So Seattle's secondary figured out Manning's hand signals...

[AlaskaHawks]

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is known for turning football into a mind game. His pre-snap audibles and hand signals drive defenses crazy, mainly because nobody has been able to figure them out.

Well, nobody could figure Manning out until Super Bowl XLVIII.

The Seattle Seahawks dominated the Broncos from start to finish on Sunday and ended up with an impressive 43-8 victory. They held the Broncos off the scoreboard until the final play of the third quarter. Yes, the offense that set numerous NFL records this year was held scoreless for 45 minutes.

How did Seattle's "Legion of Boom" do it?

According to Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, the defense figured out Manning's hand signals. Here's what the corner had to say to The MMQB's Robert Klemko:

All we did was play situational football. We knew what route concepts they liked on different downs, so we jumped all the routes. Then we figured out the hand signals for a few of the route audibles in the first half.

Me, Earl [Thomas], Kam [Chancellor]… we’re not just three All-Pro players. We’re three All-Pro minds.

The Seahawks defense frustrated Manning all night. The front seven got constant pressure on the quarterback, which allowed the secondary to go by what it saw before the snap.

However, Sherman admitted that the defense could have been burned by gambling on the hand signals.

"Now, if Peyton had thrown in some double moves, if he had gone out of character, we could’ve been exposed," Sherman told Klemko.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press
Manning may have set a Super Bowl record for most completions in a game, but anyone watching could tell that he couldn't get anything going all night. He finished the game with two interceptions to only one touchdown after averaging 3.4 touchdowns per game in the regular season.

For once, Manning wasn't able to toy with the defense. The Seahawks figured out what his hand signals meant, and they used that to their advantage.

Their ability to solve the signal-caller gave them a huge edge in not only the biggest game of the year, but arguably the biggest game of Manning's career.

[Repeat3peat]

What ever it was....it was a BEAUTIFUL thing.

[AlaskaHawks]

What ever it was....it was a BEAUTIFUL thing.

Amen to that. I was nervous pre game, but once they came out looking posessed I was much more at ease. I was worried about Denver scoring on the opening drive and changing the game plan. Luckily, that didn't happen.

[Repeat3peat]

What ever it was....it was a BEAUTIFUL thing.

Amen to that. I was nervous pre game, but once they came out looking posessed I was much more at ease. I was worried about Denver scoring on the opening drive and changing the game plan. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Tell the truth....how "puckered" was it come kick off time...?





BTW...Congrats buddy.....it's ALWAYS sweeter when you have been denied so long is it not(life long Ram fan)?

The Seahags deserved it as much as any team in recent memory.

[AlaskaHawks]

What ever it was....it was a BEAUTIFUL thing.

Amen to that. I was nervous pre game, but once they came out looking posessed I was much more at ease. I was worried about Denver scoring on the opening drive and changing the game plan. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Tell the truth....how "puckered" was it come kick off time...?





BTW...Congrats buddy.....it's ALWAYS sweeter when you have been denied so long is it not(life long Ram fan)?

The Seahags deserved it as much as any team in recent memory.

I've been a fan since 1996, when I moved to Seattle. I have been waiting a while, but definitely not nearly as long as some.
I attended all 3 Hawks vs Niner games this year, the Saints playoff game, and 4 other home games. I just know I was extremely happy they won. Back in 2005 I was crushed when we lost* to the Steelers.

Going to the Parade and Rally tomorrow, and am super excited. I'm gonna relish this one for a while.
Work to do in the offseason, but a full season of healthy Percy (I hope) and keeping our core guys. Should have a fair shot again next year.

[LookAway]

Being allowed to hit the only game of the year helped too.

[AlaskaHawks]

Being allowed to hit the only game of the year helped too.

They weren't allowed to hit people in any other game this season?

[Kingcarl24]

What ever it was....it was a BEAUTIFUL thing.

Amen to that. I was nervous pre game, but once they came out looking posessed I was much more at ease. I was worried about Denver scoring on the opening drive and changing the game plan. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Tell the truth....how "puckered" was it come kick off time...?





BTW...Congrats buddy.....it's ALWAYS sweeter when you have been denied so long is it not(life long Ram fan)?

The Seahags deserved it as much as any team in recent memory.

It's a good feeling. I've been a Seahawk fan as long as I remember. I had a Largent poster on my wall before I even knew who he was. In 3rd grade I had The Boz's stripes on my head. When everyone else was sporting the Bulls/LA Kings starter jackets, I rocked a Seahawk jacket and was teased relentlessly for it.

It's good to see my team finally lift that trophy.