I met more that reasons why teams like Chicago and NY Jets didn't when was they didn't have good QBs. The Jets were excellent at running the ball though.
Early in the game even when the receivers made completions they were drilled right away, I don't know how you can play defense any better than Seattle did tonight. Denver got punished for any positive yardage gain in the first half, I remember Moreno going off tackle to the left side and an army of defenders chased after him and punished him. The next play Manning completed a short pass to Thomas and Chancellor just leveled him. He completed another short pass to the TE Thomas and the linebackers leveled him. The next drives the pressure started to get to Manning since they can create pressure (plus their defenders wisely mug receivers most receivers) without blitzing they don't leave people open.
The Seattle's offense scored on every possession in the first half and that with the harder than normal tackles I imagine makes it tougher mentally, I think those 3 hits(2 by more than 1 defender) on the first drive after the bad snap set the tone very deflating for Denver, I think.
It is one thing to be the best defense but to shut down the highest scoring offense in history and holding them to 11 total yards in the first half. How many best defenses can say that?
On edit - I remember now the reason why the Cardinals had problems was their offensive line was shorthanded with two starters going out in pre-season and another one shortly after that. Kolb was getting beat up week-in-week out that he was due for a concussion, it is why Minnesota sacked Skelton liked 7 times and why Seattle destroyed Arizona.
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I remember Seattle had a game like this last season when Arizona went to Seattle but it was the perfect set-up. Skelton who was key to Arizona winning 7 of their last 9 games and could have forced overtime in one of the losses if Andre Roberts hadn't tripped in the end zone started the season against Seattle. Let me say he is a head case, he can play well but can't if things aren't going well. He started pretty well, got off to a fast start then the turned up the pressure and badly injured his ankle, he was out until Kolb suffered a concussion against Buffalo. Skelton threw a strike to Fitzgerald to set a game winning attempt which Feely missed. In overtime Skelton threw a pick against the same defensive play Kolb threw a pick to set up their game winning FG.
He did alright in the next 3 games but it was against San Francisco, @ Green Bay, Minnesota made the playoffs as well but Peterson ran all over them and the Dline spent the whole day in the Arizona backfield. I thought he played great with that kind of pressure. Arizona was 4-5 with a 10-0 lead against Atlanta, he overthrew a wide open Fitzgerald in the end zone and the coach made the impulsive decision to pull him and throw in undrafted rookie Ryan Lindley. After they settled for the FG and got the ball back Lindley fumbled for an interception return. Whisenhut left him and he couldn't move the ball at all. I was watching the game at a bar and I said damn it when Stephens-Howling was tackled at around the 40 after a successful return while everyone was cheering. He needed FG range because the offense can't move the ball. They somehow managed to take a 3-point lead and I remember late in the game I said the Cardinals should go for it on a 4th and short, odds favor you making it but I heard "not with the lead" best time to do it I say. They intercepted Ryan 5 times, Atlanta became the first team to win with a -4 turnover differential. Detroit became the 2nd team to do it this year against Dallas which was also the same day Arizona intercepted Ryan another 4 times.
A lot of useless info but Whisenhut did a horrible job of managing QBs during his tenure, he stuck with Lindley for 3 more games and finally pulled the plug after a 7-6 loss against the Jets. The next game was on the road against Seattle and he threw Skelton to the wolves. QBs in Arizona, especially inexperienced ones have a habit of forcing passes to Fitzgerald - in this case it was picked off. Next drive Clemons forces a fumble and it was all downhill after that. Seattle ended up forcing 8 turnovers, Lynch ran wild.
I probably shouldn't have included that back-story but what I'm trying to say is that Seattle beat them up 58-0, worst loss I ever seen and Seattle didn't play as well as they did in that Super Bowl. You have a QB who was pulled over a bad throw (not a big one, just the difference between 7 and 3 points) and then a coach who throws the season away by sticking w/ a guy who only makes bad throws then makes a mistake early and they just feasted.
This Super Bowl was probably the most dominating defensive performance I've seen followed either by Arizona @ home against Philly last season or Seattle's 58 to nothing shut out. You can't beat Manning the whole game, he is going to get yards and points on the board so what they did was far more impressive and their turnovers weren't gimmies, they were forced by pressure and by aggressive tackling.
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