Peyton Manning takes too much criticism for having "just" one Super Bowl title. Compared to the rest of the participants in Super Bowl XLVIII, he might as well be Terry Bradshaw.
Manning is the* only *player on either roster who has won a Super Bowl. Three other Denver Broncos have been to the game without winning, while no Seattle Seahawk even has made it to the title game.
This fact is as rare as it sounds. The Seahawks are the first team since the 1990 Buffalo Bills to have an entire team without any experience. This Super Bowl has the fewest players with previous experience than any championship since 1982. It's one of the reasons we love this matchup.
"I think there are enough young players in that locker room that can get some information from guys that have been through it before," Broncos coach John Fox said via The Denver Post. "There are a lot of things you deal with during these two weeks."
Wes Welker has lost the game twice, while Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have lost in the game once.
Super Bowl experience and handling the "distractions" of the week always feels like an overrated angle anyway. Experienced teams win in some years, and teams fresh to the spotlight win other times.
These have been the best two teams in the NFL all season. Throw a bunch of brand new Super Bowl participants in a cold-weather stadium, and Super Bowl XLVIII will feel fresh.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" looked at weaknesses for the two Super Bowl teams. *
