Super Bowl XLVIII will feature the NFL’s best defense pitted up against the NFL’s best offense, only one of them left standing with the Lombardi Trophy. That team will be the Denver Broncos.

The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos will be squaring off in the pinnacle of the sports world, putting everything on the line. The Seahawks, who have the top-ranked defense in the NFL, have stopped teams from scoring all year long, but will have their hands full with the top scoring team in the NFL, the Denver Broncos.

Commanding the ship for the Broncos is 13-time Pro Bowler and four-time Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning. Manning ranks second National Football League (NFL) history in career completions with 5,532, pass yards with 64,964, passing touchdowns with 491 and passer rating (97.2). His success shows that the Broncos have an edge.

Many students at Iona College believe Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will be victorious.

“I just can’t see [Seattle] taking down Peyton Manning and his explosive offense,” sophomore Joe Archino said. “Seattle’s offense away from home has been pedestrian at best.”

Peyton Manning has an array of weapons in his arsenal. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,430. Wide receivers Wes Welker and Eric Decker have created problems for defenders all season, compiling a combined 166 receptions, 2066 yards and 21 touchdowns.

The Broncos led the NFL in total offense this season with 457 yards per game and averaged 340 passing yards per game. They lit up the scoreboard with 606 points for an average of 37.8 points per contest.

“Denver has been on a roll since the beginning of the season,” freshman Javon Fowler said. “You can’t stop them now, its simple science.”

Denver had 76 total touchdowns, breaking the 2007 Patriots record of 75.

Manning will have to use all the tricks in the bag against a defense led by Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, and Richard Sherman who lead Seattle’s secondary.

The Broncos will be dealing with a Seahawks team that is bursting with energy and motivation. This was exemplified through Sherman and his postgame antics after breaking up the pass intended for Michael Crabtree in the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game. Cocky, confident, egotistical, whatever you want to call it, one thing is for sure: the Seahawks are hungry.

Aside from dealing with the most feared defense in the NFL, Peyton Manning has watched the story of this year’s Super Bowl become the safety of his legacy. Winning his second Super Bowl ring would underline the fact that he is the greatest quarterback of all time. Falling to Seattle would forever leave people questioning if he actually is the best.

If the Broncos defense can slow down Marshawn Lynch by eliminating the extra yards he picks up after contact, they will force Russell Wilson to throw the ball. He’ll be throwing to a set of receivers that is not as good as that of the Broncos. One Seahawk receiver is Percy Harvin, who will be playing in only his third game of the year.

The Broncos have a strong offensive line led by Louis Vasquez, which will be key when battling the Seahawks strong defensive line. Denver’s line has the ability to protect Manning against any defensive line thrown at them, and if they’re successful at that in the Super Bowl, it’ll be all she wrote for Seattle’s defense at the hands of the lethal quarterback’s arm.