Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle defense has been one of the major highlights of the 2013 NFL season. Known as the “Legion of Boom” this defense is known for their hard hits and big play making. A strong defense starts in the trenches and that is where we look today. They didn’t have the most productive defensive line this season but they did enough to help reach the Super Bowl.
Right Defensive Ends
Chris Clemons and Cliff Avril have been a menace on the right side of the ball. Together they combined for 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles this season. Avril was able to force two fumbles and have one and a half sacks this postseason while Clemons stacked up six tackles combined in those two games.
Left Defensive Ends
Michael Bennett and Red Bryant have done a great job rotating on the left side of the ball. Bennett has been one of the main producers on this defensive line. He only had one forced fumble all season but he has one in each of the last two games in the playoffs which played a huge impact. In the Divisional Round playoff game against the Saints, Bennett had six tackles, including one for a loss, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a quarterback hurry and shared a sack with Cliff Avril. He played a huge role in that game and the Seahawks will expect him to do the same this weekend.
Defensive Tackles
Tony McDaniel, Clinton McDonald and Brandon Mebane have been tackling machines at the line of scrimmage. McDaniel alone racked up 52 tackles this season. In the playoffs this year, these three have yet to make a big impact but steadily had done their job to help the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl where they will really need to show up.
Denver Broncos
Right Defensive End
Injuries have really taken a toll on the Broncos defensive line this year. Their biggest pass rusher Von Miller was put out for the season with a knee injury. Taking his place will be Shaun Phillips who has been a huge pickup for the Broncos in the offseason. He was able to gather 35 tackles with two forced fumbles and 10 sacks this season. He also played a big role in the Chargers game in the Divisional Round playoff game where he was able to get two sacks.
Robert Ayers has been a big help to the right side as well. He was able to record 5.5 sacks this season and sacked Tom Brady in the ACF Conference Championship game.
Left Defensive End
Malik Jackson has played a big role for the Broncos on the left side of the ball. He was able to record 43 tackles and six sacks this season with a forced fumble. He made a big contribution in the Chargers game in the playoffs where he came up with three tackles and a sack on Philip Rivers.
Jeremy Mincey will be playing a much bigger role now with all the injuries on the Broncos defense. He was acquired by the Broncos from the Jaguars back in December. His biggest contribution to the team was also the Chargers game in the playoffs where he recorded two tackles and a sack.
Defensive Tackles
The Broncos will, and have been, relying HEAVILY on Terrance Knighton and rookie Sylvester Williams due to the season ending injuries to starters Derek Wolfe and Kevin Vickerson. Williams hasn’t been quite productive as the Broncos would want him to be but Knighton has been a force to be reckoned with. Also known as “Pot Roast” he was able to record four tackles and a game changing sack on Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game.
Who Has The Upper Hand?
Looking at these teams defensive lines, they both do a great job pressuring the quarterback. If you count the regular season, the Seahawks clearly have the better defensive line. Now that the regular season is in the past, all that matters is how they perform in the playoffs. The Seahawks defensive line has 30 tackles, three sacks and four forced fumbles in the playoffs. The Broncos defensive line has 20 tackles, six sacks, and no forced fumbles in the playoffs.
All of that being said the upper hand goes to the Seattle Seahawks simply because of their depth at the defensive line positions. There are too many injuries to the Broncos line and that shortens their depth and makes players have to be on the field for more plays. Either way both teams need to protect their quarterbacks very well because these teams know how to get to them.