Seahawks, Broncos mic’d up for Super Bowl XLVIII

By Brady Henderson

NFL Films wired several prominent players with microphones for Super Bowl XLVIII, and the sights and sounds included in the latest episodes of “Sound FX” are as compelling as usual. Here are a few highlights:

‘A little louder than we thought, huh?’ A shot from pregame showed Broncos coach John Fox looking at the stands and saying it appeared to be a pro-Denver crowd. After the safety on the first play, quarterback Peyton Manning is shown lamenting not having started with a silent count, saying he called something his center couldn’t hear. “A little louder than we thought, huh?” Fox later says into his headset.

“Is it alright if we, uh, score more points?” Marshawn Lynch asks Pete Carroll during a humorous sideline exchange. (AP)

Lynch-Carroll exchange. Marshawn Lynch’s idiosyncratic nature has brought us plenty of humorous and bizarre moments, and he delivered another one via a brief exchange with coach Pete Carroll. Lynch, with his helmet off and a thermal mask over his face, wanted to know if the Seahawks could extend their lead after his touchdown run put them up 15-0.

Carroll: Hey, 24, nice job. Isn’t it nice having the lead?

Lynch: Can we extend it?

Carroll: What’s that?

Lynch: Is it alright if we, uh, score more points?

Carroll: Oh yeah, we can score some more. Hell yeah, we better freakin’ score some more. We’re going to need some more.

Lynch: Can we? Can we?

Carroll: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can. We can and we will.

Lynch: Alright, I just wanted to make sure.

Denver looked shell shocked. The Broncos weren’t used to trailing even by slim margins throughout a season in which their offense score the most points in league history. As Seattle was jumping out to a 36-0 lead to start the game, the biggest in Super Bowl history, the Broncos looked like they didn’t know what hit them. “Unbelievable,” cornerback Champ Bailey said after Percy Harvin returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and a 22-0 lead. “The worst start we could have asked for.” By the end of the game, Bailey and another defensive back were discussing which Seahawk would be named the game’s MVP.

Sherman let Welker hear it. Whatever Broncos receiver Wes Welker said about Seattle’s secondary, cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t appreciate it. “Don’t you ever say you want one-on-ones with us!” a fired up Sherman shouts as he walks by Welker at one point. “Don’t you ever say that!”

The Gatorade shower. Who else but quarterback Russell Wilson would orchestrate Carroll’s celebratory Gatorade shower? Wilson and tight end Zach Miller are seen strategizing, first pouring some out to lighten the load then trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while waiting for Carroll to turn his attention to the field. The two then navigate the crowded sideline before delivering the direct hit on Carroll’s back. This was just about a perfect game for Seattle, and the execution on the Gatorade shower was no different.