thrashing of Aztec opponents, romping to 3,243 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Those happy nights and afternoons now seem long ago. Hillman has been banished to football purgatory for his fumbling. He started Broncos training camp as the favorite to stand beside Peyton Manning as the No. 1 running back.

Then a new Knowshon Moreno emerged. A tougher, faster, smarter, safer Moreno. Hillman moved down on the depth chart.

His tumble wasn't complete. Hillman fumbled in the shadow of the end zone against the Colts, dooming the Broncos to a loss and sending him to football exile.

The Broncos ride to the Super Bowl has produced joy across the Front Range, but there are sad stories, too. Von Miller wanders through the locker room on crutches. His season is over; his future in jeopardy.

Hillman knows all about a jeopardized future. The Broncos forgotten man was in a hurry, seeking to escape the Broncos crowded clubhouse.

But he was happy to take a quick trip to his football past.

"Calhoun?" Hillman said, a smile arriving. "Oh, yeah, Calhoun. He don't like me."

This is not true. Calhoun admires Hillman and believes in his talent.

"I just had a few good runs," Hillman said of his romps against Air Force. "You know, just a couple of them."

Hillman will deliver many more impressive runs, if he can learn to better grasp the football. Hillman inspired scorn when he fumbled against the Colts, and I heard

from a couple dozen Broncos fans who wondered why coach John Fox showed such poor wisdom in trusting Hillman.

This is a strange slice of football. A quarterback can throw an interception, and his reputation as a nervy gunslinger remains unscathed, but a fumbler is seldom forgiven.

I am a Hillman apologist. I believe in his talent. And fumbling is not a forever thing. Just ask Moreno, a recovered fumbler who has tightly gripped the football this season on his way to leaping into the list of the NFL's top half-dozen running backs. Moreno transformed. So can Hillman.

Hillman endured two vicious, simultaneous hits at the 3-yard-line on the fateful fumble against the Colts. Yes, he should have lowered his shoulders, making him a less-inviting target, but few NFL backs would have retained their grip amid all the violence. Everyone pointed at Hillman after his fumble, but some fingers should have been pointed at the Broncos offensive line, which essentially surrendered to the Colts on that specific play.

Don't expect to see Hillman in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. Hillman fumbled at, yes, the goal line against Seattle in an August exhibition and watched his mistake returned 106 yrds for a touchdown. Hillman will spend Super Sunday watching and waiting on the bench.

He's not complaining. He knows he placed himself in football exile.

"When the opportunity comes, I'm going to take advantage of it," Hillman said. "Until then, I just play my role."

He was talking in a near whisper, but it was clear his confidence has not departed. The running back who tormented the Falcons is still there, waiting.

"I know who I am, you know," Hillman said. "Whenever that time comes, I'm just going to take advantage of it. I know my talent. I know eventually I'll get my chance again."

The Broncos forgotten man started a slow walk toward the exit. Don't worry. We'll see him again.

2013 Broncos: at New England By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette January 25, 2014

Next up: at New England, Week 12.

How will the wintry weather affect the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII? There are two reference points from this season: against Tennessee at home, against New England in Foxboro. In sub-freezing temperatures against the Titans, Peyton Manning launched a career-high 59 pass attempts. The cold didn’t bother him, not one bit. But in the fierce Foxboro wind, with a stiff northern breeze roaring in from the north, the passing game was frozen. Manning threw for a season-low 150 yards.

The lesson: Wind, not cold, is cause for concern on Super Bowl Sunday.

The date: Nov. 24.

The game: Patriots 34, Broncos 31 (OT).

The site: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro.

The notable: “Peter!” This is the call when a punt lands dangerously close to a member of the Broncos’ punt-return team. Unfortunately for the Broncos, no one yelled “Peter!” and a punt clipped Tony Carter, giving the Patriots a chip-shot field goal for the overtime win.

The photos: 1. Frigid Gillette Stadium 2. Peyton Manning was “extremely disappointed” in the OT loss 3. So was my dog, Maya 4. Boxing match in nearby Rhode Island.

2013 Broncos: vs. Kansas City By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette January 25, 2014

Chiefs fans were fired up like a BBQ pit at Oklahoma Joe’s. Their Chiefs were 9-0. And in the tailgate lots before kickoff, this was overheard: “It’s legal in Colorado!” As predicted, their Chiefs couldn’t hang.

Up next: vs. Kansas City, Week 11.

The date: Nov. 17.

The game: Broncos 27, Chiefs 17.

The site: Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

The notable: Peyton Manning had more tackles (one) than the Chiefs’ vaunted pass rush had sacks (zero).

The photos: 1. Sports Authority Field was late filling up 2. Von Miller instructed by linebackers coach Richard Smith.

2013 Broncos: at San Diego By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette January 25, 2014

Up next: Broncos at Chargers, Week 9.

Another road game, another big turnout by Broncos Country. The lower level of Qualcomm Stadium showed an equal number of Peyton Manning jerseys as Philip Rivers jerseys. The Broncos’ first game without John Fox ended with Manning limping off the field after a big hit by the Chargers’ Corey Liuget. In a hospital room in Charlotte, Fox probably ordered more painkillers.

The date: Nov. 10.

The game: Broncos 28, Chargers 20.

The site: Qualcomm Stadium.

The notable: On the Broncos’ extensive travel schedule — from New Jersey to Houston to the West Coast — the dumpiest stadiums reside in California (San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego). Why is that?

The photos: 1. Qualcomm Stadium 2. Peyton Manning discusses his bum ankle 3. Interim head coach Jack Del Rio chats with owner Pat Bowlen 4. Broncos superfan Justin Neerhof tour guides Klee in Newport Beach.

Demaryius Thomas would love to face Richard Sherman By Ryan Wilson CBSSports.com January 25, 2014 Denver's Demaryius Thomas is one of the NFL's most physical wide receivers. The same holds for Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman. Both players are also among the best in the league at their respective positions. And when the Broncos meet the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, Thomas hopes that Sherman lines up across from him.

“He's a great player," Thomas said. "I'd love to have that matchup and show what kind of player I am. I don't know if we'll match up, but like I said, he's a great player."

Thomas and Sherman faced each other once before, in a 2013 preseason game, when we're constantly reminded that teams are playing vanilla schemes and starters spend more time milling around the sidelines than getting game reps.

But should the Seahawks decide to have Sherman shadow Thomas next Sunday, here's what we know: According to ProFootballFocus.com, Sherman was in coverage on 549 snaps this season and the ball was thrown his way only 58 times. More amazing: He allowed just 30 receptions. There's more: Sherman had eight interceptions and held quarterbacks to a passer rating of 47.3, both best in the league.

Then there's this:

Thomas, meanwhile, is the NFL's top-rated wideout, according to Football Outsiders' metrics. But more than that, only two players have more receiving yards since 2012. And on 48 occasions during that time, Thomas hauled in a pass that went for at least 20 yards (via Bleacher Report).

Whatever happens, the lack of history between the two players virtually guarantees that neither will have a sandwich named after them in the coming weeks. So there's that.

Demaryius Thomas would 'love' to match up against Richard Sherman By Sid Saraf Fos Sports January 25, 2014

You have to respect Demaryius Thomas and his attitude.

The Broncos receiver is widely considered to be the most talented on his team and could face a matchup against stud Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman at Super Bowl XLVIII. Well, as far as DT is concerned, bring it on!

"He's a great player. I'd love to have that matchup and show what kind of player I am," Thomas told reporters on Saturday. "I don't know if we'll match up, but like I said, he's a great player."

Seems like he would take it is a compliment. That's a healthy way to look at it, right? After all, if Thomas is shadowed by Sherman, he may not get many Peyton Manning passes thrown his way. But whatever.

"They've got a great defense and we've got a great offense. This is what you play for."

Indeed.

Super Bowl XLVIII: Broncos itching to hit the road The SportsXchange/Yahoo! Sports January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos finished up three days of work at their team headquarters on Saturday, and it is clear that no matter how many times players insist Super Bowl XLVIII is a "business trip," they can't wait to arrive in New York on Sunday.

"It's drawing near," linebacker Wesley Woodyard said. "We've been working hard and we're just ready to get to New York. It's an exciting feeling that everybody can't wait to get there and just be in the moment."

Woodyard's playing time has decreased, but his role as a team captain remains an important part of the Broncos' preparation to deal with the distractions inherent with playing in the Super Bowl. Coaches and players talk about maintaining their "routine," but there is nothing routine about the annual Media Day on Tuesday or the throngs of media that attend the daily press sessions.

"Our leadership group - that's something that's key for everybody," said Woodyard. "Enjoy the moment of New York, be there, enjoy the Super Bowl, but we are there for a purpose, and that's winning a football game. I think everybody understands that."

Head coach John Fox's word of the week has been "focus." Priority No. 1 for his team is to stay focused and stay on top of the job at hand.

"I think you want guys to enjoy it and be with their families," Fox said. "You don't want to go there and be miserable all week and miserable with your family. It's a fine line. They understand it. Enjoy your family, but it's not Spring Break."

Former Broncos safety Brian Dawkins visited the team on Friday, and spoke to the team about preparing for the biggest game of their lives. Quarterback Peyton Manning is one of a handful of Broncos who do own a Super Bowl ring, and he has also been a mentor for the vast majority of Denver players who have never played on the NFL's biggest stage.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet. I know we're going," said wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. "The main thing with me as a player is that I want to go and win the game. That's all I've really been thinking about. I'm happy to play in it, but I want to win the game. I feel like once we get there it will sink in even more."

As excited as the Broncos are to finally get on the plane, another long week stands between them and playing the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2.

"Like Peyton said, just do your normal routine," said Thomas. "If you stay in the house and watch film or go out and eat dinner, do the same thing. I'm going to do my normal routine like he said and I think I'll be fine."

While keeping a routine is a nice goal, the reality is the worldwide media will be waiting for the Broncos when they touch down Sunday.

"A lot more cameras than usual as far as watching you come off the plane," acknowledged Fox. "I think you want to do your best to make sure you're appropriate in what you're doing because odds are its going to be on camera."

--PK Matt Prater was sent home from the team's facility with an illness, but Fox fully anticipates Prater to be healthy in time for the Super Bowl and isn't concerned about the illness spreading throughout the locker room.

"It's happened all season, it happens to every team in the league," Fox said of the illness. "Guys do get sick just like any households in America. We feel confident he'll be fine shortly."

Will the Super Bowl be postponed? It's an incredibly remote possibility, and here's why By Frank Schwab Shutdown Corner/Yahoo! Sports January 25, 2014

Since 1932, when the NFL moved its championship game between the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans inside to Chicago Stadium, only one other game has been moved because of snow.

That came in 2010, when a regular-season game between Philadelphia and Minnesota was moved to Tuesday. A couple other games in Miami have been moved because of hurricane forecasts. A few others have been moved due to stadium issues that arose from snow storms, fires or earthquakes.

But in the 81 years and one month since the Bears and Spartans moved inside, only one other game has been changed due to snow with no extra stadium issues involved, like when the Metrodome collapsed a few years ago. And that Vikings-Eagles game in 2010 was a regular-season game, not the league's most important day of the year with a massive television audience and advertising money that could match the GNP of a small country lined up.

Could the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, get moved to another day because of weather? Sure. Also, you might get hit by lightning tomorrow. Your Powerball numbers might come up. Anything is possible.

The NFL presumably has contingency plans for all Super Bowls. But it doesn't speak often about those plans if, say, an earthquake hits California when San Diego hosts a Super Bowl, at least not as much as it's entertaining the possibility of moving this game because of winter conditions. Again, that has happened in the NFL all of once in more than 81 years.

But the NFL, by speaking often about the possibility, has created an odd panic about the situation.

"Super Bowl Saturday (or another day) a possibility if weather doesn't cooperate," a USA Today headline said.

"Super Bowl XLVIII: Date subject to change," said a headline on the Chicago Tribune's website.

"Super Bowl weather: What if this storm happens on game day?" the Star-Ledger asked when a snow storm rolled through the New York/New Jersey area earlier this week.

The NFL has kept this story alive by continuing to talk about contingency plans.

“We are advising teams to prepare in case a contingency plan goes into effect,” Eric Grubman, NFL vice president of business operations, told The Denver Post this week. “If there is a schedule change, both teams will be notified simultaneously in a conference call.”

The thing is, the NFL didn't schedule this game for the North Pole. The Weather Channel's 10-day forecast predicts a high of 36 degrees and a low of 27, with an 80 percent chance of precipitation, in the form of a wintry mix of rain and snow. Uncomfortable, sure. And it could mess with the game, as far as something like slowing down Denver's offense. But is that enough to mess with the plans of everyone involved (including the audience at home, which was more than 108 million last year) to make it the second game changed due to winter weather in more than eight decades? Ummmm, no.

So why does the league want this very, very, very remote possibility alive as a story heading into its biggest event? A couple possibilities come to mind.

First, perhaps it thinks that this is "any publicity is good publicity." There usually isn't much issue in getting attention on the Super Bowl, but playing up the possibility of a massive storm might add to the intrigue of the unique venue.

"We are embracing the weather," commissioner Roger Goodell said, according to the Sports XChange. "Football is played in the elements."

The other possibility is the league is keeping alive the possibility of postponing the game because it figures weather will affect the game in some on-field way, but by getting everyone talking about the (very unlikely) worst-case scenario for two weeks, whatever does rain or snow on the Broncos and Seahawks on Feb. 2 won't seem so bad. Hey, at least the game went on as scheduled, this cold weather Super Bowl idea was OK after all!

Or maybe officials just want to hold the "We told you this was a possibility!" card if that one in a million chance hits and the storm of the century comes through East Rutherford, N.J. at exactly the wrong time.

Just remember as you hear about contingency plans over the next week, that it would take a really rare storm for them to come into play – and even then one would assume if the teams can get to the stadium and the TV equipment works, they'll play as planned.

Grubman told some outlets, including NorthJersey.com, that the game would have gone on as scheduled if it were earlier this week when 13 inches of snow fell on the area. So make your Super Bowl Sunday plans. If the game is moved due to weather, it will be because of something much more disruptive than anyone could reasonably predict right now.

Knowshon Moreno expects to play Super Bowl Sunday By Erin Weaver SI.com January 25, 2014

Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno said Friday that he expects to play on Super Bowl Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Moreno suffered a rib injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s AFC Championship game win against New England. His X-ray results were negative, and he was limited in practice this week. From USA Today‘s report:

“It feels good, getting better. I’ll be ready to go,” Moreno said.

“I’ve had things like this before and it hasn’t really stopped me.”

Moreno said he didn’t expect to need any additional padding when he plays against the Seahawks. He was one of three Broncos listed as questionable this week on Denver’s injury report — a formality, even though there are no games this week.

Including the postseason, the running back has 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.

Demaryius Thomas wants Richard Sherman to cover him in Super Bowl By Alex Hampl SI.com January 25, 2014

Next Sunday’s Super Bowl will pit Denver’s number one-ranked offense against Seattle’s top-ranked defense. One possible matchup to watch will be All-Pro Seahawks corner Richard Sherman against Denver’s leading receiver, Demaryius Thomas. Thomas, for one, is hoping Sherman covers him.

Speaking to reporters after practice, Thomas said he’d embrace the matchup with Sherman: “He’s a great player. I’d love to have that matchup and show what kind of player I am. I don’t know if we’ll match up, but like I said, he’s a great player.”

Thomas caught 92 balls for 1,430 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season. Sherman led the NFL with eight interceptions.

Demaryius Thomas hopes Richard Sherman covers him By Kevin Patra NFL.com January 25, 2014

Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas would relish the challenge of going head-to-head with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman in Super Bowl XLVIII.

"(Sherman's) a great player. I'd love to have that matchup to show what kind of player I am," Thomas told the media following Saturday's practice. "I don't know if we'll match up, but like I said, he's a great player."

The Seahawks don't normally move their corners around to match up with a receiver. Assuming they won't change that strategy for the biggest game of the season, Thomas likely won't have many opportunities to test Sherman.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning generally picks on the best matchup, and even with Thomas' skills, there is usually a better option than testing Sherman. When the Broncos want to get Thomas the ball they'll likely move him around the formation.

Thomas said he respects the Seahawks' secondary and can't wait for next Sunday's chess match.

"Whatever we put out there we just got to be able to execute," he said. "They are the No. 1 defense. They've got a great defense and we've got a great offense. This is what you play for."

Matt Prater misses third consecutive Broncos practice By Dan Hanzus NFL.com January 25, 2014

The Denver Broncos were still down a kicker Friday.

Matt Prater missed practice with an illness for the second consecutive day, according to multiple reports.

Broncos coach John Fox isn't worried about the All-Pro with Super Bowl XLVIII still nine days away.

"He'll be fine," Fox said, according to ESPN.com.

Prater was one of the best kickers in football this season, making 25 of 26 field-goal attempts, including seven from beyond 50 yards. He set an NFL record with a 64-yard conversion during the regular season and is 5 of 6 in the playoffs. He is a legit weapon on a team full of them.

Meanwhile, running back Knowshon Moreno practiced in a limited fashion for the third day in a row. Moreno suffered a rib injury late in the AFC Championship Game, but he appears to be on track to be Denver's lead rusher against the Seattle Seahawks. Per Newsday, Moreno said the injury "is what it is" and it won't prevent him from playing. Rookie Montee Ball likely will handle a portion of the workload.

Defensive tackle Mitch Unrein (knee) also was back at practice after sitting out Thursday.

UPDATE: Prater missed practice for a third consecutive day Saturday, according to The Denver Post. He was sent home Saturday with the virus, but will travel with the team to New York on Sunday.

One time Edmontonian Pat Bowlen's 30th year as Denver Broncos owner By Terry Jones Edmonton Sun January 25, 2014

When the Denver Broncos won their first Super Bowl, owner Pat Bowlen held up the trophy and proclaimed 'This one is for John!'

Fred Fleming hopes it will work the other way this time.

“I hope we win this thing and John is able to say 'This one is for Pat!'

Pat Bowlen, 69, has dropped back in his decision-making role as the owner of the Broncos to allow his old quarterback John Elway, as VP and CEO, and Joe Ellis as president, to assume those duties.

Suffering from short term memory loss and unable to recall details of his team's back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1997 and 1998, Bowlen has made the decision not to do interviews leading up to the Super Bowl. Not with Denver media. Not with media from his old hometown where he played for the Edmonton Huskies and built Commonwealth Stadium.

But Fred Fleming, 74, loves to talk as much now as he did back when he was trying to get a word in edgewise as Bryan Hall's color commentator on Edmonton Eskimos broadcasts on CJCA and later on the CFL telecasts on CTV.

Fleming goes back a long way with Bowlen before he responded to the owners request to make the move to Denver to work for the Broncos full time 24 years ago.

Other than Elway himself, there's probably nobody to speak to the way it is with Mr. B, as the owner is lovingly referred to within the Broncos organization, than the guy who has had several different titles but is usually referred to as “Pat Bowlen's longtime assistant.”

This Super Bowl will very much be a celebration of Bowlen's 30th season as the owner of the team.

It's Bowlen's sixth trip to the Super Bowl, equaling the record of Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.

Bowlen has become the only NFL owner in history to win 300 games in 30 seasons.

And Bowlen has only had five losing seasons in those 30 years. That might be the most impressive stat of all.

It's not as if this isn't everything it should be for Bowlen said Fleming. It's just that his boss has taken a step back and is no longer comfortable doing interviews and it's probably the smart thing in a week which can be overwhelming to somebody like himself, at the bottom of the organization as Fleming jokes, as the guy at the top.

“Pat is in here every day,” said Fleming. “He still goes to the practices and the walk-through. When it comes to football, don't think that he's missing anything. And when it comes to owning the Broncos he's always been all about the Super Bowl.

“But once he brought John in, he's backed off. He wanted John for that job for quite a long time.”

One year soon, it is hoped, Bowlen will almost certainly be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.. Fleming says people probably have forgotten Bowlen could have ended up in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame instead.

“Pat was originally looking at buying the Montreal Alouettes. But the French Canadiens didn't want an English-speaking Canadian owning the team back then so Pat started looking at the NFL and bought the Denver Broncos instead.”

Back in 1984 the Broncos under owner Edgar Kaiser were facing bankruptcy. Bowlen, his brothers John and Bill and sister Marybeth, purchased the team for $78 million.

The franchise value, as calculated by Forbes back in August was $1,161 million.

Despite the success Bowlen made of the franchise, he suffered by the lack of ultimate success for the longest time. I remember him in the bowels of Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego waiting for an elevator after his second Super Bowl loss.

“I'm embarrassed,” he told me after the Broncos had lost 42-10. “I'm embarrassed we couldn't make it more entertaining. I'm embarrassed by the score. I'm embarrassed by the defence. I'm embarrassed by everything.”

When I talked to him after he lost his third as an owner and made it back for his fourth kick at the can, one quote stuck with me.

“If winning the Super Bowl feels as good as losing feels bad, it's going to be off the dial. There's nothing in the world that compares to this. There's certainly nothing that can compare to winning. You can't win a world championship in the oil business. I want to be a world champion. I want that very much.”

But when he finally won it he said “This one is for John.”

Pat Bowlen is the answer to one of my favorite trivia questions. Who is the only person to ever win back-to-back Little Grey Cups and back-to-back Super Bowls?

Bowlen was a member of that celebrated Huskies team which won Canadian junior titles from 1962 to 1964.

He spoke at the Huskies 50th anniversary dinner to raise money for a new clubhouse and I remember talking to him on the phone to promote the dinner.

“A new clubhouse? I can't imagine that they spent all those years in that old clubhouse. We had trouble getting hot water back in the '60s.”

Back when I first interviewed him when he bought the Broncos, I asked him about his career with the Huskies.

“I played without distinction,” was his evaluation.

“I look back on it as a very enjoyable time in my youth. That was a really fun group of guys to be around. It was a lot of fun,” he said of the team which included the likes of Ron Forwick, Ian McLeod, George Spanach, Warren Hansen, Tony Rankel, Marv Roberts, Bob Bateman, Clarence Kachman, Hart Cantelon, Larry Dufresne, Vic Justic and Al Gordichuk.

“Pat figured he should donate $5,000 to the fund for the new clubhouse,” remembers Fleming. “I suggested he auction off four executive box seats instead. They had two bids tied at $16,500. So he decided they were both winners and doubled the deal and they raised $33,000.”

Bowlen has always been a big believer in the CFL. He played a major role in bringing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue to Edmonton to attend the 1997 Grey Cup.

“The Canadian game is a great game. I don't think there were many Eskimos games I missed over the years. And certainly no Grey Cups,” he once told me.

“I remember going to Clarke Stadium as a kid when my dad smuggled me in under his coat. Canadian football is a sacred thing,” added the man who built Commonwealth Stadium with partner Peter Batoni for $18.2 million.

People forget a lot of things about Bowlen's time in town.

“I wonder how many people remember that Pat competed in the Hawaii Iron Man event when it first started out. That defined his mental toughness,” said Fleming.

How did Fred Fleming, a former CFL player with the Calgary Stampeders, end up enjoying such a ride as Pat Bowlen's side kick?

“Forty-four years ago I worked with a trucking company. One day I was in the YMCA gym in Calgary with my Stampeders team-mate Bill Britton when I told him I was thinking about getting into the trucking business in the oil patch. Bill was a friend of Pat and he said Pat's dad Paul was looking at a trucking company. He set me up with a meeting with Pat and his dad at the Petroleum Club. Paul owned Regal Drilling in Edmonton. I had no experience at off-highway trucking but they took a chance on me and I turned Fleetway Trucking from a money-loser into a money-maker, moving derricks and drilling equipment.

“I look back and realize I never would have met Pat Bowlen if I hadn't played for the Calgary Stampeders. And I ended up working with Bryan Hall and Pat's dad liked me doing that so it wasn't a problem. That led to CTV.”

For the past 24 years Fleming has worked full time for the Broncos. But he was brought in to work at various times by Bowlen before he became full time.

“I used to go to work training camps and do the transportation at Super Bowls. In 1990 I went to work with the Broncos full time as assistant to general manager John Beak.”

Upon Beak's departure Fleming was given the job title Director of Special Services.

“I'm basically Freddie The Freeloader,” he laughs.

“I work about 50 or 60 service club dinners a year. I do a lot of work representing the Broncos with the California State Patrol as well. I go all over the state representing the club and have special projects they assign me to in all sorts of different areas.”

Oh, and he's had one other job all these years. He's attached to the quarterback. He was often referred to in print as “John Elway-s long-time security shadow.”

That's been the best part of the job.

“How many people get to work with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks? I was with John Elway for all his years and I'm with Payton Manning now to be their 'no' guy,” he said.

“Somebody has to be there with them to say no,” he said.

“When John retired it was a real emotional day and who was the first person he mentioned? Freddie The Freeloader. Can you believe that?”

And mostly, said Fleming, can you believe he's been able to work all these years with Bowlen and the Broncos.

“Pat is considered to be the best owner in this history of football. I'd really like to see us win it and for John to say 'This is for you, Pat.'”

D'Alessandro: The Broncos are galloping toward Jersey, and Frank Tripucka would have loved it By Dave D'Alessandro Star-Ledger January 25, 2014 Somebody, probably the guy on TV, said “…and the Broncos are going to New Jersey!” and suddenly Kelly Tripucka felt his face soften and his arms tingle as he stared at the flat screen.

He was in South Bend, taking part in a Notre Dame ceremony honoring Digger Phelps, and before long his cell phone was buzzing with messages like, “Frank brought it home!” and “Eighteen’s coming back to Jersey!” and perhaps a dozen more.

“Karma,” Kelly thought to himself. “This is what real karma is like.”

His big brother was home in Little Falls. At kickoff, T.K. Tripucka draped the family’s autographed Peyton Manning jersey across a chair and posted a photo of it on Facebook – “You know, for good mojo,” he explained – and when Manning was finished filleting the Patriots, T.K. turned to his companions and announced what everybody already knew.

“Ohhhh, man,” he said, “Dad would have loved this.”

Their mom, Randy, the quarterback’s wife, was a little more calculated.

“If Frank was watching on Sunday, he would have said one thing: ‘Oh, my God! Look at that protection! I would have killed for that protection!’” she said. “But to have it end like this, are you kidding? Frank would have been thrilled. He would have absolutely been thrilled to see his team come here for a Super Bowl.”

* * *

As of now, the Broncos’ illustrious 54-year history begins at Frank Tripucka’s locker, and ends in Frank Tripucka’s backyard.

The Bloomfield legend died last Sept. 12 at age 85, leaving behind a legacy that belongs not only to Jersey but to Notre Dame and the city where he ushered in professional football way back in 1960. And the truth is, even in a time of mourning, Frank’s family – Randy and her seven kids -- had no choice but to ponder his bond with the Broncos, because their present quarterback seemed to insist on it.

It had been 18 months since Tripucka famously gave Manning permission to wear his retired No. 18 jersey, and the latter is always eager to share his gratitude. He had called the family a few times last summer, inviting Frank to a game, but by then Alzheimer’s had forced Frank into a nursing home. On the morning he died, Manning tweeted a photo of himself (with backups Brock Osweiler and Zac Dysert) pointing at Frank’s photo on the wall of the QB meeting room. And three days after Tripucka passed, Manning invited the family to the team’s hotel in Short Hills on the morning of the Broncos’ game against the Giants.

“I can’t be more thankful to your dad, because I’m old school and I believe retired numbers are sacred,” Manning told the three Tripucka boys (Mark, T.K. and Kelly) who visited with him. “I already had other numbers picked out, but the more I thought about it, the more superstitious I became. So that’s why it means so much to me.”

“Dad always said he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” Kelly replied. “And from the looks of it, it’s working out exactly how he planned it.”

Of course, little else about Frank Tripucka’s tenure in Denver went as planned.

"It's karma" -- Kelly Tripucka

Tripucka came down from the CFL club in Saskatchewan in the summer of 1960, because the coach of the Colorado entry of the new American Football league needed an assistant to tutor his young quarterbacks.

“Frank Filchock, the Broncos’ head coach, agreed to let him leave after the preseason,” Randy recalled. “Frank told him, ‘I want to be home with the kids,’ so he really planned on being back in Bloomfield by September.”

But then came the first exhibition game, when every Broncos quarterback was hopelessly overmatched, until Filchock had his light-bulb moment: “I really don’t want to lose this crowd,” he told Tripucka. “Please, try to give these people something to watch.”

So Tripucka put on a uniform, threw three touchdown passes, and a 33-year-old assistant coach became the starting quarterback – from 1960 through early 1963.

“He went there for three games, and ended up staying for three years,” Randy recalled. “And the owner (Bob Howsam) was so appreciative he retired Frank’s jersey number.”

It wasn’t without merit. Tripucka was an AFL All-Pro in ‘60, he was the first quarterback in AFL history to throw for 3,000 yards, and he made Lionel Taylor the first 100-catch receiver in 1961. And even though the Broncos didn’t win too often, Tripucka’s impact was undeniable. Taylor said it numerous times: "Without Frank, I don't know if the Broncos would have lasted or not.”

Tripucka’s affinity for Denver never waned. Present owner Pat Bowlen saw to that: Each year, he flew the original Broncos out to Denver for a game and a golf outing, “and Frank loved those reunions more than anything,” Randy said.

The truth is, Denver was home during those seasons. Three times, Frank and Randy crammed six kids and two dogs into a woodie station wagon and hauled them across seven states in an America where there was no I-80.

“I always thought those trips were great for our family,” Randy said. “Our oldest was about 12, and they got to see the country, and live in Colorado from July to December. Denver was a laid back and friendly city, and it always remained special to us.”

But here’s the best way to illustrate what those years meant to Frank Tripucka professionally:

“The one game I’ll always remember was the Jets-Colts Super Bowl, because of my dad,” T.K. said. “From the Denver experience, he was an AFL pioneer. So he even though he had (four) years in the NFL and was closer to the Johnny Unitas generation, there was no doubt he was rooting Joe Namath in ’69.

“Man, did he love the AFL. He was almost in tears when the Jets won that game – the cocky upstarts beating the old guard. It was just very emotional for him.”

Years earlier, of course, Tripucka had ranked among the greatest athletes in New Jersey history for his heroics at Bloomfield High – the Star-Ledger placed him at No. 15, one spot ahead of Kelly – and an All-American at Notre Dame. But this week, as they endeavor to win their third Super Bowl a few miles from Frank Tripucka’s hometown, the Denver Broncos and No. 18 think of him as their own.

“It’s almost closure, even if he’s not here,” Kelly said. “I know that he’ll be watching this game somewhere, probably with a bigger screen than you and I have. He’d be proud, intense, and smiling – and yeah, he’s wearing orange. His jersey probably won’t fit, but hey, you can’t stop him from wearing it anyway.”

Super Bowl 2014 brings Broncos superstar Peyton Manning to NJ By Craig Wolff Star-Ledger January 25, 2014

of young football talents and once the head coach at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, liked to know where his players were. Late on a fall school day in 1993, when a fire drill brought everyone outside, and with football practice approaching, a flash of concern ran through him. He couldn’t find his team.

"Where are they?" a colleague asked him. Wise enough to know that wherever his quarterback went, the others would follow, Reginelli had a ready answer.

"Where’s Peyton?" he said.

The hunt for his missing players ended quickly, Reginelli found his squad in back of the school — still in street clothes — and circled around a self-appointed surrogate coach yelling, "I can’t wait."

"It was Peyton, of course," said Reginelli. "With the fire drill, he saw a chance to start practice early, and he wasn’t going to ask me or anyone else for permission."

It has been a fallow winter for sports in these parts. The Knicks are crumbling. The hockey teams are dull and middling, and the fanciest dreams of a Jets-Giants Super Bowl were dashed well before the leaves turned.

The Knicks may have Carmelo Anthony and his 62 points, the Yankees Derek Jeter and the Mets David Wright, but for a week, the supreme athlete by far in all of New Jersey and New York will be Peyton Manning. He is a 37-year-old warhorse now, a veteran of 16 seasons and two Super Bowls and a medical wonder, having endured neck surgery two years ago that nearly ended his career. He is gentle in voice, subdued in mannerism, and looks less like a man trying to secure his legacy than an enduring whiz kid.

Today, a week before the grand experiment of a New Jersey Super Bowl finally lands at MetLife Stadium, Manning and the rest of his Denver Broncos, as well as the Seattle Seahawks, arrive at Newark Liberty International Airport (the Broncos at 3:30 p.m., the Seahawks at 7). From there they will take up quarters .8 miles apart in Jersey City before the teams begin a daily commute between their hotels and workouts — the Seahawks from the Westin to the Giants’ East Rutherford practice site, and the Broncos traveling from the Hyatt Regency to commandeer the Jets’ compound in Florham Park.

History follows Manning. Under him, the Broncos have registered an offensive output of 606 points. No team has ever produced more. If Manning plays two more seasons — and he has not signaled he will retire before then if he is healthy — he will likely surpass 72,000 yards, officially stamping him as the greatest passer of all time.

Preparation

If he is football’s version of "The Natural," it is a label that misses the mark, say those who have coached him or competed against him, as well as quarterback gurus who have studied him from afar. They see someone who became a master technician early on by devoting himself to detail — more Edison than Roy Hobbs — and with a maniacal work ethic.

As part of football’s royal family — son of Archie, brother of Eli — he is also a football old soul, who as a teenager could recite the play by play and strategies of games played before he was born, sounding as if he had been there.

On Saturday mornings after games, Reginelli would arrive early at the school for a post-mortem, first with his coaches, then with the players. Manning, he said, was already there, waiting for him with nitty-gritty, inside-football questions and his own analysis.

"We got guys there who are still washing uniforms, and it’s 7:15, and he’s wanting to know stuff I haven’t thought about yet," Reginelli said. "He’s asking me about the cover 1 and the cover 2, and I’m saying, ‘Peyton, we haven’t looked at the film yet. The coaches are not here yet.’ And then he starts explaining the answers to me."

As graduation approached, Manning, his old coach said, made sure to have his last period free. Again, he could not be found until Reginelli discovered he was working out with his father’s old team, the Saints, as part of seven-on-seven scrimmages. School administrators protested, so to keep Manning’s participation secret, the Saints players quietly moved the practices to Tulane University.

Jim Everett, a quarterback who had just come to New Orleans, told Reginelli, the former coach said, that Manning already was advanced enough to play with the Saints, right then. From then on, Reginelli said, he withheld word of these practices from school officials.

"I looked the other way," he said.

As a work of perfection, Peyton Manning is an unimposing figure. He is droopy-shouldered, small through the middle, and in an age of quarterbacks with powerful physiques and menacing speed, he is — even at 6-foot-5 — a seeming misfit. Surveying over a lineup of hunched and menacing linebackers, he can appear as the tall, big-headed kid sitting in the front row in class, at once alongside his schoolmates and yet, apart from them.

A teammate from his freshman season at the University of Tennessee, Brandon Stewart, said his first impression on meeting Manning in a dormitory corridor was, "He’s tall. But he’s a little tall, if that makes any sense," Stewart said.

Dick Winder coached for more than 45 years in high school and college and became a cult figure for aspiring quarterbacks seeking counsel at every level. He has met Manning only a few times, casually, but has made examining his game a mainstay of his coaching syllabus, in the way a music teacher points his pupils to the masters.

Manning owns what is considered the most vital skill for a quarterback bent on evading the stampede of the opposing line — he releases the ball faster with his right hand than anyone else in the trade. Winder invoked Dan Marino and John Elway as points of comparison. But, he said, a scouting report focusing merely on Manning’s arm is incomplete.

Yes, he said, no one gets his arm back faster — crucial to creating the necessary snap behind a sharp pass, vital to an older quarterback with diminished arm strength. No one extends his arm as far, and no one unleashes the ball from a higher spot in the throwing arc. But diagnostically, perhaps the most important element often goes unseen in the scrum of the pocket, where much bigger men are trying to get at Manning or trying to protect him.

"Everything starts with the feet," Winder said. "Peyton is the only 6-5 quarterback I’ve ever seen that plays 6-5. That means he is always standing tall. He keeps his feet under his armpits. That’s a unique ability. Lots of guys are 6-5, but they play 6-2, so when they release the ball, they’re not as high as they should be."

Manning is not as fast or thick-muscled as the modern quarterback, but he doesn’t have to be. Rather than redefine the position, he has claimed the classic, upright, stay-in-the-pocket style, almost as if he invented it.

To hear Winder tell it, calm feet enable Manning to respond to shifting defensive schemes and dart between first, second and third options among his receivers. Mostly, they grace Manning with the most precious commodity of all for quarterbacks — time. The Broncos may be first in offense, but the Seahawks are ranked first in defense. Their imprimatur is an unsparing, hard-hearted style. An extra second or two is necessary if Manning is to keep the Seahawks at bay.

More time can also carry Manning to a rarefied place common only to high-echelon athletes, where noise and commotion become somehow muffled. He has patiently dismissed the notion that the February cold will undo him, and perhaps this is why.

"Peyton," said Winder, "has the confidence that comes with knowing he can slip into that zone."

Work ethic

What do you make of someone who leaves nothing to chance? That was a question confronted by teammates and mentors early on.

As far back as 11th grade he wore custom-crafted cleats to provide him with more maneuverability. He worked religiously on his motion and follow-through, making sure that in finishing his delivery, he lightly skimmed his right big toe along the turf.

Over hours he would make a hundred throws, said his old high school coach, Reginelli, then get on his knees and make a hundred more, and then repeat the regimen.

He would lift weights and then, in the dark, would put himself through a series of 75- and 100-yard dashes.

"And you’d have to stand with him because he wanted you to clock him," said Reginelli. "Everything he did was put on a chart. Everything was recorded."

When college programs came by the scores to woo him, he was ready for them with dossiers on everything from their offensive schemes to the backgrounds of the coaches.

"He had file cabinets filled with every bit of information he could get," Reginelli said.

At the same time, he kept information about himself on lockdown. For all anyone knows he might actually be 6-6, but he protested whenever he was described that way in game programs and news articles. He thought that the taller he was listed, the slower he would be perceived, said Reginelli.

Illusion and concealment is part of his particular brand of madness. He must have borrowed Jeter’s primer on the art of the generic answer. Over the last several days, he has been asked about playing in frigid temperatures.

His answer: "Whether it is situational, two-minute situation, weather, whatever it is — it’s always a good thing."

On playing here: "So I think the fact that it is in New York is certainly going to be special, but it is a big deal because we worked so hard to get to this point."

Players may be especially guarded around the Super Bowl, but Manning remains the opaque superstar, ideal for marketing, but largely sealed off.

Manning’s drive sometimes alienated teammates. Stewart, his Tennessee teammate, forged a friendship with him though he, too, was a highly recruited quarterback who entered college the same year, and though Manning rankled him

with his ultra competitiveness. They were among four quarterbacks — including Todd Helton, who went on to become a baseball star with the Colorado Rockies — competing for playing time. (It was well advertised that the position would ultimately belong to Manning, but Stewart started over him in the first game of the season.)

"To get to a meeting early, before anyone else got there, he would come half-dressed," Stewart said. Stewart said Manning once locked him out of a meeting to get there first. He called it a prank but sounded slightly unsure.

"If he needed to be, he would be cutthroat," Stewart said. "He didn’t do anything malicious."

As his roommate for road games, Stewart said he was struck by how Manning was drawn into the crevices of the game — fake handoffs, play-action passes, how to draw the opposition off-sides with subtle gestures, and what Stewart said were "crazy words" Manning thought up ahead of time. That Manning calls out "Omaha" as he gives oral signals from the line of scrimmage is now a curiosity, but, Stewart said, the use of deceptive code language, was schemed out decades ago in dorm and hotel rooms.

"Initially it was perceived he was showing guys up," Stewart said. "He wasn’t the most popular guy. But this guy is not on the same page as everybody else. He’s like a leader is in any walk of life. He did things differently."

In the end, Stewart said he came away dazzled. He said that if someone were to create an instruction manual on how to be a great quarterback, "Peyton would have nailed every chapter."

At the end of every practice, Stewart said, Manning would watch him, not wanting to leave until Stewart had.

"He wanted to be able to say he was the last one off the field," Stewart said.

Manning's route to Super Bowl 2014 involved 'routine' but career-saving surgery By Amy Ellis Nutt Star-Ledger January 25, 2014

First there was the pinched nerve, then the herniated disc, then the re-herniated disc. All required surgery. But two weeks after the last, when Peyton Manning still couldn’t grip a football in his right hand, he had little choice. On Sept. 8, 2011, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history underwent one more surgery, his fourth in just 18 months. It was also the most serious: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, or ACDF.

Most spine doctors, such as Rick Sasso from Indianapolis, who was not involved in Manning’s operation, called the procedure “routine” and said it was often performed as a same-day surgery.

“Most out-patients go home about four hours after the operation is done,” Sasso told USA Today at the time.

But when the patient is not only a professional football player but a quarterback, the operation is a watershed moment. Success, and Manning would be able to resume his Hall of Fame career, perhaps contend for another Super Bowl championship. Failure, and he’d be done, out of the game, the pain in his neck and numbness in his right arm essentially incurable.

For the “single level anterior fusion” Manning underwent in 2011, surgeons made a 1- to 2-inch horizontal incision in the front of his neck, carefully moving away muscle, retracting the esophagus, the trachea and the carotid artery, cutting through a membranous sheath that covers the cervical spine and finally exposing the crushed disc.

There are seven cervical vertebrae extending from the base of the skull to the top of the chest. The damaged disc in Manning’s neck was located between the C6 and C7 vertebrae, at the bottom of the neck. Using scissor-like instruments and high speed drills, surgeons removed the disc fragments between the two vertebrae and grafted a piece of Manning’s hip bone into the empty space between the vertebrae. A titanium “bridge” spanning the disc stabilized the spine.

For Manning, it wasn’t so much the pain or even the fusion of the vertebrae that concerned him as much as it was the reaction of the spinal nerve and the numbness in his right triceps that radiated down into his middle finger. Squeezed and strangled for years, would the nerve regenerate? Would he ever be able to grip

a football again and throw it as he once did, spinning spirals 30-40-50 yards down the field into the waiting arms of a wide receiver?

“If any other part of your body has some weakness, you go, ‘Well, I can probably manage,’ ” Manning told the Washington Post last year. “But when you’re a quarterback and it’s your right hand, you’re certainly concerned as far as being able to do your job.”

A 2010 Northwestern University study of NFL players who sustained herniated discs and underwent surgery found that 38 of 53 were able to return and play. When nerves are involved, as they were in Manning’s case, it’s much more difficult to predict outcomes, say experts, because the degree of nerve regeneration can vary widely. Manning has been able to come all the way back, but even non-athletes often face less-than-complete recovery.

Three years after one man’s cervical surgery on the same disc and vertebrae as Manning, he wrote on a Neurotalk website:

“I am no better, the pain in my arms hands legs and feet are excruciating. I have been off work a lot since my operation. … I wake up everyday and it feels like my skin is too tight for the rest of my body, the nerve pain that shoots up and down my arms and legs is as bad now as it was way back then.”

With win at MetLife, Peyton can be anointed ‘greatest’ QB By Steve Serby New York Post January 25, 2014

SUPER BOWL, N.Y. — Frank Sinatra taught us, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

Now Peyton Manning tries to make it here.

They step off their respective flights one by one, video cameras rolling, into the warmth of cold temperatures that jolt them into the reality that the first New York Super Bowl belongs to them.

Here comes Richard Sherman, the talk of the town, the talk of the country, the football Ali to some, Public Enemy No. 1 to others. Here comes Pete Carroll, 20 years after the Jets fired him when he was a rookie head coach, bouncing into a moment maybe only he visualized. Here comes Russell Wilson, the precocious Other Quarterback. Here comes reluctant Marshawn Lynch, Beast Mode with a ball in his hands, Least Mode in front of the media. Here come the Seahawks.

Here comes Wes Welker, looking to stick it to Bill Belichick one more time. Here comes John Fox, back from a heart scare for another shot at a championship. Here comes Champ Bailey, who has waited 15 years to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Here comes Eric Decker, the sex-symbol receiver with the celebrity wife. Here comes Mr. Bronco John Elway, two-time champ and Hall of Fame quarterback, who brought Peyton Manning to Denver.

And here comes Peyton Manning.

This is Peyton Manning Week.

After all he has been through — the heartbreak of having to make way for the Andrew Luck Era and finding a new team, the doubts and fears that his neck surgeries could prevent him from playing again — he gets this once-in-a-lifetime chance to make New York Peyton’s Place, very possibly his last chance to leave his footprints as Greatest Of All Time.

Because if he wins his second Super Bowl championship at Little Brother Eli’s house, I will stand on top of the Empire State building and trumpet his coronation as the Greatest Of All Time.

Should he become the first quarterback to lead two different franchises to the Lombardi Trophy, that will be enough for me to vault him past Joe Montana.

Montana may have four rings, but he didn’t sustain excellence for as long as Manning has.

If Manning can beat Pete Carroll’s ferocious, barking pit bulls from Seattle, he will have pushed his playoff record to 12-11, and plunged a dagger into the notion he is the best regular-season quarterback in NFL history, but little more.

You can win four Super Bowls, as Terry Bradshaw has, and still be ranked below Dan Marino, who never won one.

And it sure wouldn’t hurt Manning’s legacy if he were to play big in the biggest game on the biggest stage, the Broadway stage, and win that second ring.

The game may be played in New Jersey, but the New York Giants and New York Jets play there, too.

Montana was denied a pair of Super Bowl berths by Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Lawrence Taylor and those Big Blue bad boys, and once by Buddy Ryan’s ’85 Bears, but he never faced a defense as formidable as these Seahawks when he got to the big game.

Montana and Jerry Rice never had to deal with a cornerback like Sherman, who masterfully and meteorically has raised his national profile with a rant for the ages, or a ballhawk free safety like Earl Thomas III.

And no one, through the sheer force of an indomitable will like Manning’s, has stormed back from four neck fusion surgeries at age 37 to lead a Bronco to water and make it drink like this.

His boss, Elway, was a more diminished player at 37 than Manning, and had been carried to the Super Bowl XXXII crown by running back Terrell Davis before one last hurrah in Super Bowl XXXIII.

It has been suggested that Manning, faced with his own football mortality, appreciates the game to such an extent he no longer puts insufferable pressure on himself to win. I don’t buy it. Every great athlete is driven to be the best at what he does, and be viewed that way by the public and his peers.

It can’t possibly be enough for Manning to be recognized as the NFL’s foremost pitchman, Madison Avenue’s darling. It isn’t the way he is wired.

The record-55 touchdown passes, the 400-yard dispatching of Tom Brady’s Patriots, Manning will reflect upon all that when he’s finished playing.

Welcome to The City That Never Sleeps, where Peyton Manning will never sleep until he knows the Seahawks defense better than the Seahawks defense knows him.

Manning, remember, passed on playing for Parcells in New York in 1997 to return to Tennessee for his senior year. He passed on playing for Rex Ryan here when he was shown the door in Indianapolis and went looking for a team.

Joe Namath won his Super Bowl in Miami. Phil Simms won his in Pasadena. Jeff Hostetler in Tampa. Eli Manning in Glendale, Ariz., and Indianapolis.

How ironic it would be if Peyton Manning can make it here, in Super Bowl, N.Y. ?

David Climer: Super Bowl weather not on Peyton Manning's radar By David Climer The Tennessean January 25, 2014

Last time I checked, Las Vegas had the over-under betting line for the Super Bowl — the combined points scored by both teams — at 47.

But when it comes to Peyton Manning, the real over-under is 32 degrees.

The temperature at which water freezes is alleged to be the point at which Manning freezes up. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, we will be bombarded by various stories on his history of not playing particularly well in cold weather. Instead of Denver vs. Seattle, it will be Peyton vs. AccuWeather.

When the temperature is 32 degrees or lower at kickoff, Manning’s career record is 4-7 (a winning percentage of .364). When it’s above freezing at kickoff, he’s 174-77 (.693).

His passing stats also take a hit in the cold. His completion percentage drops about five points, and his passing yardage dips roughly 50 yards per game when the temperature is 32 or lower.

Granted, 11 games is a pretty small sample size for someone with a 16-year NFL career. Also, several of those games were on the road in the playoffs, when matchups are particularly difficult. Playing at New England in the postseason is different from playing at home against the Raiders.

Still, there is a perception out there that cold weather is his Kryptonite. It is one of the ongoing narratives of Super Bowl week.

How big a deal is the weather for the Super Bowl? So big that there is a website for it — willitsnow.com. The site has AccuWeather forecasts from four meteorologists, each predicting what the conditions will be at kickoff.

The consensus: It’s going to be cold, with a chance of snow. How cold? Will it snow? Considering the nature of weather forecasts, your guess is as good as theirs.

One week out, AccuWeather projects afternoon temperatures on Feb. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J., anywhere from 33 to 36 degrees. In the evening, it should be between 27 and 31 degrees.

With sunset at 5:15 p.m. EST — more than an hour before kickoff — it’s a safe bet that temperatures will be falling as afternoon gives way to evening, perhaps hitting the 32-degree threshold by the time foot hits ball.

Manning believes his characterization as a fair-weather quarterback is out of bounds. Last month, he told all the weather watchers to kindly place such talk “where the sun don’t shine.”

Weather was seldom an issue when Manning was quarterbacking Tennessee’s Vols in 1994-97. He played in a couple of chilly, damp games at Kentucky, but the temperature was in the 40s and the Wildcats put up only token opposition.

His toughest sledding as a Vol came against Florida in games that were played in the September heat. But that’s another story.

In Week 14 this season, the Titans were hoping a frigid afternoon in Denver would give them a needed edge against Manning and the Broncos. No dice. Despite temperatures in the teens, he threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns as Denver won 51-28.

After that game, Broncos receiver Julius Thomas took aim at those that questioned Manning’s ability to perform in the winter chill.

“For him to be able to come out there and put 50 on the board and put that whole cold thing to bed, I’m sure he’s happy to see that behind him,” Thomas said.

As if on schedule, a cold snap hit Denver last week, allowing the Broncos to practice in 10-degree conditions one day. It was a warmup for what lies ahead this week.

“We’ve practiced in this and had to play in these types of conditions at different points in the year,” Manning told reporters. “So any time you can have a similar situation you can simulate during practice which it might be during a game, it always is a good thing.”

Those who have watched Manning over the years can attest to his meticulous preparation. He studies videotape for hours. His mind is a blur of X’s and O’s. No detail is too minor.

When cold weather is in the forecast, he adds another step to his pre-game regimen. Prior to kickoff, he sticks his right hand in a bucket filled with ice water to acclimate himself to the conditions.

Next Sunday, I bet he turns a cold shoulder to all this.

Danny Trevathan and the Denver Broncos defense have come a long way since opener By Kent Babb Washington Post January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The season started embarrassingly enough, and even so many weeks later, it’s not something Denver Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan enjoys recalling.

First, the good: During a nationally televised, season-opening game against the Baltimore Ravens, the defending Super Bowl champions, Trevathan stepped in front of a pass from Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter, intercepting it and bolting toward the end zone. Then, this: He ran toward the goal line, an easy touchdown — only, with his mind already on his celebration, the second-year defender flipped the ball from his hand at the 2-yard line.

“I saw those lights and I’m there — I’m going to go ahead, get my little dance in, do whatever,” Trevathan said this week. “That was just the young part of me.”

As his teammates chased the fumble — a scrum in which fellow linebacker Wesley Woodyard was mildly injured — Trevathan danced in the end zone.

“That was fairly embarrassing,” Broncos Coach John Fox said this week. Trevathan can smile now about a play that was replayed again and again, showing a young player’s mental error and revealing to America — in one seven-second clip — a symbol of Denver’s defense, the mighty Broncos’ one weakness.

That was nearly five months ago, long before Trevathan and the Broncos prevented a New England comeback last Sunday to reach the Super Bowl. Although the wound of Week 1 still feels fresh to Trevathan, the memory motivated the young linebacker, and he lately has become the overlooked face of an overlooked defense.

“It taught me to be a little bit more humble,” he said.

Trevathan was easy to miss in college, his ability buried under two unmistakable disadvantages: Even now, he’s listed at 6 feet 1 and 240 pounds, small by Southeastern Conference standards. He also played at Kentucky, one of the conference’s weakest teams. During the 2012 NFL draft, he fell to the sixth round and played little as a rookie, waiting behind star linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller.

After Dumervil joined Baltimore, Trevathan stepped into the starting lineup, albeit for a defensive unit overshadowed by quarterback Peyton Manning and one of the league’s most explosive offenses.

The Broncos’ defense would be an afterthought, and through most of the season, it played that way. Denver ranked 27th in pass defense during the regular season, and in four games it allowed at least 440 total yards — including a season-worst 522 in a shootout against the Dallas Cowboys. In that game, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo passed for a franchise-record 506 yards, but the Broncos clinched the victory after Trevathan’s fourth-quarter interception. This time, he held on.

“We needed this,” Trevathan said after the 51-48 win, and the truth was, he probably needed it, too.

Denver seemed like a Super Bowl contender, sure, but for a long time it seemed like one in spite of its defense, and only if Manning could consistently score enough points. In two of the team’s three losses, the Broncos allowed opponents to build big leads; in the other, more glaring loss, the defense couldn’t protect a 24-0 halftime lead against the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady.

“Life is a game,” said Trevathan, who had a season-high 13 tackles in November’s overtime, 34-31 loss to New England. “It’s ups and downs, highs and lows.”

Around that time, Trevathan would say later, he noticed himself growing up. The interception-turned-fumble in September had humbled him, and the November birth of his first child, a daughter, matured him.

“She has just helped me get myself together,” the 23-year-old linebacker said.

The Broncos’ defense, though, was another story. Coordinator Jack Del Rio took on interim head coaching duties while Fox recovered from an emergency heart procedure, standing in for the head coach for four games — and keeping the team’s big dreams from derailing. They defeated division rival Kansas City twice during that stretch, protecting Denver’s AFC West lead, and Del Rio leaned on players like Trevathan and his newfound steadiness. Players, meanwhile, strengthened their trust in Del Rio, whose leadership made him a head coaching candidate following his 3-1 stand-in performance.

That was the good. Then, this: Miller, a two-time Pro Bowler with five sacks and 28 quarterback hurries, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a late-December game against Houston. Miller’s season was over, the latest obstacle to threaten the Broncos’ year, and Trevathan was now his team’s best outside linebacker.

“We looked at the games remaining,” Fox said, “knowing that we were going to be in the playoffs — we had clinched a spot — and just really being determined to get better.

“We’ve done that, and we need to continue it.”

During the Broncos’ past four games, three of them without Miller, the defense held opponents to an average of 268.5 yards — 103 yards fewer than its average through 14 regular season games.

This past Sunday, during the AFC championship against the Patriots and Brady — who was 10-4 all-time against Manning and 7-0 against Del Rio’s defenses — the Broncos needed to stop a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Brady was building another comeback, and two points would trim Denver’s lead to one possession with a little more than three minutes to play.

Del Rio called a play that seemed to indicate that he’d predicted Brady would pass; instead, Brady handed off to running back Shane Vereen, who ran up the middle and encountered a plugged gap — with Trevathan among the three defenders who stopped Vereen short of the goal line.

A day later, the hum of his team’s 26-16 win still spreading through the Broncos’ Dove Valley training complex, Trevathan stood on a stage and smiled. The season had started one way, humiliating as it was. And now, this.

“I promised myself I would never put my team in a place like that,” he said, looking back on that game in September. “I’ll make up for it; I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do. I promised those who were laughing at me, I’m going to make them suffer.”

Then he continued.

“You know, I like my lows and I like my highs,” Trevathan said. “Because without my lows, I never know what my highs are.”

Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas on Sherman: ‘I’d love to have that matchup’ By Matt Trebby Seattle Times January 25, 2014

Unlike against the San Francisco 49ers, there appears to be a mutual respect between Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman and the Denver Broncos’ leading receiver, Demaryius Thomas.

Denver’s offense has been record-setting this season, led by quarterback Peyton Manning. While the Broncos have four receivers that could have big games in Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, and Demaryius Thomas, it’s the latter of the four that has been Manning’s most consistent target.

After a breakout season in 2012 that saw Thomas catch 94 passes for 1,434 yards and score 10 touchdowns, he had an equally efficient 2013 – 92 receptions, 1,430 yards, 14 touchdowns. He had less than four receptions in just two games this season, and in each of those he had three catches for 78 and 106 receiving yards, respectively.

When asked on Saturday about the prospect of being covered by Sherman, Thomas said he was excited about the potential challenge.

“He’s a great player,” Thomas told the Denver Post. “I’d love to have that matchup to show what kind of player I am. I don’t know if he’ll match up, but like I said, he’s a great player.”

Decker noted the Broncos are ready to face the most physical secondary they’ve faced all season in the Seahawks.

“I think all around, they have the best defense in the NFL, and they get after opponents,” Decker said. “I think you have to play from the first snap. You have to be physical, because these guys are going to get you at the line. They are going to get you at the top of routes, and they will come down to hit you. So you have to make sure to bring it to them as well.”

Sherman has been equally complimentary of the Denver receivers, starting in his column on Monday morning for MMQB.SI.com.

“The Broncos stand in our way, and it’s a large obstacle. They’ve got the smartest quarterback in football and receiver who are large (mostly, explosive with the football and run great routes,” Sherman wrote. “Wes Welker is elusive, Eric Decker

is a great receiver with hands and speed, and Demaryius Thomas is as strong as they come. And Peyton knows how to get each of them in spots.”

Meanwhile the Denver defense is aware of the potential threat that Percy Harvin adds to the Seahawks passing game.

“That’s a dangerous man right there. He can change the game if you allow him to. I remember playing him when he was in Minnesota, and he’s one of the most explosive guys coming off the ball,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. I don’t know how they are going to use him. We don’t have a lot of tape on him, if any, but they are going to use him. You don’t have a weapon like that and not use it.”

What if Peyton Manning had chosen the Seahawks? By John Boyle Everett Herald January 26, 2014

RENTON — While we wait for the dream Super Bowl matchup between Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Seattle's vaunted secondary, it's fun to look back and consider what if?

What if Manning had gotten on to that private jet two years ago to talk with Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll? What if they had sold him on the idea of being a Seahawk, and instead of playing against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, he was playing for them?

As it turned out, Seattle's interest was mostly one-sided, so we were probably never actually that close to seeing Manning in a Seahawks uniform. But still, it's impossible not to consider the possibilities now that the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl facing a future Hall-of-Fame player they briefly courted two years ago.

Carroll said Manning initially reached out to him, but when he and Schneider made a surprise trip to Denver on owner Paul Allen's jet, Manning, reportedly not a fan of surprises, didn't get on the plane, nor did he agree to any future meetings.

"Well, he called me, that was good," Carroll said. "He called us. That was a good start, then from there it just went downhill. I did not do a very good job on the phone."

Carroll can of course laugh about the situation now seeing as his team found its franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson later that spring and made it to the Super Bowl two years later.

"No I haven't spent much time on that since we've moved on," Carroll said. "It's kind of interesting that we're playing against them at this point and we wound up with Russell (Wilson) and they wound up with Peyton. So it's pretty cool."

But even if Carroll doesn't care to waste his time on a hypothetical, what else are we going to do with a week remaining until the Super Bowl? We've got time to kill, right? So let's go ahead and play the what-if game. Had the Seahawks landed Manning two years ago, we wouldn't simply be looking at this version of the Seahawks with a different quarterback.

Instead, the Seahawks would in all likelihood be a very different team. One of the biggest advantages teams with young quarterbacks have over the rest of the NFL is the money it frees up to spend elsewhere, and nowhere is that more evident than in this Super Bowl matchup. Russell Wilson had a base salary of $526,217 this season, and counted $681,085 towards Seattle's salary cap. Manning, meanwhile, made $15 million and counted $17.5 million towards the cap. He'll cost the same next year, while Wilson will again be one of the NFL's biggest bargains before he is eligible to negotiate a new deal following the 2014 season.

Being the architect of the team, Schneider is man who has to think multiple years ahead, yet he admits he also looks back when it comes to Seattle's attempt to land Manning.

"Yeah, often," he said. "I just think that we would have continued to do things the way we do it all the time. I know that we wouldn't have been able to afford several players, but we would have competed in other areas to compensate for it in where we were deficient in our roster. It's a daily process."

The "Legion of Boom" secondary would likely still be intact since none of those players have finished out their rookie deals aside from Kam Chancellor, who got an extension last offseason that may have been impossible with Manning on the books. But with Manning on the books, there would be a much higher probability that Richard Sherman or Earl Thomas would head elsewhere in free agency when their deals expire, or that Chancellor would be one game from free agency had Seattle not been able to extend him.

That trade for Percy Harvin, which so far hasn't amounted to much anyway, likely wouldn't have happened because the Seahawks wouldn't have been able to give him a big contract. The Seahawks perhaps could have added Cliff Avril or Michael Bennett in free agency, but certainly not both of them. And it's almost certain that a few veterans who have played big roles in this Super Bowl season wouldn't be on the this year's team, having been cut last offseason or the year before to help the team afford Manning's big contract.

Seattle's offense would almost certainly play a different style as well.

Yes, Carroll would still want to run the ball, but they would be foolish not to throw it more with Manning. Perhaps Seattle also would have signed players who fit specifically with Manning, both receivers who mesh with his style and also linemen who are better pass-blockers even if it comes at the expense of run blocking.

We'll never know if the Seahawks are better off as the deeper, more balanced team they are now, or if they would maybe be playing in a second straight Super Bowl with a high-flying offense Manning could have brought to Seattle. What we do know

is that both teams came out of that decision pretty well, and that the Seahawks are in great shape at quarterback going forward.

And speaking of that, what of Russell Wilson?

Imagine how different his life would be right now if Manning had spent the past two seasons putting up big numbers in Seattle. Wilson might just be a second-year backup who nobody is talking about instead of one of the NFL's biggest young stars. Or maybe, feeling the need to improve the team around Manning, Schneider and Carroll, while still enamored with Wilson, would have decided to use that third-round pick on an offensive lineman or a receiver or tight end. Maybe Wilson would be proving his doubters wrong in some other city.

Carroll, however, says that Manning or no Manning, Wilson would still be a Seahawk, adding, "Knowing what I know now, we'd have taken him a little bit higher."

Manning was one of the biggest free agents in sport history, so it's hardly a stretch to say that a different decision two years ago would have drastically altered the future of (at least) two NFL franchises. We'll never know for sure how things would have turned out for the Seahawks, the Broncos, Manning or Wilson, had Manning gotten on that plane two years ago, but a week before the Super Bowl, it's still a fun to ask:

What if?

Super Bowl: Good (Broncos) vs. evil (Seahawks) By Bill Plaschke Los Angeles Times January 26, 2014

LOS ANGELES — One team celebrated its Super Bowl invitation by angrily stomping across a rain-splattered patch of downtown pavement. The other team tearfully skipped around a bright mountain meadow.

One team’s fans celebrated their Super Bowl invitation when a few fools threw popcorn on an injured opponent as he was being carted to the locker room. The other team’s fans waved bright orange pompoms.

One team’s nickname is associated with a glaring, swooping raptor. The other team’s mascot rides in on a white horse.

The upcoming Super Bowl is a classic football matchup, and not only because it will be played in Tony Soprano’s backyard amid potentially bitter cold and falling snow. This year’s game is about more than just the Denver Broncos versus the Seattle Seahawks.

This game is, in many public perceptions, about good versus evil.

The Broncos are seen as the lovable franchise that resounds with football history. The Seahawks are viewed as a reckless franchise that talks trash. The Broncos are known for enduring four Super Bowl losses by an average of 28 points before finally winning two titles. The Seahawks’ only Super Bowl appearance was a loss filled with whining about the officiating.

Many of these comparisons are, of course, unfair. The Broncos and Seahawks are both long-suffering teams filled with mostly good guys and surrounded by powerful fan bases. In some ways, these former AFC West rivals from the NFL’s remotest outposts are mirror images of each other.

But by the end of Sunday night’s conference championship games, for the sake of a juicy two-week narrative, that mirror was cracked, differences were brushed off, identities were cast, and a powerful storyline appeared.

It now seems as if America will be cheering for the Broncos, if only because they are not the Seahawks.

It’s about John Elway versus Paul Allen.

Elway is the rugged, tousle-haired face of Broncos, a beloved Hall of Fame quarterback who now acts as their vice president and ambassador. He won one of his two Super Bowl championships by spinning through the air like a stocky helicopter.

Paul Allen is that enigmatic billionaire dude who owns the Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Sounders. He has never won a championship with any of them. He also never has done a helicopter move, although he does build spaceships.

It’s about John Fox versus Pete Carroll.

Fox is the ruddy-faced guy with bushy gray hair and gravelly voice who is coaching the Broncos despite missing a month this season after undergoing heart surgery.

Carroll is the Seahawks coach who left USC just before the Trojans were placed on NCAA probation and has since presided over a team that leads the NFL with five drug suspensions in the last three years.

It’s about Peyton Manning versus Richard Sherman.

Manning is the likable Broncos quarterback known for his pizza commercials, his “Saturday Night Live” appearances, his close family ties and his Southern brand of humble sportsmanship.

Sherman is the feared Seahawks cornerback who ended Sunday’s game by being assessed a penalty for flashing the choke sign to the beaten San Francisco 49ers. He then stunned the public with a nationally televised taunting rant for which he has since apologized.

It’s about Knowshon Moreno versus Marshawn Lynch.

Moreno is the Broncos running back who gets so sentimental, he cries during the national anthem. Earlier this season, a stunning video caught tears that seemed too big to be real.

Lynch is the Seahawks running back who is nicknamed “Beast Mode” and who acts like it in the locker room. He was initially fined $50,000 by the NFL for refusing to talk to the media this entire season. The fine was rescinded once he agreed to speak. His first news conference lasted one minute and 35 seconds.

It’s about Wes Welker versus Golden Tate.

Welker is the tiny Broncos receiver who once starred for the New England Patriots and has long been respected for his toughness.

Tate is the Seattle receiver who was once caught sneaking into a Seattle bakery in the middle of the night and allegedly pilfering maple bars.

It’s about The Drive versus Fail Mary.

One of the most memorable Broncos moments was Jan. 11, 1987, when Elway began his march to the Hall of Fame by leading the Broncos 98 yards in barely five minutes to tie the AFC championship game against the Cleveland Browns in the final seconds. The Broncos won the game in overtime.

One of the most memorable Seahawks moments was Sept. 24, 2012, when they won a game thanks to one of the worst officiating calls in NFL history. The Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers, 14-12, when replacement officials incorrectly ruled Tate made a game-winning touchdown catch in the final seconds. It was such a bad call, two days later, the NFL ended its lockout of regular officials.

It’s about Orange Crush versus Skittles.

The Broncos long have been associated with that wonderful throwback soda, Orange Crush being a name applied to everything from their former great defense to their current uniforms.

The Seahawks are currently associated with those annoying little pieces of candy, Skittles being thrown on their field in honor of Lynch, who eats them during the game.

This matchup is actually the one that epitomizes all the other matchups, this classic Super Bowl being waged between one team considered sweet and colorful, and the other one tangy and hard.

Champ Bailey calls Percy Harvin “a dangerous man” By Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com January 26, 2014

Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin only touched the ball twice in the regular season and four times in the postseason, but he’s still a big part of the Broncos’ defensive game plan.

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey says the Broncos have to be ready for Harvin being a huge threat with the ball in his hands.

“That’s a dangerous man right there,” Bailey said, via the Denver Post. “He can change the game if you allow him to. I remember playing him when he was in Minnesota, and he’s one of the most explosive guys coming off the ball.”

The fact that Harvin has hardly played with the Seahawks may actually be to his advantage in the Super Bowl, as the Broncos don’t really know what role he’s going to play in Seattle’s offense.

“I don’t know how they are going to use him,” Bailey said. “We don’t have a lot of tape on him, if any, but they are going to use him. You don’t have a weapon like that and not use it.”

Injuries have so plagued Harvin that he hasn’t started a game and finished it healthy since October of 2012. But if Harvin can finally do that in February of 2014, he’s going to be a big problem for Denver’s defense.

Oddsmaker sets Peyton Manning’s passing yardage total at 323.5 By Mike Wilkening ProFootballTalk.com January 26, 2014

The Seahawks have allowed two passers to exceed 300 yards all season.

Peyton Manning, meanwhile, has thrown for more than 300 yards in 13-of-18 combined regular-season and postseason starts.

What we have here is a compelling matchup — and the ingredients for the sort of proposition bet Nevada sports books love to post this time of year.

In numbers released Friday, oddsmaker William Hill U.S. set Manning’s Super Bowl yardage at 323.5. Bettors can either take Manning to throw for more or less than the posted yardage.

Back on September 29, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 355 yards in a wild 23-20 overtime loss to Seattle. That’s the high-water mark for passing yards against the Seahawks this season. Only one other quarterback — the Saints’ Drew Brees — has exceeded 300 gross passing yards against Seattle.

Manning, for the record, has averaged 339.3 yards in his starts this season.

Outside of the on-field matchup, there’s the matter of the weather in New Jersey on Super Sunday.

Matt Prater’s still sick, misses last practice in Denver By Darin Gantt ProFootballTalk.com January 26, 2014

The Broncos wrapped up their final practice in Denver before departing for the Super Bowl, and they did so without ill kicker Matt Prater.

Prater has been held out this week with a virus, but Broncos coach John Fox didn’t seem particularly concerned about him being contagious on the long plane flight/petri dish tomorrow.

“We sent (Prater) home, but he’s going to be fine for the game,” Fox said, via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “Hopefully he feels much better by tomorrow morning when we leave for New Jersey.”

Because it’s late in the dead week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, and because reporters there are thorough, Fox was asked if he was concerned about an epidemic.

“It’s happened all season and it happens all over the league,” Fox said. “Guys do get sick; it’s like any household in America. We are confident he’ll be fine.”

The only other Bronco to miss practice was defensive tackle Sione Fua, who has a calf injury and is doubtful for the Super Bowl.

Demaryius Thomas hopes Richard Sherman is covering him By Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com January 26, 2014

Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas wants to challenge himself against the best, and that means he hopes Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman covers him in the Super Bowl.

Thomas told reporters that he doesn’t know how the Seahawks’ secondary will cover the Broncos’ receivers, but if Seattle puts Sherman on him, Thomas would take that as a compliment.

“He’s a great player. I’d love to have that matchup and show what kind of player I am. I don’t know if we’ll match up, but like I said, he’s a great player,” Thomas said.

If Sherman is on Thomas, that likely means Thomas won’t get many passes thrown his way: Peyton Manning loves to look for mismatches in the opposing secondary, and when you’re playing Seattle, looking for a mismatch means looking away from Sherman. But whatever happens, Thomas thinks it’s going to be fun.

“They’ve got a great defense and we’ve got a great offense,” Thomas said. “This is what you play for.”

And that’s what we watch for.

Five to Watch: 4. Brandon Mebane By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Seahawks fans know about nose tackle Brandon Mebane in the same way that Broncos fans know Terrance Knighton. In both cases, their national recognition has yet to catch up with their local renown.

But unlike Knighton, who emerged this year after arriving as a free agent from Jacksonville, Mebane has grown over the years with the Seahawks. The seven-year veteran is the longest-tenured player on the roster, and one of just three links remaining to the Mike Holmgren era, which ended after the 2008 season.

Seattle's defense is seventh-best in yards per carry allowed (3.9), eighth-best in percentage of carries to go for first downs (19.7 percent), eighth-best in rushing yardage allowed (101.6 yards a game) and fourth at permitting runs of 20 or more yards (one every 70.3 plays).

Mebane is arguably the biggest reason why. Just like Knighton in recent weeks, Mebane draws double-teams from blocking schemes, and rarely is contained by one offensive lineman. The primary beneficiaries are linebackers Bobby Wagner and Malcolm Smith, both of whom have the freedom to be active against the run because of the attention Mebane draws.

"There's so many combination blocks and double team blocks where he gets underneath people and he can get a guy knocked back," Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said last month.

Mebane is agile on his feet for his size (6-foot-1, 311 pounds), which allows him to be effective with the myriad stunts and twists that Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likes to utilize.

"He's really strong," Quinn said in December. "I think that's the one thing, when he can get underneath you, it's hard to deal with it and I think one of the things that sets him apart is his balance."

Although Mebane is usually removed from the game when Seattle goes out of its base defense and into nickel and dime sub packages, he is an effective pass rusher when the need arises. He had four quarterback hits in the Seahawks' last two regular-season games, one of which led to an interception, and played a role in one of Seattle's two sacks last week (he wasn't on the field for the other one).

On the sack, he moved inside off the snap from the left defensive tackle spot. Both the right guard and center squared up and moved inside to block him, before center Jonathan Goodwin moved back to monitor right defensive tackle Tony McDaniel.

This left right tackle Anthony Davis alone with no potential for help against left defensive end Michael Bennett, who won the one-on-one battle off the edge and accelerated into Colin Kaepernick for the sack.

Work like that explains why it's not Richard Sherman or Earl Thomas who is the Seahawks' top-rated defender in ProFootballFocus.com's metrics, but Mebane, who the site rates as the No. 2 defensive tackle league-wide against the run. Mebane is a root cause of the Seahawks' defensive prowess, but rarely gets the credit he deserves for it.

Bailey Set for First Super Bowl By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- On Groundhog Day, the locker rooms at MetLife Stadium will be flooded with players who have never before experienced a Super Bowl. But no one's wait has been anything like that of Champ Bailey.

A few years ago, his seasons seemed to be on a repeat loop like the days of Bill Murray's cranky weatherman: always ending in frustration, always awakening in the same spot, despite yet another Pro Bowl season and an unquestioned status as one of the league's best shutdown cornerbacks.

This week, he finally awoke to a different song. Each day since last Sunday's 26-16 win over the New England Patriots brings a new experience, culminating in Super Bowl XLVIII next weekend.

It will be the first Super Bowl that Bailey has witnessed. For years, he refused to attend, only wanting to experience it as a player. Now, every experience could be an emotional one -- even something as routine as boarding the team plane Sunday.

"Unpredictable," he said. "I really can’t say what I’m going to be like. I didn’t know what I would feel like after the win last week and this week going into this game I really don’t know. Just take it for what it is and whatever comes upon me -- it is what it is."

And what "it is" entails deep meaning for many in the Broncos' locker room who have long respected Bailey as a player and a quiet leader. His fellow defenders were happy for themselves and the team, but had a special sentiment for the longest tenured active Bronco, who had remained through the descent and re-ascent of the franchise.

"There are a lot of guys in that (locker) room (for whom) it means a lot to them because it means a lot to him," Broncos coach John Fox said.

But Bailey was modest about the support.

"I love the respect and everything my teammates give me, but it’s not about me," he said. "It’s definitely about this organization."

And perhaps never was Bailey more valuable than when he met with Fox in the weeks after his hiring in January 2011. Bailey ended up signing a contract extension, and became the first piece of the puzzle to rebuild the Broncos.

"From the very onset, he gave me great insight to the Broncos organization, to a lot of players," said Fox, "and you need that as a newcomer, regardless of if you’re a head coach or not. You need that insight and he’s been a valuable part of the success we’ve had."

But rarely was Bailey more valuable than against the Patriots last Sunday. He returned to his every-down role, effectively took the slot receiver out of the game and was so effective that Tom Brady completed just one pass thrown in his direction. The foot injury that dogged him all season and kept him out of 11 games was just a painful memory.

"For him to have this opportunity after going through what he's gone through, the ridicule since the last game of last year -- the playoff game (against Baltimore) -- to finally get this opportunity to be here and experience that and coming back and continue to fight through that foot injury, then go out and have not just a good game -- man, he played an outstanding game against the Patriots," said safety Brian Dawkins. "If they're going to continue to put him in the slot, to have that veteran, fresh legs in that spot right now, (it is a) tremendous advantage for the Broncos in my opinion."

Bailey barely registered in the statistical line from the game, but as usual, that reflected the level of his performance. He was in shutdown mode, and the opposing quarterback stayed away, just as has been the case so many times in his 15 NFL seasons.

Besides, statistics don't matter to Bailey. Only the team result does.

"I don't even think he knows how many career interceptions he's got," said safety Mike Adams. "I don't think he cares about that, but his legacy says a lot. … First-ballot Hall of Famer."

And if the Broncos succeed next week, world champion.

"Oh, man, that would be a picturesque moment, if that happens for him," Dawkins said. "And I don't know how he will react. I know how I'm going to react if that does happen for them, especially him. Tears of joy comes to mind."

'Focused' Broncos Set to Travel Sunday By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Just like that, the Broncos' work at Dove Valley is complete for the 2013 season.

Sunday morning, the team will travel to New Jersey to begin their final week of preparation for Super Bowl XLVIII.

"It's drawing near," linebacker Wesley Woodyard said. "We've been working hard and we're just ready to get to New York. It's an exciting feeling that everybody can't wait to get there and just be in the moment."

Before they travel, the Broncos put in a productive week of practice in Denver. Head Coach John Fox said the team has "been great all year" at making practice count, and it was "no different this week."

Woodyard praised the coaches for how the time was managed throughout the week so that the team could take advantage of every moment to make sure it got its game plan installed.

Fox's final message to the team before leaving Denver was simple: "Focus."

"There is a lot of energy. We just want guys to be focused," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "That is the main thing Coach has been talking about and Peyton (Manning) has been talking about – being focused. You can have the energy, but you have time, so just be focused."

Woodyard said he has faith that the club will do just that.

"Enjoy the moment of New York, be there, enjoy the Super Bowl, but we are there for a purpose, and that's winning a football game," the team captain said. "I think everybody understands that."

Even with all the spectacle surrounding the big game, Fox reminded the players that it's still played on the same field and will still be a 60-minute contest.

And that contest is the only thing on Thomas' mind.

"The main thing with me as a player is that I want to go and win the game," Thomas said. "That’s all I’ve really been thinking about. I’m happy to play in it, but I want to win the game."

Sunday morning, all that excitement and focus will still be there -- it will just be relocated to New York and New Jersey.

"I'm excited to get there and I'm just excited to get to the game," Woodyard said. "But we've got a long week ahead, another week of preparation to put forth. So it's going to be exciting."

A Super Bowl in Denver's Future? By Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com January 25, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As MetLife Stadium awaits its place in history as the first ‘cold-weather’ outdoor venue to ever host a Super Bowl just eight days from now, one question has begun to circulate rather prominently throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Why not Denver?

With temperatures hovering in the 50s on Saturday – just one week after the sunny weather broke into the 60s for the AFC Championship Game in the Mile High City – the question of Sports Authority Field at Mile High hosting a Super Bowl seems almost as relevant as Denver’s reputation as a ‘cold-weather’ city.

Denver was recently named by Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated as one of eight cities that should have a chance to host the Super Bowl – coming it at number four on that list.

Burke wasn’t the only one touting Denver as a potential future Super Bowl site, however. FOX NFL Sunday analyst and Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan – a four-time first-team All Pro during his 15-year career with the Giants – also backed Denver’s credentials as a Super Bowl host during a conference call with national media on Thursday.

“I like Denver,” Strahan said. “I think Denver is a great city. Denver, with the climate there, I think the climate there is better than New York – so I don’t know why they wouldn’t have the opportunity to host a Super Bowl."

With an official seating capacity of 76,125, Sports Authority Field at Mile High easily surpasses the NFL’s desired size of 70,000 seats for a Super Bowl venue.

Just as importantly, however, is a weather climate that provides an annual average of 300 days of sunshine – and average February temperatures in the mid-40s.

That was quite apparent in an exchange on the conference call between Fox Sports President, COO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks and a reporter, as Shanks inquired about the recent weather in Denver.

“I think Denver would be a great town to host a Super Bowl, wouldn’t it?” he said. “How much snow did you get yesterday in Denver?”

“(Wednesday) it was 62 degrees,” the reporter responded.

Of course, as is always the case with the Denver weather, that comes with a variable.

“(Thursday) we did get a couple of inches (of snow),” the reporter added.

But while there is certainly no way to be completely certain of what the weather will bring in the Mile High City, Denver’s attractive qualities have Strahan convinced that they city could one day host the Big Game.

“I think that would actually be pretty enjoyable because it’s definitely a city that I like and I think they would be great hosts,” Strahan said.