DENVER BRONCOS QUOTES

BRONCOS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS JOHN ELWAY

(on what happened in this game) “No. We just didn’t play like we’re capable of. I was disappointed. Hopefully we’ll learn from this. It started tough. We just couldn’t seem to get it going.”

(on how momentum in the first half and second half affected the game) “Yeah, exactly. We had some chances to get back into it. We just couldn’t get it done.”

(on talking to the team after the game) “It was a great year. It’s always disappointing – only one team is happy at the end of the year, and you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They played well. They took advantage of mistakes we made. I’m proud of these guys.”

(on the offense not being productive during the game given its success throughout the season) “What hurts more is from the turnover, because if you turn it over that many times, especially in this game to a good football team, which you know you’re going to play in this game, that is not – it’s hard to do. But that’s where you have to give the Seahawks a lot of credit. They really played well tonight.”

(on momentum being a factor in the first play of each half) “Yeah. I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve got to imagine that had something to do with it. We just couldn’t get into the end zone or really couldn’t get it going, and had some opportunities to try to get back in the game and we just couldn’t seem to get it going.”

(on what happened specifically in the game that contributed to the loss) “Well, we turned the ball over. We can’t turn the ball over in this game. When you turn the ball over and you get way down, you’re playing right into their hand because they’ve got a great pass rush and they cover the pass. So we kind of played into their hands by turning the ball over.”

(on whether it reminds him of his first two Super Bowls) “No. Those are separate.”

(on whether his players played like star players) “Well, we didn’t make enough plays. You’ve got to get in the end zone, and the last time I saw the stat was 21 points on three turnovers that we gave up. That kickoff return in the second half was tough. You get down 29-0 in this game, in any game, it’s always tough to get to get back from.”

(on how tough it is to realize how quick the Seahawks are on tape) “Well, they’re good and they knew that coming in. They can rush the passer, and they’ve got great speed at linebacker, and great speed in the secondary. So we knew coming in it was a great defense.”

(on being disappointed more as a player or manager) “I think it’s disappointing, because I just know how hard these guys worked this whole year and really had a good year, really pushed and ribbed through a lot of tough situations and they did a good job. In my situation, I feel bad in the fact that we couldn’t play better, especially with all the effort the players put in and the coaches put in. And so I’m disappointed for them.”

(on what he says to Peyton after a game like this with the season that he had to come up short in the Super Bowl) “It’s just one of those nights. I give then credit on the defensive side, but we just can’t make the mistakes that we made, especially against a good football team. It’s going to be a battle, and to turn it over like we did, you’re not going to beat a really good football team if you turn it over four times. He had a tremendous year. He’ll use this and hopefully learn from this, and we’re going to go at it again next year.”

BRONCOS HEAD COACH JOHN FOX

(on what Seattle did to disrupt Denver’s offense) “It was a combination of coverage and pressure as it always is in pass defense. There is a reason why they were the No. 1 team in defense during the season. Give them credit. They had a lot to do with it – with a combination of coverage and rush.”

(on what he said to QB Peyton Manning after the game) “I told him he had a great season, a record-breaking season and he just came up a little short tonight.”

(on time of possession in the first quarter) “When you turn the ball over a few times that has a lot to do with time of possession.”

(on whether he feels Seattle’s defense rattled Manning early in the game) “I guess there was a sack late. I thought Peyton did a good job in the pocket. Their pressure did have something to do with it. Their pass defense is outstanding. It led the league in pass defense.”

(on whether Seattle’s defense is a lot faster in person) “They’re pretty fast on film too. They’re a good defense. It didn’t surprise me. I thought that were very good, very fast and well coached. They did an outstanding job.”

(on whether it is difficult to replicate WR Percy Harvin’s speed in practice) “Really, at the end of it, a couple of the plays that we had practiced against were things we’d seen before. We just didn’t execute as well as they did.”

(on whether the tackle position needed more help) “You do what you’re capable of. We mixed and matched that some. I’m not really sure of the stats. I think there was one sack from the game. They played very well.”

(on Denver giving up a lot of pressures based on the number of screens the team ran) “You obviously have better access to the stats than I do.”

(on how difficult the loss is for him) “They’re all difficult. This game is a lot of fun when you win. It doesn’t matter which game. At the end of an NFL season, you’re one happy camper and that’s the Seattle Seahawks tonight.”

(on if the margin of the loss matters) “Not really. Obviously, I would’ve like for us to play better. I feel real bad for our fans, our owner and everybody who has followed the Broncos – all these fans who made the trip out here, I’m disappointed for them too.”

(on whether the first quarter got off to a rough start and affected their rhythm for the game) “Momentum is important in sports. We gave them a little bit of momentum in the first half.”

(on the decision to go for it on fourth-and-2) “I’m thinking that three points wasn’t going to make a big difference in the game and it proved to be true.”

(on what credit he gives ) “He’s a tremendous competitor. We had a great respect for him coming into the game. On a personal level, I knew him as a college athlete and we had him in our building as part of the draft process. He’s a tremendous young player and I have a great deal of respect for him.”

(on what he would say to someone who questions QB Peyton Manning’s greatness after this game) “I’d say, I can’t really say it out loud, right here. I’d get in trouble. Ludicrous would be proper English.”

(on tonight’s loss) “At the end of the day there’s no excuses. It was our team against their team. Their team played better. There’s no doubt that we overcame a lot. We were able to change a lot throughout the season.”

(on whether he felt the team was still in the game at the beginning of the second half) “Yeah, we’ve come back from a similar deficit before. I think taking the opening kickoff to the house didn’t help us.”

(on whether he feels his team is better than they played tonight) “You have to give them credit. I don’t know that we played our best game. I’m not looking at tape or had a chance to go through all the stats. When you’re minus three in a turnover margin against a great football team like the Seattle Seahawks, sometimes this is what you get.”

(on whether he feels it is fair to say Manning played poorly) “No.”

BRONCOS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JACK DEL RIO

(on who addressed the team in the postgame locker room) “(Head) Coach (John) Fox.

(on what Fox said) “I’m sure Coach Fox – who was just here – could probably share it with you. Basically it was a disappointing finish, but a good, solid year.”

(on if the defense got worn down in the second half) “I thought the first half – in particular, (Seahawks RB) Marshawn Lynch, who we knew would be a key for them – I thought the front was solid in getting him stopped, through the whole game really. He’s a terrific player. We knew he’d be a challenge. I thought our front rose up and met that challenge. At the end of the day, we weren’t able to generate any turnovers; they did. The game got away from us a little bit. At the end, really, a couple of sloppy series where the tackling wasn’t what you need to have. It was a good year. The guys fought hard all year. We overcame a lot. We just came up short today.”

(on Seahawks WR Percy Harvin’s end-around runs) “They dropped a couple on us, they had two. It wasn’t a major part of the game for them. We’d rather not give them up, but we moved on and adjusted. We were prepared for it and they didn’t come back to it. That wasn’t a major part of the game.”

(on if winning the turnover battle was a key) “There’s a lot of talk leading up into games like this – two weeks’ worth. A lot of things are said of what you have to do or not do. The bottom line is when you end up winning the turnover battle as a team, you typically put yourself in a position to win the game. We didn’t generate enough defensively to help out.”

(on if the final result was a surprise) “I thought the plays that we practiced for and the personnel groupings we practiced for were pretty much on the money. It wasn’t a surprise from that standpoint. I don’t think anybody in this group thought that the game was going to end up being played quite like that. It’s why we play them though.”

(on Denver’s difficulty in stopping Seattle on third down) “The number one problem early in the game for us was getting off on third down. We didn’t make plays to get off the field. We did a lot of other things very well. We did hold them to field goals on a couple of occasions, which kept us in the game or (with) a fighting shot.

That was one part that they did well enough to generate what they did. The field goals they did get were the result of us not getting off the field on third down.”

(on preparing for Harvin and defending his running ability) “They had two nice runs (and) a throw, that was it. The main focus for us was on Marshawn in the running game. I thought we did that well. Really, what we didn’t do (was) we didn’t do well on third down and we didn’t force turnovers. Those are the two areas that just stick out for me, from a defensive perspective we’ve got to do that better to give our offense more opportunities.”

BRONCOS S MIKE ADAMS

(on the loss) “Definitely not how I pictured it. Disappointed, I wish we could have done more and got this ‘W.’ We got beat on all three phases. We definitely got whooped.”

(on if the loss has set in yet) “I’m still in awe. I can’t believe what just happened. It’s something you’ve got to deal with though. You’ve got to move on. Someone had to win, someone had to lose. We just thought it wasn’t going to be us. We just didn’t think it would be us. I tip my hat off to Seattle. They came in with strong intensity. They started fast. They made plays when they needed to. They made big plays, and that was the difference.”

(on what was going through his mind as the game was going on) “I had no doubt we were going to win the game. Even at halftime, I’m smiling like, ‘We’re good, don’t even worry about it. It’s alright. We’ve just got to settle down, get into our zone and start making the plays that we’re supposed to make.’ We didn’t get to do that. We didn’t get to make the plays that we were supposed to make. I’m just disappointed.”

(on what made the Seattle defense tough) “They were running to that ball. They were hitting. They had intensity. Not that we didn’t it because I thought our defense started strong. I thought we did a good job holding to them to three points in an adverse situation. I just thought we could have tackled better. I thought we played well. I thought we did a good job, but not enough to keep them off the scoreboard.”

(on if the loss hurts more with it being in his home state of New Jersey) “I think it would have hurt the same if I was in Arizona. A loss is a loss, not just because I’m at home it hurt even more. I could go to my family and whatever. That’s cool, but I would rather go to my family with a victory. A loss is a loss no matter where it’s at, whether it’s in (California), whether it’s in Jersey, New York.” (on what he will do now that the season is over) “We’ve got to bounce back. I’m not going to hold my head. Somebody had to win, somebody had to lose. I’m disappointed, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to put a damper on my family or put a damper on everybody else because I lost. That’s one thing that I try to do. I just try to keep it separate. I don’t want to bring work home. They say happy wife is a happy life. So, I don’t want to bring it home to her.”

(on what made the Seattle defense tough) “They were running to that ball. They were hitting. They had intensity. Not that we didn’t it because I thought our defense started strong. I thought we did a good job holding to them to three points in an adverse situation. I just thought we could have tackled better. I thought we played well. I thought we did a good job, but not enough to keep them off the scoreboard.”

(on if the loss hurts more with it being in his home state of New Jersey) “I think it would have hurt the same if I was in Arizona. A loss is a loss, not just because I’m at home it hurt even more. I could go to my family and whatever. That’s cool, but I would rather go to my family with a victory. A loss is a loss no matter where it’s at, whether it’s in (California), whether it’s in Jersey, New York.”

(on what he will do now that the season is over) “We’ve got to bounce back. I’m not going to hold my head. Somebody had to win, somebody had to lose. I’m disappointed, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to put a damper on my family or put a damper on everybody else because I lost. That’s one thing that I try to do. I just try to keep it separate. I don’t want to bring work home. They say happy wife is a happy life. So, I don’t want to bring it home to her.”

BRONCOS CB CHAMP BAILEY

(on what he told the team before the game) “Well, not too detailed, but just reminding them why we’re here and what you play for, things like that. It’s not about any one individual. It’s about the whole team. I just wanted to kind of give them a sense of where I was coming from and what it means to me.”

(on the safety to start the game) “You definitely don’t want it to start like that. It’s two points. You can bounce back from things like that. Unfortunately, they went down and kicked the field goal. You can’t play a good team like that and make mistakes. They’re going to make you pay.”

(on Seattle sustaining drives) “We’ve definitely got to get off the field. You can’t give a team like that drives. It tends to happen as they continue to run the ball, play-action, making plays. It gives you more opportunities. That’s pretty much how this league works, especially against good teams.”

(on Seattle’s crossing patterns) “It’s something that we anticipated coming into the game. They definitely disguised it a little better than they had on tape. They got us right there, but we were still able to hold them to a field goal after that, so it didn’t really kill us. It’s just we’ve got to find ways to get off the field on third down plays. You’ve got to get off the field.”

(on the safety) “I was watching, I was paying attention. I saw it was a snap over his (Peyton Manning) head. That’s not a good way to start, but that’s what happened. We’ve just got to bounce back from that.”

(on Denver’s play) “I was not surprised that we got here. That’s not surprising. I’m surprised by the way we played. We definitely didn’t play our best football today. We definitely played a really good football team that was ready to go, and we just didn’t match their intensity.”

(on the loss) “It’s disappointing. But I said before this game, I’m an optimist. I’m not done playing football, so I feel like I’m going to give myself another shot next year.”(on the possibility of returning to Denver next season) “One thing I do know is no team stays the same. There will be changes made. We’ll see. I’ll just play it by ear. It’s definitely not any player’s call. It’s just one of those things you’ve got to wait and see.”

(on how it felt playing in his first Super Bowl) “It felt good. You could see the emotions there. Everybody was hyped. Throughout the game, that killed all that junk because of the way we were playing. The way things were going, it definitely wasn’t exciting out there.”

(on if there was a point he knew the game was over) “Probably during the fourth quarter at some point. You could tell it was too out of hand. We couldn’t get anything going offensively, defensively. You could tell it was coming to an end.”

(on if he would consider playing safety) “Absolutely, if it makes sense. It just has to be the right situation and if it’s something I want to do. I don’t need this job, but I definitely want it. So it’s something I’ll definitely look into.”

(on what players were saying to him after the game) “Just guys congratulating me on my career, what I was able to do this year, you know, little things like that. I got a lot of respect. That’s typical from a lot of young players because they do respect older guys, and I appreciate that from them.”

(on why he has continued to play) “I love the game, and I can still play. That’s pretty much what it is. That’s all it is.”

(on if Seattle is one of the best teams he’s ever faced) “As a group, yes. I mean, they won the Super Bowl, so absolutely.”

(on the end around runs by Seattle WR Percy Harvin) “In those particular coverages, I was stuck on the back side so I didn’t have a chance to go get him. It’s no surprise. That guy’s been explosive since he stepped into the league. So it’s no surprise that he made plays like that.”(on losing the Super Bowl) “It’s tough. Any loss is tough, especially your last one with so much on the line. You can’t write a worse picture than this. This is definitely the toughest loss I’ve had to deal with.”

BRONCOS G ZANE BEADLES

(On if they should have kicked a field goal before the end of the first half) “Not my decision. (Head) Coach (John Fox) makes those decisions and I’m fully behind him. Coach Fox is a great coach and I’ll never second guess any decision he ever makes.”

(on his relationship with QB Peyton Manning) “I think it’s too soon to do anything like that. Peyton is a great guy, he’s a great quarterback, he’s one of those guys I talked about that I wish we could’ve gotten this win for.”

(on what Seattle’s defense did to slow down the offense) “We got in a situation where we were throwing the ball and they knew we were throwing the ball. It makes it tough but the bottom line is we’ve got to execute.”

(on if he saw Seattle’s interception returned for a touchdown) “I didn’t. I was blocking, I was looking forward. I couldn’t tell you what happened.”

(on if Seattle did anything on defense that surprised them) “Yeah, they’re a great defense. I don’t think anybody ever doubted that coming into this game. They didn’t do anything out of character for them. They’re a great team, they’re a great defense, and they outplayed us today.”

(on if this Seattle team was different than the one they played in the preseason) “No, it’s the post-season and everything gets turned up a notch. Same team, same players, and they’re a good team.

BRONCOS CB TONY CARTER

(on the loss) “It was definitely a tough loss. You’ve got to take your hat off to those guys; they did a great job of executing their game plan. We probably played our worst game of the season, but they were the better team tonight, thus why they’re champs.”

(on if the Denver turnovers should be attributed to good Seattle play or poor Denver execution) “Their defense did a good job; they’re not the No. 1 defense in the league for nothing. They forced turnovers and made big plays, and we didn’t.”

(on if the safety to start the game was deflating) “Yeah, you definitely start off 0-2, so that’s a real team right there (Seattle), and you can’t make many mistakes. They did a great job of just making that play, and we didn’t.”

(on Seattle handling business in all three phases) “They scored on special teams, got turnovers on defense. They pretty much controlled the field position all night. So they played their game, and we didn’t play our game.”

(on putting the loss into perspective following a successful season) “We’re definitely disappointed. We didn’t come here to just play in a Super Bowl; we came here to win, so we’re definitely disappointed. But we’re proud of each other. We’ve been through a lot of adversity this season, and just to get this far, we’re definitely not hanging our heads.”

(on what the Broncos did right) “It’s hard not to think about what just happened. We did a lot of good things. Today we had to play our best game, so you have to take your hat off to the Seahawks. They did a good job of basically kicking our behinds. You can’t really dwell on what did and what didn’t happen. We came in to be champs, and they are champs, so you have to take your hat off to them.”

(on if Seattle were the most physical team Denver played this year) “They’re a physical team. It’s hard to compare teams to teams, but they’re definitely one of the more physical teams in the league.”

BRONCOS WR ERIC DECKER

(on the early part of the game) “When you get two possessions and you have the ball for two or three minutes in the first quarter and you don’t execute what our game plan was… obviously, they came out and played very physical. That’s the type of style they play. We knew that coming in. You can’t start with a safety. You can’t go three and out. You have to sustain a drive and that’s something we did not do early on.”

(on Seattle’s ‘pick 6’ in the first half and what the magnitude of the play was) “Like you said, if we scored a 14-point turnaround, what would it (the score) have ended up being? When you don’t have that many possessions to start with and then you end it with turnovers, you just cut yourself short. (And) you get behind a good team, you snowball. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to us. They made all the big plays. You have to give credit where credit is due. They played one heck of a game.”

(on if it is tough to look back at what a great season Denver had) “One-hundred percent. This is what you work for and this is why you play the game— to get to this point. This one is going to hurt for a while.”

(on the pressure Denver’s offensive line faced) “Seattle put a lot of pressure on our offensive line. Obviously, set the edge, push the pocket. They made it tough on the outside and they made plays when needed. When we got behind, you have to take it one drive at a time. Unfortunately, some of those drives were turnovers.”

(on if the speed of Seattle’s defense was what they expected) “I’ll go back to how we started the game. We started with a safety, (and) they came out with a good drive. We went three-and-out. We never gave ourselves a chance. A credit to their defense (and) how they play. They played physical. They got pressure on (Broncos QB) Peyton (Manning), and corralled the receivers and the running backs. When you have a time possession that goes 12 and three in the first quarter, that’s trouble when you get behind a good team.”

(on if Denver played tight or nervous as a team) “I don’t think anyone in that locker room, before the game, was tight. Obviously, you’re anxious (or) nervous because it’s a big game. That’s human nature. They just came out, played, and executed better than we did.”

(on how Denver QB Peyton Manning is taking the loss) “We didn’t get the chance after the game to (talk) among one another. (There are) hard feelings. This is something that is going to hurt for everyone. This is a game we looked forward to for a long time. Our preparation, I thought, was really good. We just came out, played flat, didn’t make any plays, and didn’t execute when we needed to with the turnovers. You could say down the road this will fuel us for the next year, but for right now it is unfortunate the way we played.”

(on if the first play surprised him) “Yeah, it surprised me. That hasn’t happened all year long, so that was a play we wish we could get back.”

(on if the call from the first play was new) “We’ve played in a lot of stadiums that were very noisy and we had a lot of discussions of how we’re going to go about the game with the cadence. We learned from that one early on, (then) dug ourselves in a hole and never found a way to get back.”

(on his free agency after the season) “That hasn’t been a thought on my mind. I’m going to enjoy the season we did have. (I’ll) look back at this game and wish we could have a lot of things back. As far as my future, that’ll be something I think about when the time comes in a couple of months.”

(on if he agrees the loss was embarrassing) “When you’re on national TV, the biggest stage, (and) the biggest game in America, (then) you come out and play like the way we did, it’s fair for (them) to say that. We dug ourselves in a deep hole early on and never could get ourselves out. When we moved the ball, we ended up with a turnover when we could have finished in the end zone or even given ourselves a chance to kick a field goal. It was a tough night and (I) give Seattle a lot of credit for how they played.”

(on how Denver struggled throughout the game) “We all saw it. The whole team saw it. I’m not going to point any individuals out. No one played their best game. You can’t put it on one guy, it’s a team game. We didn’t play complimentary football.”

(on Seattle’s defense) “As far as coverage and what they put on the table as far as physical play and being aggressive, we knew that. We knew that going in. When you can’t convert, when you get a first down and you only have a few possessions in the first quarter (then) you turn the ball over multiple times, and you cut down on your possessions. You don’t give yourselves a fighting chance versus a really good team. That’s what we did not do.”

(on momentum shifts during the game) “At this stage, you have the best teams in the NFL. They have the number one defense. When you can’t fight and stay with them and you’re trying to battle back, it’s hard. It’s really hard. I think the momentum, you could feel, definitely snowballed (on) our side.”

(on if the game was more what Seattle did defensively or what Denver didn’t do defensively) “I would say both. They play great defense. They showcased that today. Offensively though, we didn’t do anything to challenge them. We had too many three and outs, (and) we had four turnovers. Those things versus a good football team will never ever let you win.”

BRONCOS DT TERRANCE KNIGHTON

(on what happened against the Seahawks) “Their defense made plays, ours didn’t. They created turnovers, they scored on defense, they dominated special teams, and we got down too early and we couldn’t do anything to get back in the game.”

(on if he is shocked by the outcome) “I feel very shocked. It doesn’t feel real. It almost feels like a nightmare. It’ll sting for a little bit, we’ll watch the film, it will be hard to watch, but we’ll have to get better. Before you know it, it will be April and we’ll have to get back to it. We’ll just have to be ready to go out next year and redeem ourselves.”

(on what this loss means to the team) “Don’t let the score make any judgment on the team. We worked hard this year, but we’ve been through a lot. We’ll learn from it and it will definitely motivate us in the offseason and we plan on being back in the Super Bowl next year.”

(on Seahawks WR Percy Harvin) “He did a good job. It was hard to scout him all year because he hadn’t played much. They had some outstanding looks, the ways they wanted to attack us. Our first emphasis was stopping Marshawn Lynch and we did a good job with that, but they’re a good team and they found other ways to beat us. Their defense rose to the occasion and it’s a tough loss.”

(on how deflating Harvin’s success was to Broncos defense) “It was very deflating. This year we were up twenty-something to zero against New England and we knew it was possible to come back and win that game. Hats off to them. Percy made a great play. He made a lot of plays all day and that kick return was definitely one of the nails in the coffin.”

(on progressing to next year) “We have a lot of leaders on this team. We used last year, when they lost to Baltimore, we used that motivation this year to get over that hump. This is just another hump in the road. Like I said, I’m proud to be a Bronco and I’m proud of how far we came this year as a team. We’ll just have to snap out of it quick and try to get back and agree with ourselves.”

(on the first snap of the game) “When that happened, it was still early and stuff happens. As a defense we just said we’re going to go out there and get the ball back for our offense. Coach Del Rio is always telling us, ‘Don’tblink.’ I don’t think we blink. We did a good job of stopping (RB) Marshawn (Lynch). Their quarterback made some plays on his feet and with his arm. Hats off to them.”

(on the mood of the team during halftime) “We still had a lot of faith in ourselves. We knew we were one or two plays away from sparking the team and finding some type of rhythm. Our hats are off to them. Percy had a great return and that was one of the nails in the coffin, and that one probably hurt the most.”

(on Seattle’s physicality) “I think you play physical on defense. You have to until you run the ball like that and they did a good job of that. Hats off to (QB) Russell Wilson and (Head Coach) Pete Carroll. They found a way to beat our defense and find some holes in our defense. We put a lot of emphasis on stopping Marshawn and they just found ways to beat us. Their defense got their momentum going for them. They scored on defense and usually when you have a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown, your chances of winning the game are very high. They just went out and executed.”

(on how much the loss hurts) “I’m proud of us for getting as far as we did, it hurts a little more because of the score, and the result is a little embarrassing. I’m just proud of my guys and how far we came, all of the injuries we overcame and it’s something we learn from. We have a fairly young team and the nucleus of our team will be back. It will definitely be motivation during the offseason.”

(on playing for QB Peyton Manning) “Right now I feel bad for him. A lot of people are going to put the blame on him. It’s a team game and he depends on his blockers and his receivers, and he depends on his defense. This is a team loss, it’s not Peyton Manning’s loss. It shouldn’t be a knock on his legacy or whatever they call it. Like I said, it will be added motivation in the offseason and we’ll just be even hungrier.”

(on seeing the first snap) “I saw it. I just knew they were going to get the ball back, it was a safety, and we had to go out there and stop them. We held them to a field goal, to give our offense an opportunity to go back out there. We just had to do a better job as a defense of creating turnovers and sparking our team. That will be something that we can try to build on next year.”

(on the locker room during halftime) “It wasn’t upbeat, but a lot of guys were talking and, just knowing how New England came back on us earlier in the year and how we’ve come out in the third quarter, all year and just jumped on teams. That kick return definitely hurt a lot. At halftime, we definitely thought we were still in the game.”

(on if the outcome was a surprise) “Yeah, it seemed that way. We’ve been through a lot and had a lot of injuries, a lot of key players, and I’m still proud of the team with how far we got and how hard we fought. The score doesn’t tell how hard we worked all year. Hats off to Seattle. They executed and made plays and earned the victory in the championship. It will be something that we learn from and we’ll use that motivation in the offseason and before you know it, it will be April.”

BRONCOS QB PEYTON MANNING

(on what happened in the game) “I think we played a great football team. We needed to play really well in order to win, and we didn’t come anywhere close to that. We weren’t sharp offensively from the very get-go. The turnover on the first play of the game to give them a safety is not the way you want to start a game. For whatever reason, we couldn’t get much going after that. Give Seattle a lot of credit. They are an excellent football team, and they caused a lot of our mistakes. At the same time. we just didn’t play well tonight.”

(on Seattle’s defense) “They have an excellent defense. Certainly, to get behind and give them the lead, played into their hands. That’s what they do to a lot of teams. I think when you get the lead on a team, it definitely benefits their team and their defense. We certainly didn’t want to do that. We wanted to keep the game on the field and keep the score even. We got behind early, and we never could make a run to catch up. From that standpoint, it was a disadvantage for us and an advantage for them.”

(on if the game was what he expected from Seattle’s defense) “We knew they were an excellent defense as far as the scheme we thought they were going to play. Once the score got to 21-0 and 28-0, I think sometimes the defenses change a little bit based on the score of the game. But early on, it was what we expected. They executed better than we did.”

(on if Seattle’s speed on defense surprised him) “We knew they had a good defense. We knew they were fast. It was still a matter of us doing our jobs better. We just didn’t do that tonight.”

(on what happened on the safety on Denver’s first play) “The first play was a cadence issue. We were using the snap count on the play, and due to the noise, no one could hear me. As I was walking up to the line of scrimmage to make a change to try and get us on the same page, and then, the ball was snapped. Really, it’s just an overall … nobody’s fault. (It was) just a noise issue that really caused that play to happen.”

(on if Seattle was the best defense he’s faced) “I can’t say that. I don’t really have a comparison. They are an excellent team. They deserved to win tonight. They played better than we did.”

(on how disappointing the result was based on how Denver’s season was) “It’s disappointing for our entire team. We worked hard to get to this point and overcame a lot of obstacles to be here, putting in a lot of hard work. It is a really good thing just to have this opportunity, but certainly to finish this way is very disappointing. It is not an easy pill to swallow, but eventually, you have to.”

(on if the loss steeled his resolve to return next season) “I addressed those (questions) all week long. It doesn’t change anything on those ends as far as I want to do.”

(on using the loss as motivation for next year) “Certainly, I think it will for our entire team. I think this team used last year’s playoff loss to fuel us. I thought it made us a better team this year. Hopefully, we can use this to fuel us this offseason into next season as well.”

(on how much Seattle was different than any other defense he played this year) “Every NFL defense is pretty unique. They have certain players, certain schemes, and they have an excellent defense. They played well. They executed better than we did.”

(on if Seattle’s defense made him uncomfortable) “I wouldn’t necessarily say that. They just made more plays on defense than we did. Certainly, you force some turnovers, it was probably a credit to them for forcing those plays as far as the offensive mistakes, so I’ll give them credit for that.”

(on if Seattle’s defense was harder to out-think than others) “I can’t say that. I don’t really have a comparison. I thought that our overall execution just wasn’t really sharp, and Seattle’s was. That was the difference for us, offense and defense, they executed better than we did.”

(on if injuries Denver suffered earlier in the season hurt them) “It’s hard to say. You can ‘what if’ all you want. It’s very hard to say.”

(on how long it will take him to get over it) “I don’t know if you ever really get over it. It’s a difficult pill to swallow. I think you have to find a way to deal with it and process it. Like I said, if you can, use it as fuel to make you a better team next year. Obviously, it is a disappointed locker room in there. Guys are disappointed. Our guys put a lot into this season, put a lot into the last two weeks, really laying it all out there. So, when you come up short like this, it is disappointing. Give Seattle a lot of credit, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. You have to find a way to deal with it, to process it, and find a way, somehow, someway, try to make a positive from it, but it takes some time. No question, it’s not a quick fix.”

(on what was said after the game) “There were a lot of individual conversations. Coach (John) Fox addressed the team. That’s probably between him and the players. You have some individual conversations with the players that you have battled through this entire season with. You put a lot of sacrifices, a lot of hard work and a lot of sweat into this entire season.”

(on if the loss was embarrassing) “It’s not embarrassing at all. I never use that word. There are a lot of professional football players in that locker room who put a lot of hard work and effort into being here and playing in that game. The word ‘embarrassing’ is an insulting word, to tell you the truth.”

(on if the team was nervous as the game unfolded) “I can’t say that. I can’t speak for every single player. That was not the sense I got. We weren’t just real sharp executing our offense early in the game. The first play was a crazy play, and not the way you expect to start a game. After that, we had the three-and-out, then we had the turnover, which was a poor play on my part – not the way you want to start a game. This is a good football team. We dug ourselves a hole, and we weren’t able to overcome it.”

BRONCOS RUNNING BACK KNOWSHON MORENO

(on this being the hardest loss of his career) “Yeah, especially when you get this far. The biggest game of your life, the last one (of the season), the icing on the cake. So yeah, it definitely hurts worse than any loss, ever.”

(on the strength of the Seattle defense and team overall) “I think all around. We couldn’t stay on the field, all the turnovers, not getting a good pace going. They played a good game all the way around, all three phases: special teams, defense and offense. They did a lot of things great.”

(on starting the game with a turnover) “Things happen throughout the game. We’ve had to ball through a lot of adversity, especially this season in a game like this. It’s part of the game. We had to move forward since it’s still early. You’ve got to move forward from there. I think a lot of guys were ready to do that. At the same time, we were just unable to make that play to get it started.”

(on predicting this kind of outcome) “You believe going into a game that you can play as best you can. I think we all did, that we would come out with a big victory. But at the end of the day, they made more plays than us. They got turnovers. They deserved it. They deserved the win.”

(on a loss near his hometown hurting worse) “It’s painful all the way around. It didn’t really matter where the Super Bowl was held, it’s going to hurt the same. It just hurts that you didn’t get that win for those guys in that locker room, and be able to bring it back home.”

(on having a big game in front of family) “I think everyone on this team wanted to have a good game and help us win, at the end of the day. That’s all that really mattered: getting a win. It didn’t really matter if you had three plays or four plays. You just want to do as best as you can in those plays.”

(on the Seattle defense) “Each week is different because you face different opponents, and a lot of teams fly around at different moments. They were flying around, and there was no difference. I thought our defense was flying around too, making plays. I thought we put them (Denver’s defense) in some bad positions there, early on, with a short field and having to stop their offense. I think they did a great job doing that. At the end of the day, all the way around, we didn’t play the best we can. They deserve it. They played better than us.”

(on injuring his back) “I just got turned up a little bit. I just caught the ball and got hit from the side. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I feel pretty good.”

(on his pre-game feelings) “Focused, just really focused and ready to go. Knowing that it was going to be a good game all the way around. A down-to-the-wire kind of game. They got their way on us and they made some great plays on us. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. You can’t take anything away from those guys. They played the ball all day long and they deserved the win.”

(on if the team was uptight before the game) “No. We felt some good things, but we weren’t able to stay on the field and put those consistent drives together. Not only that, but we put the ball on the ground with turnovers. If you do those things, not staying on the field and turning the ball over, you’re going to lose games, definitely, versus a really good team like that.”

(on if QB Peyton Manning will return in 2014) “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him that, and the staff. But we’re all a part of this team. We went out and played the best we can for this team. We put it all on the line. No matter what the score was, no one ever got down and we played it to the end. They were just the better one out there.”

(on playing from behind at halftime) “We played to the end. We still had another 30 minutes to play. So we were going to do whatever we had to do to get back on track, get some points on the board and just really take it one play at a time. I know it’s kind of cliché, but we really had to do that, because they were playing so well. At the same time, they made some really great guys. You can’t take anything away from those guys.”

BRONCOS DE SHAUN PHILLIPS

(on how he felt when Seattle jumped out to an early lead) “It’s always tough, but it’s the nature of the game. If they score 16, we need to score 16 when we are on defense as well. But, hats off to them. They played an incredible football game, and they controlled the game all night.”

(on what was going through his mind when the game seemed to get away from them) “What’s going through my mind is that we could still find a way. We could still find a way and try to make a play. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and again, hats off to them. They played incredible.”

(on how important it was to start fast, and if Seattle set the tone) “When you start the game with a safety, it’s always kind of like, ‘Ahh.’ You prepare for the last two weeks to go down and be successful, and it’s like…we give up two points, but it is what it is. We’ve got to get back out there, and as a defense, get a stop. We held them to a field goal, but again, like I keep saying, they played a really good game. They’re a good football team.”

(on what he thought when Seahawks WR Percy Harvin returned the second half opening kickoff for a touchdown) “Well, we were hyped up, saying we were going to come out and get a stop – let’s get a three-and-out – and then they’re like, ‘Boom.’ We got kicked in the chin. I mean, he’s a dynamic player, and they’re a good football team.”

(on if he is impressed with the job that Seattle’s defense did today) “I guess I could say yeah, but I try to just support my team. Again, they’re a good team, and I keep trying to support my team, and saying that we can make a play, and keep believing in my own team.”

(on if he felt they had a good game plan against Seattle’s rushing attack) “We did a good job in the run game. We gave up the couple little sweeps – I think that Marshawn had the 13-yard run – but we had a good grasp on the run game. We’ve been playing the run really well all season, but we just kept getting body shots, body shots, body shots, and it just wasn’t our night. Maybe if we had played tomorrow it would’ve been our day, but it wasn’t our night. It was their night.”

(on if he was surprised at how Seattle scored so many points) “Well, that just goes to show that you need all three phases, and they beat us in all three phases. So, when we lose in all three phases, then the score gets ugly like it is. Especially, I think if you score a defensive touchdown, you increase your chances of winning by like 80 percent. If you score a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown, you increase your chances to win by like 99 percent, so those are things you just don’t want to happen, especially in the Super Bowl. Those are things that I was hoping to happen on our side, but they didn’t.”

(on what Seattle QB Russell Wilson did that gave them trouble) “I felt we did a good job. I mean, he’s obviously one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but we held him to 200 yards, and he had a couple scrambles on us, but we could’ve tackled better and they converted on third down a little more than we wanted them to. But again, hats off to them. They played really well.”

(on if this is what he expected) “No, we know what we expected. I felt like we were ready for everything. It wasn’t nothing that we didn’t go over. We missed a couple tackles on a couple plays, but we were there. There weren’t people just running down the field wide open most of the time. Those things weren’t happening. We played a solid defensive game – we didn’t play well enough to win – but, we didn’t play bad on defense at all. We didn’t play good, either, but it wasn’t horrible.”

(on if things started to tighten up a bit because of the game’s magnitude) “We talked about were going to have adversity, and so we did have adversity and we wanted to respond to that adversity. The kickoff return after the half kind of was a big blow, and it just snowballed.”

(on the potential he sees in Seattle QB Russell Wilson) “It just shows that the game is evolving to that style of quarterback. He’s a good player and we just didn’t execute how we were supposed to. They created a lot of turnovers, and anytime you have turnovers in this league, it’s not good.”

BRONCOS C MANNY RAMIREZ

(on what happened on the first play) “It’s just hard to have something like that happen in the beginning of the game. It was real loud and we were planning on going to game with the cadence. None of us heard the snap count. I thought I did and when I snapped it, I guess Peyton (Manning) was actually trying to walk up to me at the time, I’m not 100 percent sure. It’s unfortunate, things didn’t go as planned. I feel bad for the team. There is a lot of players on the team that you wanted to win that game for. You have to give credit where credit is due, the (Seahawks) defense played amazing. They were No. 1 for a reason and they showed it today.”

(on if the first play set the tone) “You never wish for anything like that to happen but it did. It kind of put us on a back end right off the back. It’s something we have to continue to push forward. In games you have your ups and downs but we weren’t able to overcome them. One after another they kept on happening and unfortunately we weren’t able to recover at all.”

(on the Broncos not having bad snaps in the regular season) “No we haven’t. Unfortunately it happened, it’s in the past now. We can’t do anything about it. The Seahawks are the champions. They were able to stay on track with their game plan and they got the results they wanted.”

(on if the crowd noise from Seattle fans surprised him) “It is what it is. You never know what to expect from this type of game. They were loud, especially when we were backed up into the end zone. That typically happens a lot no matter what type of game it is. Again, it happened.”

(on what cue was used to snap the ball on the play that resulted in the safety) “That was on cadence, so it was about what he was saying. Again, it was really loud and I (thought) I heard him. Unfortunately, I was three seconds late. Again, there is no explanation for it.”

(on the timing of his snap which resulted in a safety) “I thought I heard his voice. Unfortunately, it happened; we’re on cadence and nobody heard him (and) I thought I did. Supposedly we were almost three seconds late on the snap and unfortunately things happen.”

(on how late he was on the snap) “I’m probably exaggerating on the timing of how late I was on the snap. Again, there is nothing we can do about it. All can I do is just give credit to the Seahawks.”

(on if the team felt out of rhythm) “You never want to start the game like that, especially in this type of game (and) the level it’s at. It happened. Every single game there are going to be lows and there are going to be highs and it has to be something you have to be able to overcome. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to; we had repeated mistakes here and there. We lost the ball quite a bit and you can’t do that against a defense of that caliber.”

(on if Seattle’s defense was too physical) “I don’t even think it was really that. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a physical defense. At the same time, I consider our team to be a physical offense as well. At the same time though, like I said, they got the luck of the draw, they were able to come up with the ball.”

(on why they struggled with the pressure) “You never know. I’m not sure what exactly happened on the back end. It doesn’t matter what happened on the back end. We have to make sure at a front five we are blocking no matter who it is or for how long. We need to. All year, (QB) Peyton (Manning) has taken care of us as far as getting rid of the ball quickly and we have be there for him as well with whatever is happening on the back end. Unfortunately we weren’t able to come up with any kind of offense today. But give credit where credit is due, the Seahawks, they did what they came here to do.

(on if Seattle is the best pass rushing team they have faced) “One of the top ones, they did their job.”

(on how hard it will be to bounce back) “We’re going to go back and probably look at the film and see what mistakes we made. It’s the last game of the season. It’s the Super Bowl. You’re going to have a little bit of time to think back on how you played and all that. At the same time, it’s going to get to the point where the season starts all over again in the offseason. You’re going to get back to work and try to use that as motivation and push forward.”

(on what he is doing in the offseason) “I’m going to go back home to my family, have some good down time with my family and kids. It’s been a long season. It’s been an amazing season actually. I’ve been blessed to be able to be here and be a part of it. To play on this grand stage, I think it was an amazing blessing. It’s done, it’s time to move on.”

BRONCOS CB DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE

(on Seattle WR Percy Harvin) “He’s an explosive guy and that definitely played a major part. They got the ball in his hands and let him do a few things and it worked for them.”

(on if he saw the game turning out this way) “Not at all. No you can’t - for us to go out there and play like this in our last game, after everything we overcame this season, you can’t tell me we were going to play like this.”

(on if the stage affected their performance) “No, not at all. We’ve been on a stage like that before, just throughout the season. Any time you’ve got a team of this caliber – when you’ve got the guys we’ve got on this team, it’s like you’re always on that spotlight. It definitely wasn’t the stage.”

(on how he will remember the season) “It’s going to be a memorable season because of the guys that are on this team and the things that we went through. All of the hard work, the dedication that we put into it, we definitely came up short and that’s definitely going to hurt for a while. I’m definitely going to take away some of the good of just being with the fellas and learning and understanding the game of football better by being over here. I’m definitely going to take that with me.”

(on if he thinks he will be back) “I can’t answer that. It’s just a waiting game, you’ve got to see and hopefully I will be. I definitely loved it around here. You’ve got good things going and I look forward to just building in the offseason.”

BRONCOS WR DEMARYIUS THOMAS

(on if Seattle was as physical as they looked) “Yeah, I knew it was going to be a physical game just from watching film. They’re the No. 1 defense for a reason. Coming into the game, I knew it was going to be physical.”

(on if Seattle did anything he had not seen on film) “No, they did the same thing they did the whole season: flew around, made tackles and came up with turnovers.”

(on how tough it was trying to come back after falling behind early) “It was very tough. Playing a team like that, you know, they made it to the Super Bowl for a reason. They’ve got the No. 1 defense in the league. We knew we can’t fall back like that because we are going up against the No. 1 defense, and it’s not easy to put up points against guys like that.”

(on if Seattle is the best defense the Broncos saw this year) “I think so.”

(on if his Super Bowl record 13 receptions means anything in a loss) “No, not right now. We lost, and the main thing is coming in and winning. The record really doesn’t matter right now.”

(on if the deficit got embarrassing as it progressed) “You know, I think so. We came in here as the No. 1 offense, (Seattle came in as) the No. 1 defense, you know, two great teams. We weren’t capable of putting up a lot of points. They got turnovers, and they did a great job. They scored on offense, defense and special teams. They put a complete game together.”

(on what makes Seattle’s defense so tight) “I have no idea. I just know they fly around and make a lot of plays.”

(on putting together a performance that featured 13 catches and a touchdown) “I was just trying to do my job, trying to help our team out and trying to put some points on the board. Doing that still can’t help turnovers.”

(on his fumble) “(I was) trying to do too much. I was trying to make a play, and he did a great job of hitting the ball and getting it out. I was trying to make a move, he punched it out.”

(on what surprised him the most about Seattle’s performance) “Nothing really surprised me. We knew as a team that they were going to come in, play fast and play physical. We knew that the whole time; we just didn’t go out and make plays.”

(on which loss hurts more: Super Bowl XLVIII or last year’s divisional round loss to Baltimore) “It’s this loss. This is the last loss we had and it’s the Super Bowl. To lose a game like this in the Super Bowl, it’s tough.”

(on how difficult it was to try to bounce back from the safety to open the game) “It was a mistake, it was loud. We went by that, the defense did a great job of holding them to three points and it was 5-0. We got back on the field and we were just going on our same thing: just go out and play fast. We weren’t capable of doing that tonight.”

(on if the Broncos were unprepared for the noise) “No, I don’t think so. We’ve been in some place louder than it was tonight. We were prepared.”

(on how demoralizing the Seattle kickoff return was to start the second half) “That was tough. We were already down and then the first play they get a kickoff return. It’s as a team to see that. We knew it was going to be tough the whole time.”

BRONCOS TE JULIUS THOMAS

(on the opening drive of the game) “It’s tough when you start the game with a safety. It is never a good way to start but I think the game came down to turnovers. We didn’t take care of the ball and that has been our Achilles heel all year.”

(on whether he thinks the Broncos’ offense was intimidated by the Seahawks’ defense) “I don’t think we were intimidated by them. I think we had some uncharacteristic turnovers that hurt us. It definitely hurt us.”

(on whether it is fair to blame QB Peyton Manning) “Absolutely not. In order to point the finger at Peyton Manning you would be neglecting all the things he did this season to get us to this point. By no means are we blaming Peyton for anything. He is the reason we are here, he is our leader, and we are going to stand by him 100 percent.”

(on whether the crowd noise was an issue) “No. We prepared for crowd noise. It was something that we were ready for. They have loud fans. You practice going silent count, try to create situations where you can’t use your normal cadence, and you go from there.”

(on what the Seahawks did differently during this game) “I don’t think they did anything different in coverage. They did what we expected to see and they did a very good job.”

(on feeling like they could still win at the beginning of the second half) “Absolutely. We knew if we were going to have an opportunity to come back, we would have to play lights-out football and we didn’t do that.”

(on the interception that was thrown to him) “It is hard for me to take you through anything before I have seen the tape. I can’t really tell you much. I looked back real quick, couldn’t get a handle on the ball, and there was an interception. I have to see the film to give you a better picture.”

(on if the speed of the Seahawks defense was unexpected tonight) “No. If you listen to my interviews all week, I continually talk about how fast they play and the aggressiveness they play with.”

(on the use of the silent count) “That is something that you would have to ask someone who has played in the Super Bowl before. I don’t know how many teams have had to use the silent count.”

(on Seahawks WR Percy Harvin kickoff return for a touchdown) “I wouldn’t use the word deflated. It is tough to come back from being down 20-somehting points. To start off a half after they have scored a touchdown on a kickoff is more difficult and continued their momentum into the second half.”

(on if he feels the way the offense played was uncharacteristic of how they have played all season) “That is a great question. We didn’t do the things we stressed coming into the game. We prepared but didn’t execute. If you listen to what we said all week, we said, ‘we have to execute.’ They have a great defense and there is no way of getting around that. If we had executed, we would have put ourselves in a chance to win. This was our worst execution all year.”

(on the physical nature of the Seahawks’ defensive backs) “No, it didn’t really bother me. I wasn’t surprised by it, it was something I was prepared for, and I can’t speak for anyone else.”

(on how he feels after the loss) “I think regardless of what kind of season we had, after you lose the Super Bowl, you are left with a desire and a hunger. That hunger isn’t going to go anywhere. That hunger we started the season off with and get to this point is the same hunger that is going to follow us to the off-season. We are going to work just as hard as we did all year and keep doing the things we have been doing to make sure we get back.”

(on how long it will take him to get over the loss) “When you lose a game, you lost. I don’t personally believe that it is something you should carry with you. You should carry with you a desire to win. How long will it take me to get over it? I guess it is never and right away. I will take this loss with me through the rest of my career. I will learn from this, I will prepare based on what happened in this game, and I will attack the off-season preparation based what happened today. We are not going to let it deter us and we can’t let it discourage us.”

(on whether the Broncos were embarrassed by the loss) “I don’t want to use the word embarrassed, but it showed what happens when you don’t execute. All year we have talked about taking care of the ball. It is something we stressed throughout the season and if you look at any game we have lost this year, we continue to turn it over. If we can’t fix that, then that is what is going to be the case. This team is too good to overcome turnovers. Look at the teams we lost to: All great teams. When you turn the ball over, you can’t just come back and get over making mistakes against the better teams in this league.”

(on the snap that led to the safety on the first drive) “I have zero say-so or involvement in the snap. I don’t know what they talked about. It’s not for me to worry about. It is between the center and the quarterback.”

(on whether the team gave up after the last interception) “We never gave up hope. We never counted ourselves out of the game. But, like I said, when you are playing a good Super Bowl-caliber team, you can’t have turnovers. Ultimately, that is what hurt us.”

(on whether the Seahawks’ defense is one of the best in NFL history) “I am not a historian of that caliber. I couldn’t tell you that. There are a lot of defenses I have never seen. Is it one of the better defenses we have played against? Absolutely.”

BRONCOS LB DANNY TREVATHAN

(on how he sums up the 2013 season) “It’s been an up-and-down year, but I feel like we handled ourselves. We handled a lot of adversity that came our way. I feel like we became a better team. Unfortunately, it didn’t show well today, but that’s part of the game, and you’ve got to learn from this. You’ve got to be able to grind it out when things (are) going bad, and just be yourself.”

(on if he felt like it was up to the offense to score points and lead a second half comeback) “I knew sometime along the season the offense was going to need us, and we needed to create some turnovers. The Seahawks strive on turnovers and they got a few of them before we did. Unfortunately, we didn’t get (any), so we weren’t able to help our offense as much as we wanted to. We limited them to certain things and we kept playing our game, but all in all, we’ve got to be able to play our game and win big games like this.”

(on if there was anything in particular he was impressed by with Seattle’s defense) “No, they just came out and played their game. They were physical, they were sound, and they made big plays when they occurred, and I think that’s what they strive for. Well, I think that’s what all defenses strive for, that’s what makes them so great. They came out here and executed what they came out here to do.”

(on if someone had told him that they would limit Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch, if he would’ve thought the outcome would be different) “That was a big emphasis. A lot of people said he was going to run through us, and this and that. ‘Be careful of Beast Mode.’ I think we contained that to the best of our ability. They came out and they had some big plays. They strive on big plays, play actions, and just being able to run the ball, and we stopped one of the three of them. We’ve got to be able to stop all three for our offense to keep going. Our offense needed our help today, and we weren’t able to come through with a big play.”

(on if there was any part of Seattle’s game that they were not expecting) “We’ve seen everything, and I think they just outplayed us. That’s it. We stayed in our film study, we were prepared. Things happen. You’ve got to be able to continue to fight. I know a lot of people are going to be talking about this for a long time, but I hope they talk about how strong we fought. It’s hard. In the NFL, you’ve got players everywhere. You’ve got to be able to fight.”

(on if they expected such explosive plays from Seattle WR Percy Harvin) “We expected that. We’ve seen that on the film. When he was with Minnesota, he did some of the same things. He came out there and he ran lightning fast, and we’ve got to be able to contain that. He came out here and played. It wasn’t nothing that we didn’t see, it was just the way we handled it and the way we went about it. We should’ve made more plays.”

(on what’s next for him and the team) “It’s no stopping. I’m going to continue to grind, no matter what. They won, it’s all good. They can have one today, but make sure I’m focused on that – getting better. I’m always looking to be the best player I can be and help my team win. I feel I could’ve done a lot more out there. I left it all on the field in my mind, but I still feel like I could’ve helped my team get over that hump. Make a big play. That’s what a linebacker’s paid to do – make big plays.”

(on if Seattle’s offense is underrated or if anything surprised him today) “Nothing surprised me. They just came out and played their game. They had some big plays, they had execution, and they came out and played a great game today. There’s no doubt about it, we caught a setback a little bit, but our defense played well. I believe we played alright, but we needed a big play. In big games like this, big plays help. It’s a momentum changer, we needed that, and we didn’t come up with it.”

(on if Seattle QB Russell Wilson’s maturity is surprising compared to other young QBs in the league) “He’s way above the rest of them right now. He takes coaching well and he takes the game and plays it well to his ability. I think a lot of people underestimated him. A lot of people underestimated me, so I can relate to him and his grinding, his work ethic, and the way he goes about things. He’s a great person, and he’s a great player.”

BRONCOS WR WES WELKER

(on if this Super Bowl loss hurts more because it is his third) “It hurts no matter what. It’s never easy. It can be a cruel game sometimes; you just have to roll with it.”

(on if the Seattle defense was quicker than he expected) “They did a great job across the board. They did a great job. I just feel like there were so many opportunities for us that we just missed out on. We just didn’t play very well. It’s frustrating.”

(on the performance of the Seattle defense) “I can’t take anything away from them. They’re a great defense and they do a great job across the board. But we didn’t execute the way that we can execute. It wasn’t our best night and they came out and played really well. We could just never really get it going so, hats off to them.”

(on starting the game with a safety) “It’s never the way you want to start a game, that’s for sure. It’s tough but you have to bounce back from it. We just never really rebounded.”

(on if guys were mentally out of the game because of the poor start) “I wouldn’t say that’s fair to say.”

(on if the Seattle defense was one of the best he’s seen) “It’s the NFL, there are a lot of good defenses out there. They all do a good job.”

(on why the offense was having trouble connecting on crossing routes) “We hit a lot of crossing routes so, I’m not really sure what you’re referring to as far as that goes.”

(on the slow start) “It was tough to get going. It always is whenever you aren’t executing the way you need to execute. That’s the way it went.”

(on if this was Peyton Manning’s best chance at another Super Bowl win) “I don’t know. He’s had his best year in his whole career at the age of 37. I wouldn’t say that he’s really slowing down. He’s going upward instead of downward.”

(on if the sound was a factor at the beginning of the game) “That’s the way the start of any Super Bowl is. It’s going to be loud. The fans are going to be yelling, they don’t really know why they’re yelling, it’s just the start of the Super Bowl. We didn’t prepare very well for that and it showed.”

(on if he still felt like they had a chance to win throughout the game) “Yeah, absolutely. I felt like we were moving the ball fine and we were still in the game. Even at halftime, I felt like we were still in the game, and even after he returned the kick, I felt like we were still in the game. I never really felt out of it. It’s just frustrating to get this far and lose like this. It’s embarrassing.”

(on what went wrong in the game) “We didn’t execute. I can’t put my finger on any one thing. It’s a tough game. It’s never easy.”

(on if he felt like the offense wasn’t clicking) “Maybe in a way, a little bit. I felt like we were moving the ball and different things like that. It was just mistakes and poor decisions, missed assignments and just not playing the way we need to play the game.”

(on the Seattle pass rush) “Those guys were definitely rushing the passer pretty well. They have a great front seven overall, and they did a great job. You try to slow those guys down as much as possible, and we did the best we could.”

(on if not having good pass protection affected the whole offense) “Absolutely, everything goes together. The receivers have to get open fast, the offensive line has to protect longer, and we have to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. It’s a team game to the ultimate effect, we all work off each other.”

(on if he was surprised about how the Seattle defense made Peyton Manning look tonight) “I think they’re a good defense. I wouldn’t say Peyton looked any sort of way or anything like that. He’s out there trying to execute with the rest of us, and collectively, we just couldn’t put it all together.”

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

SEAHAWKS OWNER PAUL ALLEN

(on some of the keys of the game) “We had some timely offense. The special teams performed amazingly well. So, every facet of the game clicked and that wouldn’t happen without the preparation that (Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) and the coaches put in all year to get the team ready for a night like tonight. Pete’s coached other national championship teams at the college level, so I’m just so happy for Pete and the other coaches to see the success at this level.”

(on the impact of Pete Carroll) “I don’t think you can overstate it. Also, he just has such a positive outlook. He’s the most forward-thinking coach for the players of today that I’ve seen. It’s just amazing and you have to blend all the different elements. If you think about it, with the offense, defense, and special teams – all those things, the things he did like he was simulating even what the halftime would be like – there’s just a tremendous amount of preparation, especially before the Super Bowl since you have so much time, and I think they used that time amazingly well.”

(on him keeping the Seahawks in Seattle and giving them their first Lombardi Trophy) “It’s really an amazing feeling to be rewarded. Every franchise has its ups and downs, but now to be on such an amazing upswing and to be able to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle, it’s a day you dream about. I’m so happy to be able to bring it back to my hometown.”

(on the team chemistry) “Well, every team has its own mindset but I think if you talk to the players, they would tell you there’s really a lot of friendship and brotherhood between the players on this team. That kind of deep connection is relatively rare in sports, even though they’re all professional athletes. Pete always makes it fun and energetic and positive, so I think that is a harbinger of a new positive approach to coaching.”

(on how it sounds to be the world champions) “It’s just a fantastic feeling and I’m just so happy for everybody on the team and all the fans back in Seattle.”

(on heading back to Seattle) “Usually I might say, ‘Go Hawks,’ but we came to New York/New Jersey and we’re taking back the Lombardi Trophy. How amazing is that? I just look forward to celebrating with the fans and the people of Seattle.”

(on QB Russell Wilson as a surprise at quarterback) “All the credit for that really goes to John Schneider who took me aside and said, ‘There’s a quarterback I really like, and I think he’s going to be there in the third round.’ Obviously, he explained some characteristics in terms of his height and size, but he said he had everything else you would look for in a quarterback and now he’s a Super Bowl champion quarterback. I’m just so happy for Russell and to be able to lead the team to a Super Bowl title, that’s amazing in his second year and is a testament not only to his skill and abilities but all the studies of the minutia of the game that he puts in to get over the top.”

(on how he handles the Saturday nights before the game) “I guess because of the way my brain works, I’m trying to think of all the factors. Unfortunately, I watch a lot of the press coverage and I try to read all the articles online and try to trade all the different factors. Everybody was calling this to be a close game, which is kind of what I was anticipating. In the end, this team put in such a physical, dominating performance in all aspects of the game – one of the most amazing in Super Bowl history in terms of a wire to wire victory like this. Sometimes your own prognostications that you come up with yourself, reality trumps that.”

(on what this does for Seattle) “If you’ve been in Seattle recently, you’ve seen all the flags, all the 12 signs everywhere. People have just completely gotten behind this team and celebrate all the successes. In the playoffs we had a couple of very close games, so to be able to play for the championship tonight, the people were out there supporting all the way. We had the loudest stadium in the league and that’s because of all the fan support so I imagine people are maybe going a little crazy in Seattle right now and when we go back there and celebrate with the whole city, that’s going to be wonderful.”

(on what the parade will be like) “It’s going to be amazing. I don’t know how many people are going to turn out but I expect to see a lot of green and a lot of blue.”

(on the relationship between Pete Carroll and John Schneider) “I give a lot of credit. They’re both out of the box thinkers, so they’ll think about players that other people might not value as highly, but they’ll find the special things that they do to make them stand out in their minds. So Pete and John take chances on guys that maybe other people passed over and see that they can fit into the system that Pete uses. So it’s just been amazing chemistry and their relationship speaks for itself.”

SEAHAWKS GM JOHN SCHNEIDER

(on if it feels like the start of something) “I sure hope so.”

(on Russell Wilson) “Russell is a special talent, he’s a special person and a strong man of faith. I think what he did tonight was indicative of his whole career ever since he’s been in college.”

(on reflecting on scouting LB Malcolm Smith) “Well, Pete Carroll recruited Malcolm, obviously, he was a 4.48 guy, linebacker, very fast, instinctive guy. We were just blessed to be able to have him still sitting there in the seventh round. He’s continued to improve as a pro every year. He comes to work every single day. So it’s so cool to see him out there today and picking off that ball and recovering the fumble.”

(on Russell Wilson’s play) “Russell isn’t a stats guy. It’s all about winning games and Russell is a guy that tilts the field, so I think it’s pretty evident tonight which way the field was tilted. He’s just a guy that’s in command.”

(on what he thought when they went up 22-0) “That Peyton Manning is on the other side of the ball. But our guys were just doing an outstanding job. Our coaches, the way they prepared all week. The players were just intense and very excited for the game to start.”

(on if he saw that type of game coming) “Did I see this coming? This type of game? Absolutely not. Not with the type of team they have.”

(on DE Cliff Avril) “Yeah, Cliff plays with such an effort, he’s got a great first step. When he’s on the left side, he does a really nice job getting under his opponent and working his way back to the quarterback so he can go speed to power.”

(on the first Super Bowl win in franchise history) “I can tell you what, it’s really, really special. I’ve got to be honest with you. Being able to pair up with Head Coach Pete Carroll and having a guy that’s won national championships like he has, for the two of us to spend like four months together and we started this thing with our vision, and to be sitting here tonight in front of you is very, very special. And also, for Mr. Allen, because when Pete and me were hired, Mr. Allen was just starting to feel better. He had lost his father and it was a very tough time for him. So, this is just a real special night for the two of those guys.”

(on the flexibility of their team) “Yeah, absolutely. All those guys, everybody in that locker room has a unique skill set, there’s a reason that they’re here. I’m talking about the practice squad guys, the guys that are on injured reserve. We’re proud of everybody and everyone has a unique skill set. They all contributed.”

(on SS Kam Chancellor) “Kam, he’s a tempo setter now. The guy is a force. He’s going to let you know where he is and receivers know where he is at all times I would think. I sure as heck would, I’m afraid of him just standing with him without his pads on.”

(on what it means to get the first win in franchise history) “Huge. I saw former Seahawks owner Mr. Nordstrom and I’m so happy for him and the Nordstrom family, who purchased the team right away. I told Paul (Allen) on the sidelines, ‘Just think about it, you save a team in a city that’s a huge sports town and now you’re a world champion.’ It’s pretty exciting for Mr. Nordstrom. He’s part of what we have going on all the time, he comes out to practice. The fabric is strong with everybody. The city of Seattle, this is a great place.”

(on the next preparations) “We actually started our draft meetings this week. So, it helped getting ready for the game because we didn’t have to think about it too much. So we’ll kick back up on Tuesday.”

(on having a balanced team) “I think every team is looking for a great pass rusher, a great quarterback and a runner like Seattle RB Marshawn (Lynch). A strong run game, pass rush, quarterback.”

(on Pete Carroll) “I think with Pete you see everything. He’s just this person that has this innate ability to instill confidence in people and he’s extremely positive. He dreams big, he thinks big and I was telling the guys earlier, nothing’s fake with him. He’s very real.”

(on Pete Carroll’s journey to Seattle) “I think we’ve all gotten our butt kicked in this league. It’s a good thing. We’ve all been fired. So, those are huge learning experiences and you want to be able to have the opportunity to do things your way and you do that at USC and then came to Seattle and the two of us got together and we’ve been able to meld our philosophies and it’s been fantastic.”

(on being the second youngest team in the league) “It’s outstanding. Obviously we feel like we have a very strong foundation, we’re very excited about our future. We talk about being a consistent championship caliber football team and for our fans that mean you have hope every year that your team is going to be in it. And if they’re not in it, in any sort of playoff run or anything like that it’s because you’ve had your fair share of injuries or something crazy has just happened along the way.”

SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL

(on winning the Super Bowl) “It’s a big deal. It was a big game for us and we played great. We played the way we wanted to play. We prepared beautifully. The team was totally focused on getting this done and it played out the way we wanted it to play. All phases contributed. It was not really even a question in their mind that we wouldn’t perform like this. We didn’t ask them to do things that we don’t always do and they trusted in that.”

(on the job the defensive line did getting to Peyton Manning) “It was a fantastic night on defense. It’s still hard to get to him. We didn’t get to him as much as we’d like to, but we got to him in key situations and made the ball come our way. We had four turnovers. They got none. That’s all about how the defense is getting after it, and also the offense taking care of it.”

(on setting a tone with the first play against the Broncos offense) “I don’t know if that had anything to do with anything. They just had a bad snap. I thought we played real well start to finish. We did everything we wanted to do. They really didn’t have many opportunities to get the momentum from the start of the football game. It was unfortunate for them that they had the screwy snap, but that’s two points. That doesn’t decide the football game.”

(on if it was kind of a disjointed start though for the Broncos offense that really helped the Seahawks) “I don’t think it was disjointed from our point of view. For us, it was exactly the way we wanted it. I don’t think it helped us. I just think we played football and the things that were supposed to happen, happened. We played really good on defense. We did a nice job on offense. We took the ball away and they didn’t get the ball from us once. That’s exactly the point and the way we try to win these games and it worked out.”

(on Malcolm Smith winning MVP) “You know what is pretty cool about it is that Malcolm is a seventh round pick. Doug Baldwin scores, he’s a free agent. Jimmy Kearse scores, free agent. I think that’s something to say about John Schneider and the work he’s done to bring our talent together. We have guys all over the roster that played really well, who are not high draft picks but really performed at a really high level. That’s because the vision that John had in putting this thing together came through, and these guys believed in getting it done and worked really hard to get here.”

(on what the game plan was for this game) “We tried to do a little bit of everything but mostly we played football the way we know how to play. We played our style of ball. We didn’t change anything for this game. We didn’t make up any new calls. We didn’t change any defenses or pressures or anything. We put our guys in situations to play like they really were comfortable with, and learned how they were playing. We got great play out of everybody. We got pressure up front. They couldn’t run the football. We made plays on the ball. We turned the ball over like we like. It really wasn’t about those guys. It was our guys playing the way we always play, and believing that would get it done. Fortunately, it did.”

(on the play of DE Cliff Avril) “I don’t how many plays he was in on. He was involved on the one that forced the interception I think. Did he force the fumble or did [Chris] Clemons force the fumble? I don’t even know, but Cliff has played great all year. He is a fantastic talent. He has really fit in. He’s brought a great energy for us and really given us a great boost. He and Michael Bennett were really the big guys in the pass rush and a big improvement from last year to this year.”

(on scoring on defense and special teams and offense) “That’s exactly how we try to play. We try to put that up pretty consistently, and for a lot of years now. Not just here, but it’s been for a lot of years. That’s the way we play football. I’m thrilled that it came out like that so clearly, so obviously, but that’s the way we put our stamp on the world championship.”

(on if they can sustain the success next year and keep team intact) “I don’t know about that. I do know that when we get back together—I haven’t been able to see these guys yet—they’ll be talking about what’s next. And what is next is to put it all back together again. I love this opportunity. I love this opportunity for these guys because we already have it intact— the mentality and the language that we need to take the next step to come back and go to work again. That’s a long ways down the road. We’ll see what happens.”

(on the fans from Seattle) “For all the kids and all the families and the people who have waited for this opportunity and who have really put their heart on the line to get it done by the way they followed and supported their team, this goes right back to them. They deserve it. The whole Northwest is World Champions. It isn’t just us. It’s not that at all. Everybody, we share this with. Every step of the way, and anyone who followed us closely. Our games at home and our connection with our fans on the road and how they followed and chased us around is incredible. That connection is so obvious. We absolutely owe this to their following. It’s their championship.”

(on Percy Harvin’s play) “Percy is an incredible football player. I’m glad he had an opportunity a couple of times to do some stuff and help the football team win, and he did a great job today.”

(on the offensive game plan) “I think Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable did a magnificent job. The entire staff did. We had a really cool mix of stuff. You saw Percy [Harvin] flash and do a little bit of this and that. Russell Wilson played a perfect football game for us. He had a 123.1 QB rating. That’s exactly what we hoped—no picks, no turnovers. Everybody is talking about numbers at the end of year and how we had fallen off. We hadn’t fallen off. We had just found our way to play and we were hoping to take this into the playoffs and we were able to do that and it worked out great.”

(on the Seahawks starting strong in the second half) “We did a really cool thing. We practiced halftime on Friday. We took the whole sequence all the way throughout and we orchestrated the minutes and the breaks and how we were going to warm them back up. It was really cool. It worked out exactly like we hoped. I told them it was 14-14 on Friday, so we were a little bit farther ahead than that. We handled it great. We came out ripping and of course we got the big play there by Percy [Harvin] and the kickoff return team and that started the whole thing in motion.”

(on what it means to bring Seattle its first Super Bowl Championship) “It’s a big deal to take this back home. We have such a great following. I can’t wait to get back there to them (the fans) so we can give them the trophy.”

(on his feelings regarding the game) “We feel terrific about it. It’s been a long year, but the team really dedicated to getting this done and now we can say we’re World Champions.”

(on the team’s strong defensive performance tonight) “It’s just the way we play. It was a really good game for our guys on all sides, not just defensively. I’m proud of this entire team for what we were able to do all season long and especially here today.”

SEAHAWKS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL

(on the offense starting the game) “We just wanted to make sure that we came out early and got the game early. We were very fortunate to start out with that two-point lead. We had a couple things happen in the red zone. We had a couple of penalties that knocked us back. Once we kind of cleaned up some of that we were able to finish those drives with touchdowns, and we knew that was going to be critical.”

(on Seahawks WR Percy Harvin’s big game on the second play of the game) ‘We had that ready to go. We’ve had it ready for a while but just haven’t used it – I take that back. We used it in the New Orleans game, but we did it out of a different formation. We were in a shotgun. We just put a different wrinkle on it. We thought it was something that was going to be there, and we were able to get a nice gain out of it.”

(on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s confidence starting the game) “He missed the first one. I don’t know if he was geeked up or what, but we just wanted to make sure that we got him started with some throws, knowing

that we have a lot of young guys who were going to be in their first situation there. He got comfortable pretty quickly.”

(on Wilson’s performance the past few weeks) “He’s been great. He’s been outstanding. He went about his business the same way that he did every day. He’s been really poised with everything. He’s sort of understood the situation and how it could quickly get away from you. I think he learned something from the NFC Championship game, as well. He came out and he was poised really from the beginning. I know that he missed that first throw – he was a little bit high on it – but from there, he really settled in and did great.”

(on what he saw from Harvin throughout the game) “All of us have been rooting for Percy. All of us have been wanting for him to be able to have a chance. He fought so hard. He’s worked so hard. Every time he’s been in a game for us, he’s had huge impact. I can go back to my time with Minnesota, and he’s had huge impact with the games that way there. It was just fun to be able to have him in the game.”

(on if the Broncos loaded up the box early to stop RB Marshawn Lynch, opening up the passing game) “It seemed like early, the runs were kind of hard to come by. They were doing a really nice job on Marshawn. We felt like we had a really good passing game and that we could do some things through the air. I think that showed up.”

(on how good the offensive line was in pass protection) “I thought they were outstanding. They did a really nice job. Russell was really able to settle in. He was really able to sit back there, particularly the play that he threw to (WR Ricardo) Lockette. We had really nice protection.”

(on his philosophy of mixing many different personnel and formation packages) “We were on a fact-finding mission a little bit. We wanted to see if they were going to play exactly the looks that we had seen on tape and what we expected. We were really kind of rolling through some things to see if they were going to stay with what they had done so we could adjust accordingly. We kind of gave them a bunch of different personnel (packages), a bunch of different formations to see how they would react to it.”

(on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s development) “I’m excited about Russell Wilson. I’m excited about having him for the years to come. I am excited about how far he’s come and improved each and every game. We knew that he could have a big game for us. We know that he can throw the ball. We know that our wide receivers can get involved. I was kind of happy to see that and that everyone got to see that.”

(on the Seahawks offense not garnering as much attention as the Broncos entering the game) “I think the offense thinks that a little bit. We kind of do what we do. We run the football. We’re a physical team and show our toughness. I think some of the guys felt slighted a little bit, maybe our wide receivers. They came up huge. (WR) Jermaine Kearse had a big play. That catch was incredible, and then to be able to finish the run. He reminds us of (WR) Golden Tate a little bit. Golden was able to get involved. I think they showed that they were special as well.”

(on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson yearning to be great) “All of us have to be prepared. It’s great to work with him each and every day. He comes to work, he’s ready to go. He puts his time in. He spends extra time. I always say that he refuses to fail. He refuses to let himself fail, and he is going to refuse to let anyone else around him cause that to happen. He’s going to grab guys; he’s going to watch extra tape with them. He’s going to take extra snaps. A lot of the things that you would say about (Broncos QB) Peyton Manning, he kind of has some of those same qualities.”

(on how the Seahawks’ defense helps dictate offensive play calling) “Usually, the defense is able to keep the points down so we were able to kind of go along a little bit. Today, we just kind of opened it. We wanted to be forward. I know one of those drives there on first down, we got a penalty on it, and then all the rest we had like five passes in a row, all the way for a touchdown. [Wilson’s] got great ability. We kind of feed off our defense. We feed off their frenzy.”

(on being concerned about Wilson facing big moments in a significant game) “It was important for us to be able to manage it, but we kind of felt like he was past it. The guy has played pro baseball. He played in the Big Ten Championship game. He played in the NFC Championship game. We didn’t think that the moment would be too big for him.”

SEAHAWKS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAN QUINN

(on playing their style of defense) “We knew whatever conditions were going to come up tonight that one of the things we wanted to do was play at our style, and we did that tonight. That was one of the things going in. All year long we’ve been fast and physical. We have a real style about how we play, and I thought that came out tonight.”

(on whether this game made playing fundamental defense ‘cool’ again) “I certainly hope so. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of that unit that plays with an aggressive style. We talk about out-hitting people in terms of how we want to attack the quarterback and the way we want to tackle. We wanted to win with fundamentals. Our guys worked really hard, and that’s something that the coaching staff, we talk tackles, we talk fundamentals every day that we practice. That certainly came through tonight.”

(on whether the lopsided victory surprised him) “Well, we certainly have a degree of respect for their offense. I was not surprised that we played well. We’ve had terrific weeks of practices and preparation. Going into it we were really healthy, and we really felt that we played fast and physical. We prepared for no-huddle for two weeks. If you give those guys two weeks to prepare, those coaches and those players, I think you’re going to like it.”

(on what he told his team after the game) “Really just how proud I was to be part of the unit. The thing that I was most impressed about is that we played the style and fashion that we’re accustomed to. We’re fast, we’re physical, and we played this game on our terms. That was one of those things that we went into the game saying. For us to go into the game in that way and have it come true that way, that was awesome.”

(on where this defense ranks on the all-time list) “I’ll let you guys decide that. I couldn’t be more fired up to be part of our unit and the attitude and the way we play. I’ll leave that up to you guys.”

(on LB Malcolm Smith’s versatility) “I think one of the things with Malcolm, he really took on a number of roles for us. He’s a really versatile guy. For the first four games of the year, he played outside linebacker for us. When (LB) Bruce Irvin came back, he moved back to inside linebacker. For an entire training camp and for the first four games, he played outside and had the strength to set the edge, and then we moved him back inside. I couldn’t be more proud of him just for the attitude he plays with. He is really fast. I think he had to overcome some injuries early on in his career. I wasn’t fortunate enough to be with him my first tenure here, so he was one of the guys I got to know this offseason.

(on what Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll has taught him about coaching) “I don’t think we have enough time to talk about that. Coach Carroll has been huge for my career. I think just how to feature the players and let’s find what a player can do well and let’s accept that. That would be one of the main things that he’s taught me.”

(on whether he anticipated his defense to dominate Denver’s offensive line) “I don’t know about that, but I certainly know that our guys know how to rush. That was one of the things we knew, that when you face a quarterback like him, (Peyton Manning), you better be able to affect him. We didn’t talk about size of hits. We talked about, can we get him off the spot? We knew in certain coverages there was going to be times when he would get the ball out under 2.2 seconds, which is hard for a rusher. If it’s at 2.6 or 2.7 (seconds), that’s when you can get the hits. We knew they’d have to deal with us, in terms of us being fired up. It was just another example of how we have a really deep front. Some days you have to play really hard ball against a running team, and there’s times like tonight where it’s going to be more featured pass rush.”

(on whether the team knows Denver’s signals) “We do not. In fact, some of our calls, we wanted to have some fun. We thought if they called some, we’d be able to do some, too.”

(on what this victory means to Head Coach Pete Carroll) “Really, I think for him it’s a process to show the entire organization that the philosophy he has does work. For him to do it on his own terms, I think is really important. He trains us all the time, and I think that’s one of those things I admire most about him. He stays true to the competition, and we have a theme about doing that. For him, to have that come across through us, he really trains us that way. I think that’s a really important thing.”

(on building a championship defense) “To me, it was important just to have the relationship that I have with these players. We’re all in it together. I couldn’t be more proud, like I said, to be part of that unit.”

(on what S Kam Chancellor brings to the defense) “Well, we know what Kam (Chancellor) brings to our defense in terms of the physical nature that he plays with. For us when we say outhit, really what we’re saying is the way we tackle, the way we can finish. Those were some of the things that are important to us. I don’t think there’s any player that epitomizes hits like Kam Chancellor and the tough defense he plays and his ability to finish like he does.”

(on LB Malcolm Smith elevating his play in recent weeks) “I think (there are) a number of reasons that he’s played so well. One is preparation. He’s a guy that really studies in terms of all the parts that go into the game. He really has a good understanding of the game and how to play. I don’t think there’s any one reason why he’s elevated his play these last few weeks, but we’re sure glad he did.”

(on QB Peyton Manning’s first interception) “I think there was a tipped ball that caused it. For us, that’s one of the ways to affect the quarterback. You may not get a sack on Peyton Manning very often because he does know how to get rid of the ball, but if we can affect him, make him move at times, or even bat a ball down so it’s up in the air, it’s something that we work on every week. All the options we get on tips and overthrows, then we convert those. We said, ‘Hey, if we’re going to get our hands on the ball, let’s go score one.’ ”

(on if the defense switched up their coverage early on to confuse Peyton Manning) “There wasn’t a lot mixed in early only because we really wanted to play in the style we have. We’re really committed to the way we play, so there wasn’t a lot of coverage change up early on in the game. It was more of the function of how we’re playing.”

(on adding different elements to the defense) “Well, we wanted to really have some balance. At times we played man-to-man and rushed four. Sometimes we played man-to-man and rushed five or six and we could take a back or the defensive linemen and still bring both backers. We had a variety of things we could play, but really at the start of this, we said let’s play true to how we play on our three deeps and man-to-man and vary from there.”

(on whether the defense shied away from its unique style) “Not necessarily. We still played within our style. There were sometimes where it looked like we were in two-deep safeties, but that was really for the disguise at the start of the down.”

(on whether he was proud of the defense) “Absolutely. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this unit. They played with such toughness, and we knew it would have to come down to finish. That’s what this defense is all about.”

(on whether the win was particularly satisfying knowing it came against QB Peyton Manning) “I don’t think (it’s) more gratifying against him, but we certainly have a lot of respect for what their offense did this year. For us, really the challenge was going to be, ‘Can we play our style against what this year’s best offense was?’ That is as prideful as anything knowing our defense works.”

(on winning the Super Bowl in his home state) “It’s really nice to me with so many family and friends here. That was as important as anything. Being World Champions wherever it may be would be nice. Tonight it’s especially nice being able to share this moment with some family and friends.”

(on limiting Denver’s yards after the catch) “We knew they were going to be so effective with yards after the catch, so it was a huge emphasis for us going into this game. That’s what we worked on for two weeks.”

SEAHAWKS DE CLIFF AVRIL

(on whether they we surprised with the pressure they put on Denver QB Peyton Manning ) “We felt like we had a good defensive line. We’ve felt like we’ve gotten after guys all year. It doesn’t shock us that we did get pressure on him. We didn’t get that many sacks, but we got pressure and we got turnovers, so it’s cool.”

(on whether he thought they could blow out Denver) “I didn’t think it was going to be a blowout, but I definitely knew we had a chance to win. It was just another game for us and we were able to make it happen.”

(on if he rattled Manning) “I don’t know if I had him rattled. That would be a question you’d have to ask him. I feel like we did get a lot of pressure on him.”

(on if the Broncos were intimidated by their physicality) I don’t know. We try to bring that every week though, week-in and week-out; watching film you probably see it. They should expect it, I guess.”

(on what he thought after the safety on the opening play ) “Personally, I didn’t think anything of it. We were playing Peyton Manning. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback, so we didn’t think anything of it. We were up two points. We know what kind of player he is. We didn’t know we had the game locked down until (the clock said) 0:00.”

(on whether defense wins championships ) “Growing up, that’s all you hear, defenses win championships. I think we played an all-around good game today from special teams to defense to offense. Every part of the sport scored a touchdown today. It was a team win.”

(on what the team was thinking heading into the game) “Just playing another game. (Head) Coach (Pete) Carroll did a good job all season long telling us each game is a championship game. When we got here, it was just a normal game for us and it showed.”

(on what they were thinking as they grew their lead ) “To not let up. Even when they got big yards, I was telling the guys, ‘Bend, but don’t break.’ We pride ourselves and we wanted to keep them at zero. That’s just the mentality we have and it showed.”

(on limiting Denver’s yards after the catch) “That’s what they do, short passes and (making) guys miss tackles and whatnot. That’s something we pride ourselves on, tackling. Tackling was our biggest thing and not giving up anything. It showed.”

(on winning the Super Bowl) “We’re number one in the world right now. How could I complain?”

(on what he did on the interception for a touchdown) “I was trying to get a sack-fumble. I try to get that every week. He had a lot on it, so it went passed the line of scrimmage and Malcolm (Smith) caught the ball. I looked back. I ended up blocking Peyton on the play once I realized it was an interception and we scored on it, so it was a plus.”

(on pressuring Manning) “We knew if we could consistently put pressure on him, continuously get hits on him, we could affect the game in a sense. We know we have some of the best defensive backs in football right now, so it was all about just getting pressure and having time to get to him. We accomplished that”

(on whether it was easier rushing Manning than Colin Kaepernick) “No. I had a sack against Kaepernick. I didn’t get a sack against Peyton, so I didn’t think it was easier. Everything is timing with him, so if you can get hits on him, you can throw his timing off. We did a good job with that.”

(on why they were able to stop Manning when the rest of the NFL could not) “I don’t know why they couldn’t do it. I just know that we couldn’t get frustrated with the short passes. Again, it’s all about timing. Our defensive backs did a good job messing up their timing a little bit and gave us time to get after him.”

(on whether he foresaw a Super Bowl Championship with DE Michael Bennett when they signed this offseason) “We knew that we had a good chance of making it. The defense was already good. The team was already pretty good, but obviously they needed some more pass rushers and we came in trying to build that room”

(on leaving the Detroit Lions) “Everything happens for a reason. It’s a business. I didn’t take anything personal. They didn’t want to sign me back. It is what it is. We’re Super Bowl Champs right now. I don’t care.”

(on the team’s attitude) “It just shows the grind and the hunger that everyone has. Everyone on our team has a chip on their shoulder. There’s no technical big-name guy. Everyone has a chip on their shoulder and everyone wants to show why their team gave up on them, why they drafted them so late or whatever.”

(on whether games like this make defense cool) “Why wouldn’t defense be cool? I guess these fantasy games want you to score a lot and all of that good stuff, but I’d rather do the hitting than getting hit.”

(On what it is like to win the Super Bowl) “It is amazing, it is what we worked for, this is why we play the game, I went from 0-16 to now I am a champ! I am a champ now and this feels great. We are the best in the world right now.”

(On what this means to his career to be a Super Bowl champion) “It is amazing! This is what everybody in the league works for and now we are here and I got my hat and we are champs baby, it doesn’t get any better!”

SEAHAWKS WR DOUG BALDWIN

(on what it felt like to not have the numbers) “We didn’t need the numbers. We did what we do and what we’ve been doing the entire season. We made plays in the passing game when we needed to.”

(on if they felt slighted with all of the talk about the Broncos offense) “Duh. Of course. You can’t sit there and doubt our offense or talk negatively about our offense and expect us not to have a chip on our shoulders when we do that. That’s bulletin board material. Of course we felt a little bit slighted by that.”

(on Pete Carroll’s offensive game plan) “That’s just what we do. That’s what we’ve been doing all season long. It shouldn’t be any surprise.”

(on whether he’s finally happy) “No, not at all because the important thing to leave this game in football is the legacy. We’ve accomplished one goal, but if you want to be the best of the best, you have to do it multiple times. We’re glad to say it. We’re going to win this one and then what’s next is winning another one, so we’re already on that one.”

(on their receiving corps being called “pedestrian”) “Ok, y’all listen to me loud and clear. Y’all listening? Y’all hear me? For all of y’all that called us, the receiving corps, average, pedestrian, appetizers – I’m not going to say any names, but he knows who he is – I respect what you did on the field, but stick to football and stick to playing football because your analytical skills ain’t up to par yet. You need to slow down and you need to go back and not do it half-ass and put in some effort into it because you’re saying some stuff that didn’t really make sense. Yeah, like I said, that dude that said we were ‘appetizers,’ he told me to Google him. I did Google him, but I didn’t see any Super Bowl appearances and I also saw two losses in the conference championship. I have a Super Bowl ring and I would gladly show that to him. If he doesn’t have time to come see it, tell him he can Google it.”

(on if he talked to WR Percy Harvin) “He knew exactly what it was. This offense is built to run the ball first and then give us an opportunity on the outside to either catch screens, get reverses, or catch the ball down the field when you have an opportunity to do so and he made the best of his opportunities. The receiving corps that we have on this team, they’re not just receivers, they’re football players. We’ve got Golden Tate who is probably the best punt returner in the game, we have Percy Harvin who is probably the best kick returner in the game, and if you look at Jermaine Kearse how many tackles does he have on kickoff? How many tackles does he have on punt returns? We have dogs over here and if you don’t know what that means, you can Google that.”

(on what he said to Percy Harvin after the game) “I told him that this is what we brought him for. The playmaking ability that he has is second to none and when he touches the ball in his hands, he needs to be electrifying. He told me all week he was going to do that and that he had no doubt in his mind that he was going to make a play. We had no doubt in him as well. I told him after halftime, ‘If you bust this loose, I’ll meet you in the end zone. I’ll beat you there.’ I didn’t quite beat him there, but he did take that bet.”

(on if it surprised him that their offense was so dominant today) “To be honest with you, I think a lot of us expected us to – a lot of players on this team – expected this to be a dominant game. I say that out of respect for the Denver Broncos, no disrespect for them. They came into this game thinking they were going to dominate as well. You have to have that confidence when you step onto the biggest stage that football has to offer. The way that we prepared, the way that we’ve gotten ourselves mentally ready all week, or the past two weeks, there was no doubt in our minds that we were going to come out here and play Seattle Seahawks football. You saw that. You saw us dominate defensively. You saw us push the ball on the ground and dictate

the pace of the game. Then you saw us make plays in the passing game when we had our opportunities to do so and that’s what Seattle football is all about.”

(on his emotions going into the game) “This situation that we’ve been in, this Super Bowl appearance is built up emotion that has been building up since we were little, since we were six years old when we started playing football. When you get to this stage and there is still so much doubt, so much negativity, so much pinned up against you, you can’t help but have that emotion and that built up anger and a chip on your shoulder. All I was saying to my teammates was we belong here. This is our opportunity. This is our time. We belong here and they have to believe that. They owe us this opportunity. They owe us to be in the position that we are and they are not going to give it to us. We had to go out there and take it from them and that’s what we did.”

(on if they are still going to have to prove themselves) “Without a doubt. There is still going to be doubt. There is still going to be negativity. There are people that are going to be saying a lot of stuff that I’m going to enjoy, because I’m going to sit there and I’m going to add it to the chip on my shoulder. Next year, we’re going to come out here and try and do the same thing.”

(on what game day felt like) “It was strange. When we stepped out on the field, we kept telling each other it was just another game and it felt just like that, just like another game.”

(on being undrafted) “21 of our 53 players are undrafted, so that should tell you a lot. We have dogs on this team and any opportunity we get, on offense, defense, or special teams, we’re going to go out there and dominate. Like I said, we have an MVP seventh round draft pick (LB Malcolm Smith) who consistently, throughout the season, has made plays for the defense, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

SEAHAWKS DE MICHAEL BENNETT

(on how much the Seahawks’ speed on defense caught Denver by surprise) “I don’t think it caught them by surprise. That’s the way we play. We have so many great players at every position. We approach the game just like practice and just go out there and play hard.”

(on how satisfying it is to come out on top) “It is very satisfying. We played against (Broncos QB) Peyton Manning, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play this game, but our defense is young and we are one of the best defenses to ever play the game statistically right now so we feel pretty good.”

(on what he learned about (Seahawks DE) Cliff Avril tonight) “Cliff is a special player. To be able to play with these types of guys is just amazing. Most teams can’t get pressure with their front four. He did so much today.”

(on making a statement early) “We were very physical. We started off on the right foot; we were being very physical and we did a great job. Hats off to (Seahawks Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) and DQ ( Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn) for getting us ready for this game.”

(on if this type of performance makes defense cool again) “Defense is always cool. The analysts made it the way it is, giving people the right to not want to play football and be complete players but our defense is complete all the way around. I’m just happy to be on this team.”(on if he thought the game would end in a blowout) “We always go into the game thinking we aren’t going to give up any points or we wouldn’t be the defense that we are. We really don’t want to give up points. We were mad at the eight points we gave up and the short yardage that we gave up but that’s what makes us so great. We always want to compete.”

(on what doing this to the best offense in NFL history says about their defense) “I told you we are the best defense ever. We could have played anybody today and have done the same thing.”

(on how the Seahawks handled Peyton Manning) “I’ve never seen anyone do that to Manning but like I said, we played the way we expected to play. All the analysts and media said that we wouldn’t be as good as we are. They said [CB Richard] Sherman wasn’t who he is, that (Seahawks LB) Bobby Wagner wasn’t who he is and same for (Seahawks DE) Red Bryant. We believe in ourselves and don’t really care what the outside people say. It’s just hilarious to see so many people doubt us like that, especially Marshall Faulk.”

(on being up 15-0 before Denver got a first down) “They weren’t panicking. It wasn’t anything they did, it was everything we did. The way we play every week, we do the same thing to every team we play. It doesn’t matter who we are playing.”

(on what was going through his head after Denver messed up their first snap) “I thought it was offsides on one of us so I stopped running, but luckily Cliff (Avril) was heads up and he went ahead and made that play.”

(on if the Broncos were intimidated by your physicality) “I don’t know if they were intimated but like I said, it was nothing they did. It was just the way we played today. It was a big game and we came out and played like big players play.”

(on what the key was to getting Peyton Manning off of his game) “Nothing really, just to come out and play like we play. At the end of the day, it’s just about going out there and playing the way you know how to play. I think a lot of people go out there and try to do too much but you don’t have to do too much. You just have to get up front and the defensive line has to be dogs. We have so many dogs up front and it is just funny how people let us get this team.”

(on what he said to Cliff Avril after he forced the interception for a touchdown) “Our interaction was the same as always. We expect to play off each other. We play off of each other every play. It is just like what we do at practice. I expect us to make those types of plays. He is such a great player.”

(on the 12th man’s impact tonight) “It is amazing to see the 12th man travel the way they do but they always travel like this. The fans are so competitive and want to be the best fans ever. I think our team wants to be the best team ever.”

(on playing against Peyton Manning) “It was fun. You have to play the mind game sometimes with Peyton Manning. He is still the best quarterback to ever play the game. This game doesn’t determine his legacy. Statistically, I don’t think there will ever be a guy to do what he did.”

(on what Marshall Faulk said that upset him) “He just doubted us and I didn’t really appreciate that but that’s what analysts do. They really made us mad saying that we don’t have the guys to play and that we would get blown out. We are one of the best teams to ever play the game and people talk about guys on our team and it is just funny. I heard somebody say something about (Seahawks WR) Doug Baldwin. Doug Baldwin has been one of the most prolific receivers this year. Stats don’t really count. Who cares if you’ve got 1600 yards if you are not winning the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the most important thing in the game, not statistics.”

(on if such domination came as a surprise) “We saw this coming. Like I said, we never went into this game thinking we couldn’t win. We always knew that if we played the type of defense we can play then there is no offense that can play with us.”

(on the analysts not giving the Seahawks enough credit) “They always disrespect us. We have been getting disrespected our whole lives. Our team is a whole bunch of misfits, guys who nobody wanted. They said that they couldn’t play, that they couldn’t make it. They call themselves analysts but they never played football before and yet they know who the best players are? Our guys went out there and did what they always do. We have a chip on our shoulder and that chip is going to continue to be on this team forever.”

(on what the analysts who doubted the Seahawks are thinking right now) “I think there are a lot of people who feel stupid right now. They come out there and doubt the guys we have. They doubt that they are able to play the way we play. We just go out there and do it for each other. We are the most unselfish team in the entire NFL. For this whole game, nobody cared about stats. (Seahawks LB) Malcolm Smith was the MVP and nobody expected it but he made plays like that all year.”

(on if they changed up their game plan for this game) “It was the same exact game plan. At the end of the day, when you have these kind of players, you don’t have to change it up every week. We go out there and line up, play base defense and go out there and win.”

SEAHAWKS FB DERRICK COLEMAN

(on how it feels to be a Super Bowl champion) “Let me repeat it: I am a Super Bowl champion. We are Super Bowl champions. It feels really good. We all came out there and did what we do best. We didn’t try to make stuff up. We just did what we have done for the last 22 or 23 games and it feels good.”

(on getting off to such a quick start) “From the very start of the season we always talked about starting fast and finishing fast. We don’t look back. When we went into halftime we anticipated that we were down. That’s how we had our mindset. We were not like, ‘Oh we can let up now.’ We were thinking that we were down and how are we going to fix this and I thought we did it.”

(on when he felt that they would win) “When the clock hit zero. I don’t know; I was just going out there and playing the best that I could. I hope that my teammates were doing the same thing. It just happened.”

(on if he ever thought that the Broncos could come back) “Oh, most definitely. If you look way back at the Texans game and then we came back in other games from 21 or 22 points. They have Peyton Manning, a great quarterback over there, but our defense was dominating and they did everything that they have been doing all year long. They have been the number one defense in the nation for a reason.”

(on what he was thinking when Percy Harvin was running on the big return) “Like I said, we have been doing the same thing since day one. Whether we are down by 30 or up by 30, we go out there and we are just trying to have fun and play football. For everyone in this arena, that is the last guaranteed football that you are going to get. You may not get another chance, anything can happen. You have to go out there and treat it like your last and act like you are never going back, and that’s what we did.”

(on if Percy Harvin went the correct way on the return) “We never ran it but we practiced it and we went out there and we did what we always do best and we did it. It was supposed to be a counter right, but he went the other way. Like I said, he is a great runner and he sees something and he takes it. I am happy he is on our team.”

(on if they opened up the playbook since it was the last game) “What do you mean opening up the playbook? We have been doing what we did all the time. What happens next year is next year, right now we are living in the moment and we are world champions and I am going to say it like that. Nothing special to it.”

(on if he saw Percy Harvin pass him on the kickoff) “I don’t really focus on what he is doing. They gave me a job to do and the team trusted me to go out there and do a job. I was grateful enough to go out there and do it. I saw him streaking and I was going to take off running with him but he was already past. He was running the 100 meters. I just said, ‘up, he’s gone.’”

(on what he was thinking as the game got out of hand) “I mean I basically put it in perspective that it isn’t over. I don’t know what the Broncos plan was, but for us it wasn’t over. We just kept going and going and going and we knew Peyton Manning was going to have an excellent game or predicted he would, so we knew as an offense that we had to score points.”

(on WR Percy Harvin having a big game) “This was the perfect game for him to break out. He tried to come back a couple of times and had a couple of setbacks, but the coaches got him for a reason and I’m glad that we kept pushing him to come back. This was an excellent game for him to come back. He as definitely an X-factor. If we didn’t have him, I’m not saying that we wouldn’t win, but it would have been a little harder. I’m glad that we have him on our team and he is an excellent guy.”

(on the effect Percy Harvin had on the game) “We did what we did and everyone had a job to go out there and do the best that they can do regardless. That’s how we do it. The fact that he came back was just extra motivation and extra help. If we didn’t have him then we would have done the same thing. We won some games without him and he played a couple of games, but the fact that we had him gave us an extra edge. We needed all hands on deck this week.

(on his family that made the trip) “I’m glad they came because they got to experience everything. I am blessed to have them to point me. Everyone said that you can’t do this and that, but I just proved everybody wrong. We just proved everybody wrong. You can do anything that you set your mind to, and that’s what our team just did. We set our mind to it and we achieved it.

SEAHAWKS WR PERCY HARVIN

(on winning the Super Bowl) “This is an incredible feeling. All the things this team has been through, all the injuries we fought through, not only myself but injuries we had early in the season with our linemen, we fought through that. We’ve had a lot of trials and tribulations going on in our locker room. We all fought through it, and we reached our goal. This is amazing.”

(on his thoughts as he returned the kick for a touchdown) “I really couldn’t believe it because all week, and even on the sidelines, we had a special return kind of like that we hadn’t put on film all year, and those guys told me I was going to score. It wasn’t just saying it to say it. Those guys believed that I was going to get in the end zone. When I broke through and I saw the end zone, I really couldn’t believe it.”

(on beating Denver decisively) “It’s tremendously crazy, but it’s not too crazy to us because we know who we had in our locker room. The way we prepare, the way our defense prepares, we had tremendous confidence in them. Hats off to Peyton Manning and all the incredible things they put together this season. We’ve had tremendous confidence in our defense.”

(on playing after a season shortened by injuries) “It’s just a big horse off my back. I finally was able to give my team something for four quarters. That meant a lot to me. Being injured all season, it took a toll on me. Being able to finish and being able to give my teammates something back, because I leaned on those guys so much this year to keep me up in spirits and just keep me going, it meant the world to me.”

(on QB Russell Wilson) “He’s the general. I said it all week during the press conferences – I haven’t seen anybody prepare the way he prepares. There were three minutes on the clock, still ticking, and he’s still in our face telling us, ‘Stay ready,’ and we’re like, ‘Man, the game’s pretty much over.’ He just wants to be great that much. I haven’t seen anybody prepare like him.”

(on the kickoff return for a touchdown) “It was a counter-right. We hadn’t put it on film all year, so we knew there was a great chance that we would catch them off-guard. Those guys pretty much cleared out the whole right side of the field. I think there were only two defenders over there. I just took the gap and hit it as hard as I could.” (on what he was thinking as he returned the kick) “It was amazing. Those guys had so much belief in me. Even when I wasn’t practicing, those guys were saying, ‘You’re going to score on this,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not even on the field practicing yet.’ (Head) Coach (Pete Carroll) saved that one return for me hoping we could get a look, and it came through.”

(on the irony of having the theme of “12” and scoring within the first 12 minutes of each half) “It’s definitely ironic. We started off the game getting a couple of threes. We wanted to get touchdowns early in the game, but we were able to turn it around in the second half and start putting sevens up instead of threes. It was a tremendous effort by our team.”

(on if winning is more special considering his recent injuries) “It means the world to me, but I honestly owe it all to my teammates. Like I told everybody in the press conference earlier in the week, if it wasn’t for my teammates being the way they are, just their style, and the organization, I don’t know if I would be here right now.”

(on running the fly sweep) “It opens everything up. It opens our running game. It opens (RB) Marshawn (Lynch) up. It’s a quick way to get to the edge. We knew we could catch their defense offguard. We knew he couldn’t get his hands up quick enough to get around the edge. It’s just another wrinkle we can put in the run game.”

(on if running the fly sweep is fun) “It’s tremendously fun. I think that was one of my favorite plays back at (the University of) Florida. I don’t know if (Head) Coach (Pete Carroll) looked at that and that’s why he put it in, but that was one of my favorite plays, and it worked out for us today.”

(on if the team is still hungry) “Right now, we pretty much got the job done, so we’re going to let this soak in. But this team worked tremendously hard. Hats off to (QB) Peyton Manning and all his accolades in the regular season. But our defense was just looking at that for the last two weeks and just chomping at their bits to get on the field and show them what they had. Hats off to him, but our defense was ready.”

(on being medically cleared to play in the Super Bowl) “It was just all a relief, just knowing I’m getting the chance to strap up my pads one more time after being knocked out the previous week with a concussion. This whole season and the way it all unfolded, it was surreal.”

(on the offense’s performance after not getting respect) “When it started out, we thought it was a bit much, especially Doug (Baldwin). He took that as kind of disrespectful. He had us pumped up in the locker room. He was almost in tears waiting to get out on the field. We took that and put a chip on our shoulder. We showed God that we belong here and should be here.”

(on if he is surprised by the large margin of victory) “I wouldn’t say so. We knew what we had in our locker room. We all were saying the whole week that this game didn’t have to be close. I know it sounded crazy to the outside world, but we just kept it inside our locker room. Those defensive guys, they just went to work.”

(on QB Russell Wilson) “He’s been tremendous all year. Like I said, he wants to be great. I don’t think he’s going to stop until he is great. His work ethic is by far the best I’ve ever seen. We’ve got a great leader.”

(on what made him believe they would blow out Denver) “We knew we had a great defense. We knew that if the defense would give us chances to score the ball, we had confidence in Russell and the receivers and the linemen and the running backs to put points on the board. Our defense came out there, they got those quick stops and we put quick points on the board, and we took it from there.”

(on if something is building in Seattle) “Absolutely. We plan a regeneration and we’re ready to work as hard as we did this year. This team - we’re so competitive in our practices, we won’t let each other come out there and have slouches. We go one-vs.-one. It’s us versus Richard Sherman and all those guys. We compete all the time at whatever we do.”

(on if Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith is deserving of the award) “Absolutely. He had a tremendous game. The whole defense, from top to bottom, played lights out. They were able to get us big time in the beginning of the game and helped us get off to a fast start. He definitely helped us out. Hats off to those guys.”(on what it feels like to win the Super Bowl) “It’s unreal right now. To even be here right now, I can’t even explain it right now. It’s incredible.

(on his kickoff return for a touchdown) “We had bounce-right, counter-right. We were calling for it all week. We knew it was a good chance. We had to put that on film all year and the guys did a heck of a job blocking. As soon as I caught the ball it was open field.”

(on what it means to win the Super Bowl) “It means everything to me. This team, the way they stood behind me, the way they backed me up all year, it means a lot to me.”

SEAHAWKS K STEVEN HAUSCHKA

(on making all of his kicks tonight) “It was just kind of treat it like it was another game. It was easier said than done. My goal was to just go out there and act like it was just another regular season game or something.”

(on how he is going to reward himself for winning the Super Bowl) “I’m already going to the World Cup. I’m probably going to get myself a watch or something.”

(on if tonight felt like a home game with the Seahawks fan support) “Well, it’s always going to feel like a home game when you are winning like that, but it felt like a neutral site (game), I guess. Once we started putting up some points, the Seahawks fans got really loud.”

(on special teams setting the tone tonight) “Our special teams has been flying all year long. Tonight we put a great effort onto the field. We controlled their returner, and our kick return to start the second half was incredible. We got a great snap and hold with (P) Jon (Ryan) and (LS) Clint (Gresham). We just have a great special teams unit. Our coach Brian Schneider does a phenomenal job coaching us up.”

(on recovering a fumble before replay overturned the call) “Well, I put like a death grip on (the ball), and my arms have never been so sore after that. It was pretty cool, though.”

(on how he recovered the fumble) “That was cool. It kind of came to my knees, and I just grabbed it and gave it a death grip. Guys were poking me a little bit, but it wasn’t too bad. I held on tight.”

(on what was the most important thing he did to stay focused this week) “It was never an issue of focus. The No. 1 thing I try to do is breathe, just simple breathing. That’s the only thing I could do to calm my nerves. Everyone was so excited, but as a kicker you want to be calm down there on the field. It never helps to be too excited as a kicker. Maybe other positions you can run around like that, but as a kicker you need to calm your nerves just like a golfer or something.”

(on if his first field goal was easy) “I never like to call them easy because you would like to put the same swing on the kick, so I just try to treat them all the same whether it is in the warm-ups or whether it is during the game.”

(on how bummed he was that his fumble recovery was overturned by replay review) “I was a little bummed. There was a moment there where I was walking off the field and I was like, ‘Did I just recover a fumble at the Super Bowl?’ It seemed too good to be true, so I figured it was probably going to come off.”

(on how Super Bowl champion sounds) “It hasn’t set in yet, honestly. It’s just been such a ride this season. We have an incredible group of guys, an incredible team. Head coach (Pete) Carroll gets us to play so hard, especially in practice. Guys don’t know another speed. They are just so used to playing that fast that when it all comes together, that’s the performance that you get tonight.”

(on what his friends from Middlebury College are saying) “Those guys, man I just got to see a couple (of them). I climbed up a ladder a shook some of their hands. They are so jacked up. They’ve been great friends, great support system. I’m so thankful to be part of those communities.”

SEAHAWKS LB BRUCE IRVIN

(on what it feels like to win the Super Bowl) “The best feeling in the world. I’m just happy we could come out here play like we always do, get it done today.”

(on what it took to win) “Assignment football. Straight Seattle football. Assignment, fast and physical.”

SEAHAWKS WR JERMAINE KEARSE

(on how it feels to be a Super Bowl champion) “The feeling is surreal right now. It’s an amazing feeling, especially being from the state of Washington, to bring this championship back home to Seattle for the fans. It’s an amazing feeling.”

(on if it was that easy and on if everything went Seattle’s way) “It just felt like we had a complete team effort. It was actually a complete team effort: special teams, on the offense, and even the defense causing the turnovers. It was a complete team win out there. We knew we could do it. We just had to execute the way we knew we could and that is exactly what we did.”

(on if there was anything they specified prepared for in this game) “We just knew the type of players we had on our team. We were just trying to execute and control what we could control. We couldn’t control what Denver was going to do. All we knew is that we were going to be able to do what we had to do to win and that’s exactly what we did.”

(on the great plays the receivers made) “The receiving group, we don’t get enough credit. Those guys, they battle every day. Going against the top defense in the NFL every day, those guys in that room. We battle with them every day, get better every day and make plays when we need to make them.”

(on the impact of WR Percy Harvin on his unit) “A lot of people got down on him because he didn’t play throughout the season. But, I knew the type of person Percy was. He was going to fight back. He was going to get healthy, and when he was finally healthy, he came out and he showed out. He made the plays we needed him to make, especially with that kickoff return.”

(on if Denver loaded up early to stop the run and on if that opened up some big plays) “I think so. I think the fly sweep play with Percy (Harvin) opened up a lot. They have to zone in on him. He is an explosive player. He can make plays, big plays, and that’s exactly what he did. It made things a lot easier for us.”

(on the chance the team took on him and on how satisfying this win is) “It was a definitely a long road for me. It was a long road, but sometimes you have to take those long roads to get right here and that’s exactly what I did. I think I saw a crazy stat on Twitter that there’s like 21 of the 53 guys on our team were undrafted. That just shows the type of coach that (Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) is.”

(on being a part of the parade in Seattle) “It’s going to be amazing. Especially being from the state of Washington, to celebrate with those fans, the best fans in the world, it’s going to be amazing.”

(on if the team planned to leave no doubt tonight) “Leave no doubt. We started that at the beginning of the season. That’s just the mindset we wanted to have throughout the whole season. Just go every game and leave no doubt in mind that you’re going to play your best, you’re going to give it your all, and that’s exactly what we did throughout this whole season.”

(on being a part of Seattle’s first championship) “It’s amazing. It still hasn’t hit me yet. I’m still kind of in shock but, like I said, just being from the state of Washington, winning the first championship for Seattle it’s an unreal feeling.”

(on how QB Russell Wilson played) “Russell played great. It just shows the type of leadership he has and the type of player he is. No matter what is going on in the game, he is always in-tune into the game. He is always trying to get better and that’s exactly what he did.”

SEAHAWKS RB MARSHAWN LYNCH

(on the difficulty of choosing tonight’s MVP because many played well) “I know, they could have given it to the whole team.”

(on the difficulty of choosing tonight’s MVP because many played well) “I know, they could have given it to the whole team.”

SEAHAWKS CB BYRON MAXWELL

(on if the Seahawks felt like they were in control from the beginning) “I felt like we were playing well, but it’s (QB) Peyton Manning. He’s legendary. We knew we had to stay on our p’s and q’s and our technique the whole time or he could capitalize.”

(on what Seattle’s defensive game plan was) “The game plan was to focus on us. We focused on us. It really was about us at the end of the day.”

(on if the game was easier than he thought it would be) “No, they were great. Demaryius Thomas is fast, physical. They’ve got great receivers. Peyton Manning is legendary. We had to focus on us. We knew we had to be on point to give us a chance basically.”

(on how much of the team’s personality is a reflection of Head Coach Pete Carroll) “I think he does a great job of just making every day seem like it’s a championship game. This really hasn’t even hit me because…I don’t want to say it feels like a regular game, but it feels like a regular game in a sense. He does a great job of that.”

(on what Seattle does differently than other teams) “We just focus on fundamentals. We preach technique. We keep doing it over and over again until we get it.”

(on LB Malcolm Smith) “He’s MVP. He’s big. A pick six in the biggest game in the world. That’s big.”

(on how he felt when Seattle built a big lead) “We feel like it’s Peyton Manning. He’s legendary and he creates stuff. I’ve seen many times when he’s 21 points down and he comes back and win the game. So you know you’ve got to keep your foot on the gas pedal and keep rolling, keep doing your technique and controlling your eyes.”

(on Seattle’s ‘simple’ approach on defense) “One of the things of keeping it simple is you’re able to play fast. Coach (Pete) Carroll here allows us to just let us go.”

(on if he’s ever seen a defense stop Manning like Seattle did) “No; obviously you see defenses have flashes, but nothing like this.”

(on if he could have imagined Seattle’s defense would play as well as they did) “We certainly thought we were capable of this. It’s just one of those things. It just happened. Everything clicked. Everything happened at the right time. We did it.”

(on S Kam Chancellor’s big hit in the first quarter) “He does that all the time. When somebody comes across the middle…I remember at the Rams game he lifted somebody up off of their feet. It’s just one of those things. He’s crazy. I want to say he’s like a loose pit bull running out there. You don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s going to attack. He’s a tone setter. Physically he hits. That’s who I look to when it comes to setting the tone and being physical.”

SEAHAWKS DT BRANDON MEBANE

(on if the Seahawks have gained respect after that win) “Yes. I think the Broncos are obviously a great team. We’ve been seeing them all year in highlights. One of the things we wanted to do was come out and play football and don’t change anything that we do.”

(on how well the Seahawks defense played inside the line of scrimmage) “We prepare. How Pete (Carroll) has us prepare is pretty much different from anybody in the NFL. When he first came, how he was preparing us for was prepares us . That’s one of the things that I think helps us is preparation during the week. That helps us on Sunday.”

(on how much pressure the Seahawks defense was able to get on the Broncos) “I think since the line is well-skilled; we have a lot of guys on our D-line. Usually, in any other years, you don’t see that many guys that can play the run, rush the passer, can do so many things to where, you know, we were blessed enough to get these guys in free agency and add on to what we already had. I felt in my heart that we could put pressure on them because we are talented enough.”

(on whether he felt the Broncos got panicky early in the game) “I felt that our offense was coming with a high tempo. We were making big plays out there I felt it was getting a little anxious. I think it was just from the start to the finish. We came out and played how we played all year and just had fun.”

(on whether he felt the Broncos changed their game plan going into this game versus the rest of the season) “That’s one of our things – we come out and we want to dictate to people, we don’t want people to dictate to us. We don’t play a whole lot of difficult defenses, we play a lot of basic stuff. We just play it really well.”

(on what the defensive unit said to each other at half time) “One of the things we did at half time was we turned the music up and a lot of us were just in there dancing and having fun. Some guys changed, some guys kept the same clothes on, some guys got re-taped. We just went out there and we just had fun. Actually, some guys were stretching too in stretching lines. We were in there stretching and doing all kinds of stuff.”

(on the safety early in the game) “It was kind of like a situation that you really weren’t expecting. Nobody was expecting them to mess up the first snap. I think once we got that, we got some drive and we got some momentum about us and were just like, ‘It’s on.’ We were still going to take that same approach anyway, though.”

(on when the team felt like they were going to win the Super Bowl) “Probably the third quarter. We kept scoring and (WR) Percy’s (Harvin) kickoff return, we were like, ‘Oh man. Let’s just keep on doing what we’ve been doing. Let’s not let them score.’ We didn’t want to let them get into a rhythm on offense.”

(on scoring 12 seconds into the first half and scoring 12 seconds into the second half) “The 12th man, I guess you can say that’s a lucky number for us.”

(on what it feels like to be the most historic team in Seahawks history) “We made history. We wanted to come out and establish and show the whole world who we are. We don’t get a whole lot of respect from the Pacific Northwest and it was just one of the things we wanted to come out and do. We wanted to play football and have fun and don’t make nothing of it. Just keep doing what we do.”

(on whether this is the best performance from this Seahawks team) “It might be. You probably can say that because this is the biggest stage and we’re playing for the Lombardi Trophy. So, I would say, yeah, that’s probably the best performance.”

(on the energy Percy Harvin brings to the team) “Percy is explosive. He’s hard to explain. If he was to play baseball, he would be a centerfielder and lead-off batter. If he was to play basketball, he would be a point guard. He’s an incredible athlete, and it’s hard to account for him and Marshawn (Lynch) and our quarterback, Russell (Wilson). We have a lot of guys on our offense that just do a great job and did a great job tonight.”

(on whether this Seahawks team makes defense cool again) “Yeah, because, you know, a lot of analysts were saying that the NFL is turning into more of a passing league, and I feel like you have to be able to run the ball as well as pass the ball to control the game. It’s been shown in college and in the NFL that you have to have a great running game and also a great passing game to be successful on offense.”

(on whether the Seahawks performance on the world stage will cause teams to rethink how they put their teams together) “Maybe, it’s a copycat league. A lot of teams are probably going to try to get a lot of our guys in free agency. That’s just how the NFL is. A lot of teams are probably going to try to mimic us and watch our film. We don’t do a lot of outrageous stuff. We just do it well as a unit.”

(on Russell Wilson’s consistently good performances) “Russell, he’s still in his second year, so he’s going to get better. We have a lot of guys out there that we just hope play well together, and Russell is a great student of the game. He knows where he’s supposed to be, he knows where the defense is supposed to be, and he always wants and is willing to learn. I think he’s very mature for a second-year player.”

(On whether the defense made any changes going into this game) “For the defensive line, the main thing that we wanted to do was basically put pressure on Peyton Manning. We knew that we weren’t going to sack him every time. We just wanted to put hands in his face and collapse the pocket, make it uncomfortable for him. If you look at this game this week, and you look at the game we played in the NFC Championship, (Colin) Kaepernick was hurting us with his legs. We knew Peyton Manning couldn’t run, but he has a very great arm, so it was just about making adjustments. I think we did a great job and our coaches did a great job helping us prepare and get ready for the Broncos.”

(On whether the defense made any changes going into this game) “For the defensive line, the main thing that we wanted to do was basically put pressure on Peyton Manning. We knew that we weren’t going to sack him every time. We just wanted to put hands in his face and collapse the pocket, make it uncomfortable for him. If you look at this game this week, and you look at the game we played in the NFC Championship, (Colin) Kaepernick was hurting us with his legs. We knew Peyton Manning couldn’t run, but he has a very great arm, so it was just about making adjustments and we had two weeks to prepare. I think we did a great job and our coaches did a great job helping us prepare and get ready for the Broncos.”

(on how they were able to get defensive pressure early) I think it was just a combination of things. I think it was our coverage, I think it was the play of our linebackers, I think it was the play of our D-line. I think it was just a combination of things to where we didn’t let the receivers get off the line and were able to make Peyton Manning hold the ball longer. Not one group tonight was the center of attention. I think the whole team came out and had a major contribution tonight.”

(on if he has any plans to celebrate) “No, I just got married last year in April and we are expecting our first child, me and my wife. She’s due April seventh, so that’s my only vacation I’m doing now as far as getting ready for a little girl. I’ll have a lot of women in the house, so I have to get ready for that.”

SEAHAWKS T RUSSELL OKUNG

(on what it feels like) “Hey man, we’re champions. You tell me, does it get any better than that? Undisputed. We’re the best in the league right now. We can say that. It’s a privilege. It’s an honor, and I thank God every day for what we’ve been through. And I’m not talking about football, I’m talking about life. We’ve got a lot of guys on our team who are hungry, hungry, and we put that effort out there every day and not just in the games – practice. We prevailed today. I love my teammates. I love those guys.”

(on all three phases of the team contributing) “Right, that’s the team. That’s the team. To win in the fashion we did in a dominant fashion, it speaks volumes about who we are as a group.”

(on how this young team kept its faith throughout this process) “I tell you man, if nobody knows here, if you don’t have a relationship with Christ, I tell you, Jesus saves, man. He’s better than any substance. He’s better than anything you’ve been through. He’s better. He’s better. The love, the love, it’s free. Grace is free. You don’t have to earn nothing – it’s yours. All He wants you to do is love Him. Love Him back. I’ll tell you man, Christ saved my life and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. I wouldn’t be here. I thank God every day for the man He’s molded me to be.”

(on the offense clicking without running back Marshawn Lynch getting going) “Marshawn, he had some good, tough runs, a couple of tough runs. It was great that other guys could step up in his place, but again, we’re a team. As much as we want to run the ball and show off our physicality in that way, another phase of our offense is being explosive and throwing it over your head. We were able to do that today.”

(on teams passing on quarterback Russell Wilson in the draft) “Hey, I’m glad those teams passed on him. I’m glad they passed on him because we’re sure able to pass on them. Russell Wilson, he’s a competitor. He’s a competitor, and the kid has as much heart as anybody on our team. His approach to work, the way he’s determined, the way he shows his maturity – we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him, either.”(on Wilson overcoming any nerves he had early tonight) “The best way I can describe Russell Wilson is resilient. That kid is resilient, man. Despite the outcome, despite the circumstances, he’s going to keep coming at you, and he’s going to give you all he has.”

(on how the Lord helped him play his best tonight) “The Lord allowed me to be here. I keep saying it all the time – with Him, there’s purpose. I’m not just here just to exist, I’m here to live. I’m glad He’s been using me this way. This is my platform to bring glory to Him. I just want to be able to give my gifts back to the people, and I’m glad it goes so much more than football. I’m glad we’re touching live in the Seattle area, and we’ll continue.”

(on his plans after this) “I’m just going to relax. I’m going to enjoy my family, take a little bit of time off, head to a beach, lay down in my Speedo and show off the figure.”

(on wide receiver Percy Harvin’s attitude coming into this game) “I didn’t notice anything new from Percy. I knew he could overcome it. He has the mentality of an offensive lineman, I swear. The way he competes, his intensity, we could see it when he was rehabbing and trying to get back. I know he was hungry to come out here and make some plays. When I saw him return that kickoff, there was no doubt in my mind, there wasn’t any doubt in anybody on the sideline’s minds, nobody was going to get that boy.”

SEAHAWKS FB MICHAEL ROBINSON

(on how it feels to be a Super Bowl Champion) “The feeling is unreal. I can’t even put it into words. It is very gratifying, especially with the year I have had.”

(on what the Seahawks offense wanted to establish with the plays built in for WR Percy Harvin) “We didn’t use them all year because he didn’t play all year. Those plays were Percy specific and you can see why, you can see the speed around the corner. The kid wanted to play so bad this year. I’m so happy for Percy that he got a chance to go in there and make some plays.”

(on how inserting plays for Harvin helped the offense) “I think it was more that we wanted to see what type of reaction he was going to get from the defense and how they were going to play that formation. Tom Cable and Darrell Bevell did a great job of scheming up the running game this week.”

(on putting this win into words) “No, I can’t put it into words right now. I just thank God that I had the opportunity.”

(on overcoming obstacles this season including illness) “It really wasn’t having faith in Pete (Carroll), it was having faith in God and that he was going to have a plan for me. The connection I had with the guys in the locker room, I was yearning for that. You miss going to war with them on Sundays.”

(on if this leaves no doubt) “Oh yeah, there is no doubt. We are World Champs man!”

(on how much leaving no doubt drove the team this year) “That ‘leave no doubt,’ phrase, our quarterback came up with that. It was our motto and it carried us all the way through the year.”

(on what this means for his hometown where he grew up) “To have two guys from the Richmond (Va.) area and have them be Super Bowl winners, that is huge. When I was growing up in Richmond we didn’t have guys come back and do camps, we didn’t have guys that were Super Bowl Champs. It is definitely big for the area.”

(on this performance) “It is team game. All three phases contributed. The defense shut down. To hold a guy like Peyton Manning to eight points, that is a pretty big accomplishment. I would have gave the MVP to the entire defense. Special teams, offense and defense, we all came together today.”

SEAHAWKS CB RICHARD SHERMAN

(on Seattle’s defensive performance) “Well, I think it was a total team effort and it took a lot of discipline and hard work. Hats off to Peyton Manning, he’s the Offensive MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and no disrespect to him, he’s still a great quarterback, one of the best of all time. But, today we just played sound football. We were able to execute, and we did it. We did it.”

(on QB Russell Wilson’s leadership and composure) “I think Russell stayed poised all year. He stayed poised in dire situations and he really matured throughout the year. If anybody deserves this, he deserves it as much as anybody out there.”

(on if he anticipated that the defense would be so effective against Manning) “Well there’s no way you could anticipate affecting a world record setting offense, and (with) the kind of season he was having, there’s no way. Even with the season we had, you can’t anticipate him having a bad game like that. We were able to affect him a little bit, and make some big plays. (SS) Kam Chancellor played a great game, and (LB) Malcolm Smith was very opportune, (and) (CB) Byron Maxwell had a forced fumble. I think everybody played their behinds off and I think it was more about what our players did well, than Peyton.”

(on the satisfaction of putting everything together in the biggest game of the season) “It’s incredibly satisfying, man. That’s the first time anybody has seen our offense at 100 percent, for a whole game, with 11 out there and with (WR Percy Harvin) returning kicks. His second kick return to the house in the Super Bowl – that’s exactly what we expected from him. He did a great job all week, and our offense, with him at 100 percent, they’re hard to stop. Even though they call our receivers pedestrian, week-in and week-out, I think they are far from pedestrian and they’re big time playmakers in this league, and they showed that tonight.”

(on if he was surprised that the defense was able to limit Denver’s high-scoring offense) “You can never expect it, but I wasn’t really shocked. I expected us to stand up. I didn’t expect us to give up a whole lot of points. It’s not our standard to give up a whole lot of points. We haven’t done it all year, so it’s nothing to say that we would give it up today. We knew we would play sound football and tackle well. That’s some of the stuff we saw on film, a lot of missed tackles, a lot of guys over pursuing and not being disciplined, and we knew that we could play better football than that.”

(on Seattle’s 12th Man) “It’s unbelievable. 12th Man, we did it, we brought the Super Bowl back. We love you guys and we’re on our way. It means a lot. I think Seattle deserves this more than any city, and they’ve been faithful since the beginning. So, first Super Bowl (for) Seattle, we brought it.”

(on how the defense won the mental game against Peyton Manning) “We were who we were. We didn’t change anything. I think a lot of times guys get too infatuated with trying to change things, trying to disguise and trying to play his game. We’re a simple defense. We run a simple scheme. You know what we’re going to run. We’re not going to disguise anything and we’re just going to try to execute, and today we were able to do that.”

(on what kind of message the Seattle defense sent to the world with the victory) “I think we showed them that we’re up there. We’re a bunch of misfits, in some ways: fifth-round, Kam Chancellor; sixth-round, Byron Maxwell; fifth-round, Richard Sherman; fourth-round, (CB) K.J. Wright; undrafted, (DE) Michael Bennett. (DE) Cliff Avril, (DE) ‘Big’ Red Bryant, (Brandon) Mebane – lot of guys that not a lot of people have heard of, who probably should be Pro Bowl, and All-Pros, and things like that. I think (the world) learned how complete of a team we are, (and) how complete our defense is. It’s not just the Legion of Boom back there, with four guys who play good football, it’s a great linebacking corps, (and) a great D-line who gets a lot of pressure. Cliff Avril is a great player. Mike (Michael) Bennett, (DT) Tony McDaniel, Brandon Mebane, those are all great players and I think they deserve the respect.”

(on how the defense handled the crossing routes and picks from the Denver offense) “We zoned it off and we hit them. We hit them. That was our plan coming in – we were going to run and we were going to hit. We were going to continue to hit them. If they caught those (passes), then they would have to deal with us after they caught them. That was our plan the whole game. We weren’t really trying to affect Peyton in that way, but if his receivers, if we could intimidate them in some way, that’s what the plan was.”

(on Kam Chancellor’s first big hit of the game) “Kam’s first hit was exactly what it was about. Kam said he was going to set the tone early, and that’s what he did when he hit (WR) Demaryius (Thomas) on the crosser.”

(on the ankle injury that he sustained during the game) “It was a rough game, but this championship hat, winning, (and) achieving the dream really numbs the pain, a lot. I was saying that I let my teammates down and I wasn’t able to finish the game, but I knew that they would step up for me and do that. This feeling is just unbelievable. It’s a dream come true.”

(on Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith’s performance) “I think Malcolm Smith was overshadowed last week with all the noise with my rant and everything, all the attention that it got. People lost track of Malcolm Smith making an incredible interception that sealed that game. Today, I think he really put a stamp on the game with the interception for a touchdown, that was a huge play, the fumble recovery, (and) various tackles. He played a really complete game, and he’s a really complete player. Once again, a seventh-round pick. I’m not sure everybody does their due diligence with some of our guys. Like I said before, I don’t believe in the draft process and the way things are done in that regard, because look at this, a bunch of sixth, fifth-round and undrafted guys in the Super Bowl, playing. I mean, who’s got it right?”

(on some of the things he said to the Denver receivers during the game) “There wasn’t really a lot of talk, to tell you the truth. They’re hurrying up (to the line), so there’s no room for wasted breath. You have to get ready every play, be prepared, get your indicators and things like that. So there wasn’t a lot of back-and-forth to tell you the truth.”

(on if the absence of trash talk is a good indicator for the level of respect he has for the Broncos’ receivers) “Oh, totally. There was mutual respect from both sides. You don’t come in with a record setting offense, and the No. 1 offense in the league, without great playmakers, a great quarterback, a great scheme, and great players. And we don’t come in here with the No. 1 defense, without great players, great scheme and great playmakers. I think they respected that, and we respected that, and we went out there and played.”

(on what he plans to do next) “I don’t know. I’m trying to make it to Disney World if I can, but I might be limping around. I think we’re just going to go back out to Seattle and enjoy it with our fans. They’ve been waiting a long time for this, and we’ve been waiting a long time for it. A lot of hard work, a lot of doubters out there, who didn’t believe we’d get it this far, and didn’t believe we’d win it when we got here. And hey, don’t doubt us again.”

(on if he could have asked for a better defensive start) “No way. No way. That was a dream start, to tell you the truth. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. With the safety and all of that happening, I guess it had to do with our fans, more than it had to do with us – the noise that they were making. Then on the second drive, Kam (Chancellor) really set the tone with the hit on Demaryius (Thomas) on the crosser, and we really got into our rhythm. Earl (Thomas) made a great statement before the game. He told us, ‘Let’s get lost in the game. Let’s show them what we’re really about. Let’s get lost in it. Let’s go out there and get in our zone and never come out of it. Let’s go play our best football.’ That’s what we tried to do.”

(on how the defensive line generated pressure on Peyton Manning) “Well, they’re great players. Our D-line is full of big time playmakers. It should be full of Pro Bowlers, but sadly they rotate a little bit too much to get the respect they deserve, but with Mike (Michael) Bennett out there, with (DT) Clint (Clinton) McDonald, with the amount of snaps they get, the number of sacks and pressures they get, it’s unbelievable. If they played a full game, they’d have some pretty amazing stats. But they sacrifice that for our team, and for the dream of the team, and we appreciate them. Mike Bennett came here and took less than what he could have got other places, to win a championship. Cliff Avril did the same, Tony McDaniel did the same, and we’re glad we could give those guys a championship.”

(on how he got injured) “Demaryius ran a screen, I drove down on the screen and got hit kind of awkwardly, and my foot was stuck in the ground. Later on they ran a curl route, I tried to break on it, it was an awkward break and you just feel the crumbles and the pops in the ankles. It sucked.”(on winning the Super Bowl) “We had a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and the team deserves it. (QB) Russell Wilson, (S) Earl Thomas and (S) Kam Chancellor, they deserve this. The ‘Legion of Boom,’ baby. I hope we etched our names in the history books. This is the No. 1 offense in the history of the NFL and we were able to play a good game against them. (Denver QB) Peyton Manning may go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game, and we’re just blessed to have an opportunity to play against him. I can’t believe it.”

(on if he ever envisioned winning Super Bowl MVP) “I always imagined myself making great plays. Never thought about being the MVP.”

(on how many interceptions he had before the interception against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game) “I think two? I’m getting a lot more opportunities lately. I’m just trying to make the most of them, being prepared. Our team just plays so well. The speed of the game and the way we attack. There’s just opportunities all over the field.”

(on the interception he returned for a touchdown) “I guess we had good coverage on the back end. Peyton (Manning) kind of scanned the opposite side of the field and was working his way back. We had excellent pressure, somebody go their arm on the ball, I didn’t see who. I guess the ball came out high and I was just fortunate that the running back was kind of sitting there waiting on it and I just attacked it and took off.”

(on what his 40-yard dash time was the combine) “I didn’t get invited to the combine.”

(on what his 40-yard dash time was at his pro day) “4.4 (seconds). That’s what I had. It might not have looked like it out there.”

(on if he woke up this morning thinking he would be MVP) “No. I was just happy to be on the field.”

(on the defense being full of less heralded players) “We just have a great group of guys. Guys that feed off each other well. Guys that have the same type of attitude and approach to the game. A bunch of guys with chips on their shoulder and a bunch of guys that were overlooked.”

(on how appropriate it is to have a defensive player win MVP) “It just represents how our defense played. I’m just here to represent the defense. I played well tonight and I had a couple opportunities. You’ve seen guys out here make those type of plays and tonight was my turn. I’m here and it’s definitely on behalf of them.”(on joining his brother Steve Smith as a Super Bowl champion) “It’s great, man. It’s great for our family. I don’t think we ever imagined being a pair of Super Bowl winning brothers. For us to be here and him over there watching, this is excellent.”

(on shutting down the No. 1 offense in the league) “We feel like we play with a level of intensity that other teams haven’t matched. We liked this matchup. We felt good coming into this game. We felt like they would have to deal with us.”

(on how the 242nd pick in the NFL Draft can become a Super Bowl MVP) “I can’t explain it. I don’t know. Being picked that late, it kind of just humbles you and keeps you hungry. Our team is just like that. It helped me, for us to be at this point, it helped me.”

(on his interception returned for a touchdown) “(Broncos QB) Peyton (Manning) was kind of scanning the other side of the field. There was great coverage on the back end and great pressure. (Seahawks DE) Cliff (Avril) got to the quarterback and Peyton’s arm kind of came out high and I was able to run under and catch it. I got a couple good blocks and I was able to get in.”

(on how winning MVP is going to change his life) “I hope not much. I just want to play football. I enjoy playing football- the game I love. It’s great playing with my teammates.”

(on if he can handle the newfound attention) “I’ll definitely be able to handle it. I don’t expect too much to change.”

(on what it feels like to be going to Disney World) “I’ve never been to Disney World. I’ve been to Disney Land, but I’ve never been to Disney World. It will be fun.”

(on if he got nervous with the ball hanging in the air on his interception) “It was hanging up there for a while. I was thinking, ‘Again? No way.’ Then it just naturally took over doing what we do every day.”(on his return) “It was a long drive so I was a little tired. I know we were out there for a while. I felt somebody coming on the left side, so I turned and ran to the other side of the field.”

(on if there was something specific they saw about Denver that they liked) “Obviously (QB) Peyton (Manning) is a great quarterback and he’ll do a great job getting the ball out fast. We feel like we play with an amount of speed that they haven’t seen. We just execute well. We’re football guys, you know? A bunch of football guys.”

(on how hard he had to work to overcome his injury while playing at USC) “I wouldn’t say it was too much. I never really looked at it as something that would affect me playing football. I just stayed focused on what I had to. I was fortunate to be around great doctors that kind of helped me along the way. To be here, I’m definitely grateful and thankful to play.”

(on the first time he met Head Coach Pete Carroll and the relationship he has with him) “I must have been in middle school. He was recruiting my brother (Steve Smith) obviously and I was there. I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I was just the kid in the back watching the practice. Just love football and his enthusiasm is just a magnet for it.”

(on what Coach Carroll has taught him) “I’ve learned so much from him. Being with him this long, I just appreciate him more and more. The more I mature, I see the things I might have heard earlier and it makes more sense. Just to be competitive in life and it definitely gives you an edge.”

(on if his brother (Steve Smith) gave him advice after winning the Super Bowl in 2008) “He just told me to stay calm, stay relaxed and make the plays we’ve been making all year. It served true.”

(on if Seattle made a statement) “I think we made a statement that we’re one of the better defenses or the best defense in the NFL. It just shows that even though teams score a lot of points they still can be stopped. The way we played is something that people need to recognize and they’ll have to deal with.”

(on if the team can sustain the success) “I would love to be a part of it. I think as long as Head Coach Pete Carroll is the coach and you have a great quarterback, that makes great decisions and get guys that are willing to buy in and play the way they teach, I don’t see it not being successful.”

(on if it’s embedded in the defense to always go for the big play) “It’s definitely in your head to make plays all the time. Our whole team is like that, we can’t wait for an opportunity. When guys miss opportunities they’re upset about it. For it to be embedded, yeah it’s amazing.”

(on being the MVP and being a part of such a ferocious defense) “I just represent the defense. I’m here to represent the defense- our technique, our approach, our work ethic, our football mindset, the way we attacked every day this season with an attitude and with grit.”

(on if he’ll share the honor with the defense) “Absolutely. This has nothing to do with me. I was just the guy that caught the ball and maybe made a couple plays. Everybody has that mentality all over the defense.”

(on his mindset entering the game) “Just stay relaxed and stay calm. Make the plays that you’re supposed to make. The moment is not going to be too big. Our whole team felt this week and last week like it just feels like another game to us. We didn’t get caught up in the hype. We didn’t get caught up in being in New York City. We got caught up in football and beating the Broncos.”

(on if the interception was unusual) “That one was in the air for a while. Other ones I caught pretty quickly. It didn’t feel real until I got to the sideline. That was a big play.”

(on Broncos QB Peyton Manning) “He does a great job. He knows his weaknesses, he knows our weaknesses. I didn’t expect us to play, to dominate the way we did today. We knew there would be an opportunity for us. Our offense did a great job attacking them and scoring points. We just had a great team effort today and guys played great.”

(on how dominant the defense can be) “Teams have to deal with us. They’ve got to deal with us. They have to deal with our defense. They have to play to our level if they want to compete with us.”

(on if he could have a better two game span) “You don’t think it’s going to get any better. Personally, I’ve had some fortunate events happen to me lately. I can’t really say much more than that.”

SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVER GOLDEN TATE

(on winning the Super Bowl) “It’s a wonderful feeling, the first in franchise history. This is awesome.”

(on what made the 2013 Seattle team special) “We treated every game the same. No game was ever too big for us. We came in focused every single game, ready to get better. Even the last game of the season, we knew if we just did our job, we were going to come up on top.”

(on QB Russell Wilson’s effectiveness) “Because he’s a baller. With his preparation, he had two weeks to prepare for these guys. And his surrounding cast is awesome. The offensive line did their job, (RB Marshawn Lynch) ran the ball, (RB Robert) Turbin ran the ball and we came up big. For everybody that said we were mediocre, not the main dish, check it out. We came up big. Had four different guys score a touchdown. So eat your words, because we ball.”

(on the team’s preparation) “We treated every game the same. No game was ever too big for us. We came in focused every single day ready to get better. Even the last game of the season, we had two great weeks of practice and we just did our job. We were going to come out on top.”

(on QB Russell Wilson) “He’s a baller. He had two weeks to prepare for these guys. His surrounding cast is awesome. His offensive line did their job. Marshawn (Lynch) ran the ball. (Robert) Turbin ran the ball. Receivers came up big. For everybody who said we were mediocre, not the main dish. We came up big. Three of our four guys scored touchdowns. Eat your words because we balled.”

(on the team’s fast start) “We prepared for two weeks nonstop trying to get better. Here we are. It wasn’t even a big deal, it was just another game for us. That’s how we treated it. We prepared and we followed the marbles. Now, we are champions.”

(on the safety to begin the game) “This could get ugly really quick. Next thing you know, we had a pick-six. That’s how you know we got it. They tried to sky-kick it to Percy (Harvin) and he runs right by them for another six. We went into halftime knowing we had another two quarters and anything can happen with (Denver quarterback) Peyton (Manning). He’s a great player. Shout out to Demaryius Thomas, one of my good buddies. Eric Decker, Wes Welker, I hope they all come out healthy. We balled tonight, baby.”

(on the effect on the city of Seattle) “This is very special for the city of Seattle. They’ve been going through a lot. From losing in 2006, when the game was stolen from them, to when the Super Sonics were taken away; for us to be able to call ourselves world champions in 2014 is awesome. The city deserves it. The 12’s travel well with us. They put in the work with us and here we are as champions.”

(on his future with the Seahawks) “This could be a very special team. We have a lot of great players. At this moment, I’m officially (an) unrestricted (free agent), so hopefully I’m coming back here. I’m just excited. I’m trying to enjoy this moment right now because there’s not many people who can say they (they’re world champions). Guys can play 20 years and never make the playoffs. For me to be in my fourth year and be able to call myself a world champion, that’s special. I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

(on the team’s overall play) “Don’t sleep on us. Defense played great, defense played great and special teams played great. We scored on all three facets of the game. That’s special.”

(on wide receiver Percy Harvin) “Percy (Harvin) has something that you can’t teach. He has speed. He’s quick and he’s very explosive. He’s very physical. He’s not the biggest out there, but he’ll lay a hat on you. He plays so hard. For him to come back and be healthy the entire game, you can see the difference he made. They didn’t want to kick it off to him the first time and he still took it to the house. That’s special. I’m so happy that he’s on the team and he’s a great person.”

(on the role of the Seahawks receivers) “We’ve been hearing all year that we weren’t very good, that we were mediocre at best and that we were going to be the reason why we lost the game. Our guys showed up big. We make the big plays that we need to make. You saw it tonight. We had (Jermaine) Kearse on the touchdown with that extra effort. We might not be the biggest. We might not have a first-rounder that’s supposed to be the game-breaker, but we do our jobs. We know our roles and we ball. When the ball is thrown to us, we find a way. That’s what we did tonight. We proved the world wrong.”

(on Seattle’s first Super Bowl) “It’s special. The 12’s deserve it. They showed up home, away, on social media and they deserve it. In 2006, that game was stolen from them. They lost the Super Sonics, so this city needed something special. Here we are in 2014 able to call ourselves world champions.”

(on today’s performance) “For us to play one of our best games all year, you can’t ask for anything better. We owe it to everybody. Coach (Pete) Carroll did a great job to keep us focused. We did a great job at staying focused and wanting to get better every single day even though it was the last game of the season and we had the best record in the NFL. Guys get complacent, but we wanted to get better every single day. That’s just our personality and from top to bottom. All the guys, from the trainers down to the guys who are doing laundry, it took a collective unit. Here we are in New York City as world champions.”

“As a second-year player, there was a time when people used to say that he was two short and that he couldn’t do this and couldn’t do that. This guy came in after we just signed a big-money guy, Matt Flynn, as a third-round pick. He earned his keeps. He earned a start in his first game in the regular season last year. He led the team with four losses and then came back this year and led the team to three total losses. (He led us) to the Super Bowl and we won it. That is special. He deserves it because every single day he shows up ready to work and ready to get better. He’s so positive. For a guy like that to be able to have the honor of being a world champion in his second year, no one else deserves it.”

SEAHAWKS CB WALTER THURMOND

(on how winning a Super Bowl feels for him personally) “It feels great. It’s really hard to put it in words. Just playing with a great group of guys out there on and off the field, and that defense is ridiculous. Our front-four, those guys, I think they make our job a lot easier in the secondary.”

(on if it was easier than they thought to jam the Denver receivers) “We were very confident in our preparation these past two weeks. We have a mindset, and it’s been the same throughout this whole season, where they have to deal with us. Regardless of the opponent, we’re going to play our style of football, which is being fast and physical. You give us two weeks to prepare and you’ve seen the outcome today.”

(on bringing the first Super Bowl championship to Seattle) “It’s great. It’s great to be part of history like that. It’s very humbling and it’s a great honor to be in a class of 48 teams to come home with a trophy like that. Not many teams get the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, let alone win it. It’s a great experience.”

(on all the talk this week of the No. 1 offense facing the No. 1 defense) “It seemed like they were talking about their offense the past two weeks and they weren’t really giving credit to our defense. Everyone on our defense already has a chip on their shoulder, now they gave us another chip on our shoulder. We really just wanted to go out there and play our style of football. It really just comes back down to preparation. We wanted to go out there and out-hit those guys, and we were able to do it.”

(on the pass-rush tonight) “The pass-rush has been great the whole season. They really make our jobs a lot easier. When we get tight coverage, it gives that extra second, that half-second to be able to make a play on the quarterback. It really makes our job a lot easier. Those guys are phenomenal athletes up there and just great men at the end of the day.”

(on Seattle’s defense noticing comments like Denver WR Demaryius Thomas saying he likes getting hit) “(SS) Kam (Chancellor) most definitely took notice of that, for sure. He wanted to make a point to get an opportunity to make that play on him, which he did. That’s just our style of football. We just want to go out there and impose our will as much as possible and then have him have to deal with us.”

(on whether Kam Chancellor mentioned “sending a message” to Demaryius Thomas or anything like that before the game) “I think he did say something like that. He just wanted to go out there and be physical. That’s just Kam in general. Kam wants to hit anything that’s moving. He caught me a couple times out there. That’s just the type of athlete and competitor that he is, though. I have a lot of respect for him.”

(on what it’s like to shut down Denver QB Peyton Manning) “He knows where he wants to go with the ball. He’s going to take what we give him. He’s going to be methodical as far as when he’s going to take his shots, and we knew that going in. Having two weeks to prepare, we knew they weren’t going to really get away from their game plan. They had a couple wrinkles here and there, just scheming us with our technique and us being in so much man, but we played a lot of zone this game. We really forced them to throw the ball short and we call it the ‘kill zone’ when they throw it short. We were able to go out there and get hits on those guys.”

(on how much sweeter this is for him after battling injuries in college and early in the NFL) “It feels great to be here. Being healthy for a full season, I just give the glory to God in that aspect. Just being able to persevere through all of my situations that I’ve gone through in my short professional career. I’m just looking forward to the next opportunities and endeavors that I may encounter.”

(on the possibility of this young team becoming a dynasty) “It’s going to be tough, though, from an organizational standpoint. There’s a lot of young guys and when you start getting involved with money, it’s hard to keep a lot of guys with the salary cap and stuff like that. If it was baseball, we’d probably be like the Yankees since we have one of the richest owners in the league. I think that would be unfair in that situation, though. It’s a testament to (Head Coach) Pete Carroll and (General Manager) John Schneider really assembling this team. I’ve been here since day one with those guys; they drafted me. I’ve seen the transformation through each year to getting to this point. We knew we had something special last year. That loss against Atlanta really hurt and we vowed that we didn’t want to go out that way again. We really worked and trained and prepared each week as a championship game, and this was no different. It happened to be the Super Bowl, but we still wanted to go out there and play our style of football, which was being fast and physical, and we were able to do that.”

(on the 12th man) “The 12th man caused the first play. Them just being so overly loud, the center didn’t know it was a double count and he hiked the ball early and gave us two points. I think that was the difference in the game early on. Our fans are the best fans in the league and it showed today.”

SEAHAWKS LB BOBBY WAGNER

(on the defense setting the tone) “We just wanted to come out and prove to them that we’re a very good defense. They’re a good offense, but I think it was our time to show the world we’re the best defense and we did it on the biggest stage.”

(on Seattle LB Malcolm Smith winning the MVP award) “I definitely think that we need to show linebackers more love. I feel like we’ve been loved all year, but Malcolm did a great job; (Seahawks LB) K.J. Wright did a great job. I think we were out there flying around making tackles. It’s not just the ‘Legion of Boom.’”

(on if he was surprised that Denver’s offense couldn’t put together scoring drives) “I wasn’t surprised at all. Watching the film coming into the week, we’ve seen that they haven’t played a defense like ours. They haven’t played a defense that flies around like we do, that hits like we do, and we just do it every single play. We figured that the longer and longer the game went, they were going to fall eventually.”

(on how it feels to be the first Seahawks team to win the Super Bowl) “That feels amazing. We’re a part of history. That’s something that we’ve been dreaming about the whole season. One hundred years from now, y’all are going to remember this team.”

(on if they thought they could shut down Denver’s offense) “We thought we could hold them to zero points. We felt that they haven’t played a defense like ours. We were fast, hitting. Those pick routes weren’t working on us and it showed.”

(on the key to stopping Broncos QB Peyton Manning) “Just being disciplined. He’s a really good player, and he’s going to go down as one of the best. But, the fact is we just had to be disciplined and be on your details and make sure you do a lot of studying during the weekend and understand what type of player he is. He’s going to pick you apart if you make mistakes, and we had to limit our mistakes.”

(on if tonight was the team’s best performance of the year) “I think as a team, everything – from the special teams to the offense to the defense, I feel like everybody was clicking. Everybody was doing their job and we peaked at the right time.”

(on scoring a safety on the first play of the game) “It feels great. It lets you know what type of night it’s going to be. When you fumble the first snap, maybe you’re scared of this defense.”

(on having a young team and potentially creating a dynasty) “If we stay together – we’re young, we’re talented – we feel like we can keep doing this and doing this and doing this, so to be a dynasty you’ve got to win more than one.”

(on what he could tell from the Denver offense’s body language) “I felt like towards the end of the game, we definitely felt like we were getting to them. They were coming across the middle and they were getting hit – something that they’re not used to. We said that before the game that we were going to hit them, and towards the end of the game they started to fold.”

(on S Kam Chancellor’s performance) “He’s an enforcer. He came and he got that first hit and everybody started hitting. K.J. (Wright), me, everybody, the D-line. We just started to hit them and I think that’s what we had to do to beat them.”

(on if they were disappointed they did not shut out Denver) “Yeah, very disappointed. We definitely felt like we could have held them to zero. That would’ve been even better.”

(on what it was about sticking to their style of defense to beat Denver) “We watched film and we’ve seen a defense today that they were playing. They weren’t flying around like us. They weren’t hitting like us. They were getting picked and they didn’t want to put in that much effort as much as we did, so we felt like they hadn’t played a defense like ours. We felt like once we got on the field and once we hit their crossers and we hit those things they’ve been doing so good, we won this game.”

(on if the pick-six early in the game allowed them to play more aggressively on defense) “I think we kind of put them in a position where we knew what kinds of plays they were going to run. They couldn’t run the ball anymore because they were behind so much, so we knew that they had to pass the ball. We were just on it. We felt like everybody was clicking.”

(on their defensive performance) “This was something that we were dreaming about. We woke up today and what an opportunity to be considered the best defense going up against the best offense, and the only way we could say we were the best defense is to take down the best offense and we did that.”

(on if he feels like their defense should be compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens) “I definitely feel like we’re up there. We went against a legend, a guy who’s definitely going into the Hall of Fame as soon as he retires, but who knows? We’ve got to do a lot more; we’re so young. If we really want to be the best, we’ve really got to keep doing it longer than just a year.”

(on calling audibles to compete with Manning) “If he was audibling, we were audibling, too. We were going to make some checks. We knew that he was going to check the ball, so we tried to check, too. It was just a chess game and we feel like we won.”

(on sometimes calling fake audibles before the snap) “You’ve got to understand, some of his (Manning) calls were fake, too. He’s not checking every single play. We felt like we had a good key to pick up just from watching film on when he was going to check and when he wasn’t. We were just on. We felt like we had the offense down pat.”

(on if they call fake audibles every game or if it was a special case) “This is the Super Bowl. We don’t do that for everybody, especially when you’re playing somebody like that. You’ve got to bring everything, so we definitely came ready for Peyton (Manning).”

(on Denver throwing more screen passes to the outside instead of through the middle of the field) “I think we hit them, too. I think if you hit them a couple times, they don’t want to come in the middle anymore, so they started on the outside routes. But, we just wanted to be physical with the team and just show them that they haven’t seen a defense like ours.”

(on S Kam Chancellor’s big hit early in the game) “It set the tone and then everybody started getting hit. They started dropping like flies.”

(on pressuring Manning) “That was a big key coming into the game. We wanted to get him off his spot. Even if we didn’t hit him, getting him off his spot was going to be huge for us. We felt like the D-line did a great job getting to him and even hitting the ball. (LB) Malcolm’s (Smith) pick, I think (DE) Cliff (Avril) was the one who hit the ball, and we just did a good job of doing that.”

(on if Denver was surprised by their defense’s closing speed) “Probably so because, like I said, they haven’t played a defense like ours. We watched a lot of film and the defenses weren’t as fast, weren’t as physical, so that’s something that we wanted to point out and come out and do.”

(on if their defensive scheme was more exotic today than usual) “We were just on it. We knew their offense pretty well and we knew that we had a good key on the offense, so everything that they were doing, we felt like we were a step ahead.”

(on how crucial the defensive line was this year) “It was crucial. They’re the reason the ‘Legion of Boom’ are who they are, the linebackers are who we are. They apply pressure. They get the offensive linemen off us and they make us great.”

(on DE Cliff Avril) “Cliff has done an amazing job all year, came in to a new team and led us in sacks and has done a great job. Hats off to him for sure.”

(on how it feels to celebrate the Super Bowl win with his teammates) “It feels great. I feel we came together at the right time. Our offense was clicking, defense was clicking, special teams were clicking and we’re just close with our guys. We did that in the offseason, got close in the offseason, and this is the reason why we were so good.”

(on Denver saying the first time they ran a crossing route they’d meet Seahawks S Kam Chancellor) “They were going to meet Kam Chancellor, and that’s what happened the first time they ran a crossing route. They met Kam Chancellor and they didn’t want to do it anymore.”

(on Denver’s receivers avoiding the middle of the field later in the game) “They ran it a couple more times and got hit a couple more times. K.J. (Wright) got a hit, I got a hit and everybody else was getting a hit. They tried hitting the screen routes and we were on that, too. We’re too fast for them to do the screens. We just showed how fast we are as a defense.”

(on if Head Coach Pete Carroll talked to the team about how to prepare in comparison to approaching a college bowl game) “I don’t think as far as preparing. I remember him talking about in one of the bowl games – I think it was the one they lost to Texas – players were just trying to do too much. That’s one thing he said, just come into the game and do what we’ve done all year. We hadn’t switched stuff up. We didn’t have to do nothing crazy. As long we did our job and did what we did all year, the plays were going to come to us just like they had.”

(on how he plans to celebrate the victory) “I’m going to take my daughter to Disneyland.”

(on the defensive performance) “It shows what kind of character we have on this team. We have a bunch of great guys that play for each other, so that award is his (Malcolm Smith) though – he deserves that.”

(on Smith’s interception return for a touchdown being a turning point) “Yeah, I think we sucked the energy out of them. Cliff (Avril) made a great play and Malcolm took it all the way back to the house. We had a lot of energy going our way. We felt like they were going to come out at halftime and possibly try to take that away and (WR) Percy (Harvin) had a long one, which we knew he would. We knew if they gave the ball to Percy, he was going to go all the way, and we were just clicking on all cylinders.”

(on if they enjoyed hearing about Denver’s potent offense leading up to the game) “We love hearing about Denver’s offense, but we showed that after the game you’re going to hear a lot about Seattle’s defense.”

SEAHAWKS QB RUSSELL WILSON

(on how it feels to be a Super Bowl champion) “It feels unbelievable. We believed we’d get here, and at the beginning of the year I told the guys we had a team. We had a players only meeting, and I told all the players a story my dad used to always tell me. He used to always kind of tap me and say, ‘Hey, why not you? Why can’t you be a world champion or whatever you want to be?’ So, with that I told the guys, ‘Why not us?’ It’s only my second year, but I believed in the guys we have. I believed in the coaching staff, and God is just so good. It’s unbelievable. It’s kind of surreal to be honest with you. I was sitting there holding that trophy up, looking off. I’m just so thankful, so thankful for everything that I’ve been given.”

(on going against the odds and becoming a Super Bowl champion quarterback) “I think about being 5’11, and so many people told me I couldn’t do it. I was at N.C. State. I loved playing there. It was a great opportunity for me. I was also blessed to play baseball and to do that, too. It was one of those things that I basically had to move on. I ended up going to the University of Wisconsin. I never imagined myself going, but it became a blessing in disguise. I just think that for me, I wanted to go against the odds. God used me to do that, and it’s just tremendous.”

(on being comfortable playing in such a big game) “It’s never comfortable when you’re playing Peyton Manning. Our whole thing is staying and tackling him. That’s what I kept telling our guys, and that’s why we kept scoring. That’s why we kept making plays. Percy Harvin had a great night tonight. Our defense was great. On special teams, so many guys made so many plays. It was unbelievable. The thing we wanted to do coming into this game is play the best football we’ve played all year, and that’s what we did tonight.”

(on Seahawks WR Percy Harvin) “I knew Percy was going to have a big game tonight. You look at him, and he’s one of the best football players to play in the National Football League for four years. To have him on our football team is great. So many other guys made great plays: Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin, obviously Percy, Golden Tate. The one-and-dones did a great job. Our offensive linemen and our defense were ridiculous. Our special teams was phenomenal.”

(on evolving from a 3rd round draft pick to a world champion) “I believe in myself. My confidence was never going to waiver. For me, I just needed the opportunity. I told Coach Pete Carroll, and John Schnieder, and Paul Allen when they called me to draft, I told them that was the best decision they ever made, and I was going to make the other 31 teams regret it. I was going to go after it with everything I had.”

(on what brought tonight together) “We’ve been on the move all year I’ve felt like. We clicked on all cylinders today. We had the talent on offense; we had the talent on defense and special teams. Playing in the NFC West, you play some great football teams. You play the 49ers. You play the Arizona Cardinals, who had a great season this year. The St. Louis Rams are always tough to play. That prepares us in the right way, but also playing against ourselves. Coach Carroll talks about always competing, going against one another. We always go ones versus ones on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That gets us ready to go.”

(on getting the first Super Bowl win in franchise history) “To get the first win in franchise history, it’s unbelievable. It’s emotional to think about all the guys, the great players that have played before us. That was our thing. We wanted to say, ‘Why not us?’ We believed in that. It was real for us. I knew that we were here for a reason.”

(on being the second African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl) “To be the second African American (quarterback) to win the Super Bowl, that’s history right there. There are so many guys before me who have tried to change the game and done a great job at it. God’s so good. It doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Latino, Asian. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5’11. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you no. It’s the heart that you have. That’s what I try to prove every day.”

(on how satisfying it feels) – “It’s a true, true blessing. God is so good. We believed we would get here. At the beginning of the season I told our guys, ‘Hey, why not us?’ We believed that we could get here. We had the talent. We had the coaching staff. We have the best fans in the National Football League. We wanted to win it all, and we just said go 1-0. That was our mentality throughout the whole (season). We continued to fight. We continued to grow together. We have great teammates, and I couldn’t have done it without the guys.”

(on if the team’s strategy reflected on advice his father gave him) – “Yeah, he used to always tell me, ‘Rus, why not you?’ And what that meant was believe in yourself, believe in the talent God has given you even though you are 5-foot-11, and you can go a long ways. That’s why I decided to play football, and I wanted to go against the odds a little bit.”

(on the team win and what the team established in the game) – “Preparation was unbelievable, and it was a great team win. Special teams, Percy Harvin coming back with a kickoff return. The defense was relentless. Offensively we were clicking on all cylinders. That’s what we wanted to be, especially the last game of the season to finish that way in that fashion, that’s our mindset. We want to be champions every day and bring it every time.”