Skip to main content

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) holds up the Lombardi Trophy after winning the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks won 43-8.

The Seattle Seahawks scored early and often en route to a lopsided 43-8 victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

How much of a blowout was the game? The Seahawks defence out-scored the Broncos offence 9-8, while their offence produced a whopping 34 points of their own.

The Broncos turned the ball over four times and didn't pick up their first first-down of the game until early in the second quarter. By that time Seattle already held a 15-0 lead.

Turning point No. 1

On the first play of scrimmage, Denver centre Dan Koppen snapped the ball over Peyton Manning's head. Bronco's running back Knowshon Moreno was able to recover the ball but was in the endzone, resulting in a safety, and giving the Seahawks a 2-0 lead just 12 seconds into Super Bowl XLVIII.

Turning point No. 2

Trailing 15-0 early in the second quarter and his offence still searching for their first first down of the ball game, Manning finally started to move Denver's offence. But on a third and 13 from Seattle's 35 yard line Manning was hit as he threw the football and his pass wobbled in the air right into the arms of Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith. The third year pro returned the pick 69-yards for the touchdown giving the Seahawks a 22-0 lead.

Fact that means nothing

Manning entered the record books for most completions by a quarterback in a single Super Bowl game with 34.

Hillary's analysis

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn't seem to mind Seattle's Super Bowl rout of Denver. "It's so much more fun to watch FOX when it's someone else being blitzed & sacked!" she Tweeted.

KEY MOMENTS RECAP

Seahawks put up more points

Ho-hum. Seattle puts any Denver comeback hopes to rest with yet another major.

Broncos finally score

Peyton Manning fires a 14 yard TD strike to Demaryius Thomas then completes the two-point conversion to Wes Welker to end a six play, 80 yard drive.

Say goodnight Irene

Jermaine Kearse takes a short Russell Wilson pass 23 yards for yet another score. With just a little over a quarter to play, the Seahawks hold a 36-0 lead over Denver.

Second half starts like the first

Things go from bad to worse for Denver after Seattle's Percy Harvin returned the second-half kickoff 87 yards to increase the Seahawks lead to 29-0.

The Seahawks scored just 12 seconds into both the first and second half.

Bruno Mars rocks halftime

Accompanied by a light show that featured 80,000 fans with illuminated hats, pop star Bruno Mars rocked the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday with a selection of his hits including "Treasure" and "Runaway Baby."

Dressed in a glittery, '50s style jacket and narrow tie, the bouffant-topped singer danced across the stage as fire effects and fireworks lit up East Rutherford, New Jersey's Met Life Stadium.

He was backed by alternative rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose lead singer Anthony Kiedis strutted out onto the stage shirtless and in shorts even as the temperature dropped to 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius), belting out the group's 1991 hit "Give it Away."

(Reuters)

Seinfeld reunion during halftime of Super Bowl

Jerry Seinfeld, George Alexander and Wayne Knight revived their characters from the iconic sitcom for a commercial for Seinfeld's show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Seahawks running away with it

Denver's first sustained drive ends in disaster for the Broncos. Peyton Manning's third down and long pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Seattle's Malcolm Smith who retured it 69 yards for the touchdown.

Capitalizing on Manning turnover

Seattle increases their lead to 15-0 nothing thanks to a Marshawn Lynch one-yard TD run. The scoring drive came as a result of a Peyton Manning interception on the Denver side of the field.

More points for Seahawks

Seattle records another field goal, but considering the time of possession is over five to one for the Seahawks at this point, the Broncos have to consider themselves lucky to only be trailing 8-0.

Seahawks score again

Seattle used a nine play, 51 yard drive to put three more points up on the board. Seahawks lead Broncos 5-0.

Botched snap

The first snap by the Denver Broncos is snapped before Peyton Manning was ready. The ball rolled into the endzone where Manning was forced to jump on the ball. Seattle records a safety to start the game.

Fastest score in Super Bowl history.

Coin toss fiasco

Seahawks won the toss that almost was for not. Joe Namath tossed the coin before either team could make their call. Luckily the referee caught the coin before it hit the ground.

And with that toss wagers all over the world are either ripping up their tickets or counting their new found wealth. At last check both teams were -105.

Queen Latifah, Renee Fleming nail it with stirring versions of patriotic songs

Anyone tuning in early to the Super Bowl with thumbs at the ready to tweet about musical hijinks in the run up to the game was shut down by Queen Latifah, Renee Fleming and scores of choral singers.

Rapper and singer Queen Latifah and the opera star Fleming proved the perfect choices to sing "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." Both women are accomplished performers and handled the pitfall-ridden material with relative ease in stirring performances that brought cheers from the crowd.

"Have you ever heard it sung any better," play by play announcer Joe Buck said as fans cheered wildly after Fleming's two-minute rendition of the national anthem.

(AP)

Broncos and Seahawks take the field

Kurt Russell introduces Seattle and Denver during a video montage before each team takes the field.

Seattle comes out carrying a flag with the number 12 to represent their fans while Denver is led out by a horse and cowgirl.

Abnormally warm for the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather city

The first cold-weather Super Bowl was actually pretty warm.

The National Weather Service said that temperatures for Sunday's NFL title game at MetLife Stadium were 10 to 15 degrees above normal, and just nine degrees below the record high of 62 (16.7 C) set in 1973.

It's certainly not what league owners expected in 2010 when they awarded the game to the Jets and Giants. The fears that snow, ice and frigid temperatures would detract from the game normally held in either warm-weather cities or in a dome proved unfounded — at least by a day.

You can find the latest weather updates here.

(AP)

Harvin in for Seahawks

Jay Glazer just reported that speedy wide receiver Percy Harvin will not only play, but will be a featured part of the Seattle Seahawks' offence.

Commercial that you won't see

Although this commercial will not air during the big game, it is non-the-less garnering buzz on social media. It's a powerful message on why the Washington Redskins should change their nickname. You can watch it here.

Obama weighs in

During an interview on Fox, President Barack Obama said he wasn't sure who would win Super Bowl XLVIII, but he did predict a final score of 24-21.

PREGAME

Deaf Seahawks fullback inspires others

Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman has triumphed already, regardless of the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos.

Coleman, the third deaf player to compete in the National Football League, has beaten the odds and his story has inspired the hearing impaired and others battling adversity around the globe.

An ad he did for the Duracell batteries that power his hearing aids went viral on YouTube with more than 13 million views and led to his becoming a champion to the hearing impaired, especially among the young.

"They told me it couldn't be done, but I've been deaf since I was three, so I didn't listen," Coleman says in the ad.

Coleman, a backup fullback who also plays on special teams, has drawn crowds of reporters during media sessions ahead of the NFL title game.

Maple leaf strong

There will be three Canadians playing Super Bowl XLVIII

Seahawks punter Jon Ryan is from Regina, Sask., while teammate  Luke Willson, from LaSalle, Ont., also plays for Seattle.

Orlando Franklin, who hails from Scarborough, Ont., plays for Denver.

Buzz-worthy Super Bowl ads to bypass Canada again

On Sunday, millions of Canadians will break out the beer and nachos, turn on the television, and engage in an annual tradition: complaining about Super Bowl ads.

Marketing reporter Susan Krashinsky has the story.

Or you can watch the video here.

Sneek peek at Super Bowl commercials

Even though Canadians may miss some of the ads on Super Bowl Sunday, this link will allow you to view some of them before the big game.

A look back at commercials from the past

Here are five of the most memorable ads from past Super Bowls

Facebook's Super Bowl plan to steal 'social feed' crown from Twitter

The two social networks are jostling to be the venue of choice for fans to comment on big plays, the star-studded halftime show and of course the commercials – multi million dollar productions by major brands that are often a draw in their own right.

Suggested viewing

Even if you dislike or know nothing about football, this is funny.

This video of a son's gift to his mother will make you cry.

As will this.

Random facts

Both Washington and Colorado have recently legalized marijuana, which has led to mildly funny memes like this – and given another meaning to the words 'Super Bowl.' It's the 10-year anniversary since we saw Janet Jackson's nipple.

Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, known as "Beast Mode," is a Skittles-loving running back (one of the guys who is responsible for moving the ball closer to the end zone) and decidedly media shy. This has led to some media organizations writing ridiculously poor profiles of the crowd favourite – and amazing criticisms of such pieces, like this one.

The Simpsons predicted this match up back in a 2005 episode, which saw the Broncos win 19-14.

– with files from Amberly McAteer, Bruce Laregina, the New York Times, The Associated Press and Reuters

Interact with The Globe