If your favorite (or hated) team isn't in the Super Bowl, it might be tough to choose one to support. We all hope for a good game, but who do you want to win?
Well, here’s one way to choose: If you love fantasy football, you probably want the Broncos to prevail. But if you prefer regular old football, the Seahawks might be your team.
Now, I’m not saying the Broncos aren’t skilled beyond statistics. They’re an excellent team beyond the numbers, and always seem to bounce back when they struggle. And it’s not like the Seahawks are the worst statistical team in the league. But by and large, this is a Super Bowl that pits a fantasy juggernaut against a team that didn’t carry many owners to championships.
On one side, the Broncos are fantasy football superheroes. They had four legitimate receiving threats every time they snapped the ball -- and that doesn't count the running back. For many teams, having that many weapons means nobody compiles awesome statistics. But in Denver's case, it means everybody compiles them: Five players scored double-digit touchdowns. And that running back, Knowshon Moreno, amassed more than 1,500 total yards, caught 60 passes and scored 13 touchdowns in his own right. And he's kind of the forgotten guy in that offense. Think about that.
Then think about breaking an NFL record that hadn't been bested in more than four decades. When you think about Denver setting league records, do you think of Matt Prater? You should. The season passing yards record had been recently set by Drew Brees, and Manning and Brady have gone back and forth with the season touchdown record. But the field-goal record had been tied three times, with more than two dozen failed attempts to break it in 43 years. Sebastian Janikowski is one of the guys who tied it, and you might have expected him to be the one to set the new mark. But he's 0-4 so far from 64 and beyond; only Prater has connected. That's just a little icing on the fantasy cake the Broncos baked for owners this season.
Then you have the fantasy party-poopers, the Seattle Seahawks. Who do these guys think they are? Their quarterback runs the ball. Okay, but even counting those yards he failed to crack 4,000. He threw 26 touchdowns. Yawn. They didn't have a single receiver score a dozen touchdowns. They didn't even have one who scored half a dozen touchdowns. Three guys scored five times, and Golden Tate almost cracked 900 yards receiving. Hooray! These were your bye week fillers, fantasy owners. Aside from Marshawn Lynch, who had almost 1600 total yards and 14 scores, what did they have? A good kicker and a solid defense, and that's about it. That's not even a fantasy cupcake, folks.
And that's the difference between fantasy football and real football. The Seahawks look pretty boring statistically, yet nobody really wants to play them. The Broncos put up video game stats, and people gave the Chargers and Patriots a real chance to upset them (again). I don't hear anybody saying Denver will blow out Seattle. Many pundits think they should win, but they can also see a path to victory for the Seahawks. Others think Seattle has the advantage, and it’s not being dismissed as a radical viewpoint.
In fact, there’s plenty of precedent to suggest they’re correct. Tampa Bay’s top-ranked defense dismantled the offensive-minded Raiders more than a decade ago. The fantasy-friendly Patriots couldn't get past the Giants either time they played in the big game. And even when good fantasy prospects end up winning it all, it’s usually due to a strong defense than impressive statistics. After all, the popular phrase isn't "Offense wins championships," is it? So people on both sides of the argument get to look credible until game day.
But of all the seemingly-endless storylines that are shoved down our throats as we wait for kickoff, the one I like the best is fantasy Ferraris versus fantasy Fords. The team that played like they wanted to win you a title and the team that played like they had never heard of fantasy football. Next year’s top picks versus next year’s waiver wire. However you choose to see it, one of those philosophies will end with a ring, and the other will sit and wait for another shot next September -- just like the rest of us. Enjoy the game.
I’m taking the fantasy football stars in this one, 38-16. Make your own predictions below.