Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and Denver Broncos coach John Fox pose with The Vince Lombardi trophy during a news conference ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII in New York
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and Denver Broncos coach John Fox pose with The Vince Lombardi trophy during a news conference ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII in New York Reuters

In simple terms, it’s the two best teams in football meeting in the finale of the National Football League (NFL) season. The Seattle Seahawks and their dreaded defense face the Denver Broncos and an exceptional offense in Super Bowl XLVIII in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 2, 2014 (Monday, February 3 in Australia at 9:25 a.m. AEDT).

Behind the “Legion of Boom” the Seahawks ranks first in many defensive categories. They are number one in containing the oppositions’ scoring limiting them to just 14.4 points per game in the regular season.

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Seattle only allow 273.6 yards per outing-- still best in the league with 172.0 yards/game (also first) and 101.6 rushing yards/game (7th). In the postseason they also only have given up 15 points (to New Orleans Saints in the divisional championship) and 17 points (to San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship).

The loudest from the “Boom” is outspoken cornerback Richard Sherman, who leads the league in interceptions this year with eight.

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Sherman and the rest of the Seahawks tough defense will be tasked in stopping Denver quarterback and legend Peyton Manning, who has had a historic season on his way to his third Super Bowl.

Manning led the Broncos to a league-best 37.9 PPG-- 10.3 points higher than the second-ranked team—and 457.3 yards per game, 340.3 yards coming through the air. The veteran QB threw 55 touchdowns to establish the new NFL record for most in a regular season.

Denver leads the all-time head-to-head between the two teams with 34 wins against Seattle’s 19. The last meeting was in 2010 when Broncos defeated the Seahawks, 31-14. The only playoff meeting was in 1983, when Seattle defeated Denver, 31-7 when both teams were still part of the AFC West.

Watch Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos via NFL Game Pass.