2014 NFL Super Bowl: Seattle Seahawks Shut Down Manning, Broncos

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 Super Bowl went down in a way few people expected – the Seattle Seahawks absolutely dominated the Denver Broncos start to finish. A safety on the first play from scrimmage provided an ominous start to the game for Manning and the Broncos, and the Seahwks never let them get back in the game.

There isn’t too much to take away from the game. Aside from the fine folks in Seattle, it’s safe to say no one really enjoyed the play on the field. In what has become a trend, the top offense in the NFL failed to put up points against the top defense in the biggest game of the year.

Still, Jaguar fans can and should come away from the game feeling optimistic about head coach Gus Bradley and the atmosphere he’s harboring in Jacksonville. Gus Bradley’s relative success this season in winning 4 games with what many believed to be the worst roster in the NFL is a good sign. He clearly was a huge part in building the defense they have over in Seattle, and over time Bradley will hopefully get similar results in Jacksonville.

Obviously the Jaguars have a long way to go. Culture can only take you so far, and players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, and Bobby Wagner certainly help in building a top-flight defense. Oh, and drafting a franchise quarterback IN THE THIRD ROUND is an unbelievable advantage.

We don’t want to get carried away, but the Jaguars could make huge strides this offseason in developing this roster in the mold of Seattle. Besides the third overall pick, the Jaguars have a few extra selections in the 4th and 5th rounds to give them 10 selections in all. The Seahawks got Richard Sherman in the 5th round. Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith was selected in the 7th round. Kam Chancellor was also a 5th round pick. Doug Baldwin was an undrafted free agent.

The point is that general manager David Caldwell has the opportunity to make this roster more talented through the draft, potentially with any of his draft selections. In another year or two, maybe the Jaguars can find themselves facing off against the Seahawks in February.

-Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89