5 biggest plays from Super Bowl XLVIII
Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the Seattle Seahawks’ triumph in Super Bowl XLVIII – the first championship in team history. Although this anniversary feels a bit different knowing it is the first one without Pete Carroll as the head coach, it is still more than worth remembering the glory.
As we kick off the week leading up to the next Super Bowl ending in an VIII, why not go back and look at the best plays from the last one?
There is no doubt these are burned into the collective memory of the 12th Man. It was hard to narrow it down to only five, as practically the entire game is one big highlight reel for the Legion of Boom.
But for a more trimmed down highlight reel, let us watch the top 5 plays from the greatest moment in Seahawks history.
No. 5 - The safety
Right from the get-go the vibes couldn’t have been better for the Seahawks… or worse from the Broncos. On the very first play of the game, the ball sailed past league MVP Peyton Manning and into the end zone. Seattle set the record for fastest points scored in a Super Bowl at 0:12 seconds. The 12th Man made the cross country trip and made themselves heard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgfkFcVG8zc
No. 4 - Bam Bam Kam's hit
Many will argue to this day that safety Kam Chancellor should have been the MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII. His soul crushing hits and turnovers helped turn the tide immediately, such as this one on Demaryius Thomas. While Chancellor did have an interception later in the first half, I would argue this was more memorable. Chancellor set the tone early and let the Broncos know this was going to be unlike any game they’ve ever played in.
No. 3 - Jermaine Kearse spin zone touchdown
The Seahawks were leading 29-0 with minutes left in the third quarter. Everything was going there way, and a win seemed secured. But the Seahawks were not letting their foot off the pedal. Instead, they kept going for Denver’s throat and managed to get even more points.
On first down from the Broncos 23-yard line, Russell Wilson found receiver Jermaine Kearse who bounced off not one, not two, not three but four different Denver defenders! This was evident of the desire of Seattle to secure their first win, and the level of quit the Broncos had finally reached thanks to the Seahawks’ domination.
No. 2 - Malcolm Smith pick-six
If you want to argue that this should be the No. 1 play, I won’t debate you. This was easily the play that secured Malcolm Smith his MVP trophy. The Seahawks were leading 15-0, but the Broncos were finally on the move. We all had a feeling we couldn’t keep Denver’s nuclear-powered offense down forever. The Broncos had made it all the way to Seattle’s 35-yard line, and had they scored a touchdown, it could have been a different game.
Malcolm Smith, as well as the LOB’s lethal pass rush led by Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, had other plans. The Super Bowl had officially been blown wide open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjjdRSgmCM
No. 1 - Percy Harvin's kick return
This was the moment. This was the moment it became evident: the Seattle Seahawks were going to be Super Bowl Champions. The seas had finally parted to their first Lombardi, and Seattle could do no wrong. All that was left to determine was the final score and how big the Seahawks would win by.
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