For the second time in eight years, the Seattle Seahawks are heading to the Super Bowl.

After finishing the regular season with 13-3, the Seahawks will play the Denver Broncos at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Seahawks reached the Super Bowl after a thrilling matchup with their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. With players like Colin Kaepernick, Anquan Boldin, and a feared defense, the 49ers held the lead in the NFC championship heading into the fourth quarter.

The 49ers defense allowed Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to make a clutch 35 yards pass to Jermaine Kearse on a fourth and seven at the beginning of the fourth quarter to give Seattle a lead they would not relinquish.

During the last minute of the game, Kaepernick’s pass to Michael Crabtree was batted into the air by outspoken Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, before being intercepted by Malcolm Smith to end the game.

To many in the Iona community, the Seahawks defense will be key if they are going to defeat Denver quarterback Peyton Manning and the vaunted Broncos offense.

“If Seattle wins it will be because they have the best secondary in the NFL,” sophomore Jack Welsh said.

“I think the Seahawks will win because Sherman and the Seattle secondary will be able to slow down Manning,” sophomore Thomas Moore said. “Also I don’t think Manning will thrive in the cold weather.”

The Seahawks defense is one of the top defenses in the NFL. With a Legion of Boom consisting of Brandon Browner, Richard Sherman, Kam “Bam Bam” Chancellor, and Earl Thomas.

Sherman showed his emotions during his now-legendary post-game interview with Fox on-field reporter Erin Andrews. Sherman, who is the self-proclaimed, “best corner in the NFL,” will receive more media attention than any other player in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos defense is ranked 19th overall (seventh in rushing defense and 26th in pass defense). With weapons like Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Golden Tate, the Seahawks will have opportunities to score plenty of points.

“Wilson is a pretty crafty quarterback and the mindset he brings forward should be more than enough to lead his team to victory,” sophomore William Van Kleeck said.

During the regular season, Wilson had 3,896 total yards of offense, 27 total touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His multi-dimensional offensive ability will prove problematic for a Denver defense who is without one of their biggest stars, linebacker Von Miller.

Additionally, Lynch, who had 1,573 total yards of offense and 14 total touchdowns, will be tough to stop. The same goes for Tate, who led the Seahawks with 64 receptions for 898 yards during the regular season.

Ultimately, this Super Bowl will feature the number one offense in the NFL against the number one defense in the NFL.

With the best defensive team beating best offensive team in the NFL during three of the four previous Super Bowl matchups when this occurred, along with Seattle’s dynamic offense, there is no foreseeable way that the Seahawks will not win the coldest Super Bowl ever.