Super Bowl 2014: Mr. Manning, meet the Seattle Seahawks

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For  two weeks, a secret was kept from much of the betting world. It was also kept from many fans of the NFL, all fans of the Denver Broncos and incredibly, the Broncos themselves: the Seattle Seahawks are faster, stronger and more talented than any other team in the league.

It may seem like hindsight, but the NFC title game was the true battle of the two best teams in the NFL. Aside from ESPN contributor Jason Whitlock, it was hard to find a football “expert” east of Coeur d’Alene who understood that. Whitlock was a guest on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” an ESPN radio morning show, and predicted a Seattle blowout by as many as 20 points.

Whitlock is a former writer for the Kansas City Star, AOL sports and Foxsports.com. He knows the game well and had zero doubt about how the game would end. Zero doubt about how great this defense truly is. Now the league and fans around the world know. The secret is out! The Seattle Seahawks are for real. Ask Peyton Manning what it’s like to face this defense. Actually wait a few more days so he has time to realize the game really happened.

Any chance Jim Harbaugh didn’t cry? Just a thought that made me laugh. Felt I should share. Sorry 49er fan Jaquie.

How bad was it for Peyton? The big topic after his Broncos limped off the field was his legacy. Can one bad game for Manning remove his place-card at the table of all time greatest quarterbacks, relegating him to the kiddie table? Well, yes it can. This wasn’t just any game. This wasn’t just any season. It was the Super Bowl and Manning was the leader of the greatest offensive in the history of the NFL. He’s the face of the franchise. He had two weeks to prepare for Seattle’s defense. His throws lacked confidence while his facial expression never changed. You know, that deer in the headlights look.

Peyton Manning is a great quarterback and by all accounts an even better man. What impacts his legacy is how he and his Broncos lost. They were outplayed, out-coached and simply out-classed. Manning looked like his time in the NFL had passed him by. His Rick Astley did not belong in the same club with the Seahawks’ Macklemore. To write such a thing is tough as a fan of the game. I have enjoyed watching him play. It’s still funny to think at one time teams debated whether he was a better quarterback than Ryan Leaf. Still, we all age and time can be cruel. The fact is there isn’t a player in any era at any time who would’ve been able to stop Seattle that day.

It was their time.

And because of that, for the franchise and it’s loyal legion of 12’s, Lombardi shines bright on the Seahawks!