There’s not much previous Super Bowl experience on either roster at Super Bowl XLVIII, although the Broncos have a slight edge on the Seahawks in that department.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was asked at Wednesday’s press conference if he thought that was something that would impact Sunday’s result and he said he hoped not because it wasn’t something his team had a lot of to draw on. He also shared his opinion that it wouldn’t prove to be a particularly big deal.
“There’s a big emphasis about Super Bowl experience that I don’t think is that big a deal,” Carroll said. “It’s handling the process, handling the distractions, handling the newness of this game and this matchup that you’d think the unfamiliarity might make it a problem. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
One member of the Seahawks organization that does have some familiarity with the big game is linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who won three straight Super Bowls with the Cowboys and 49ers in the 1990s. I asked Norton Wednesday if he felt having more experience was a benefit in the latter games.
“It didn’t then. Once all the hoopla and buildup is over with, it comes down to playing ball,” Norton said. “Who can execute? Who can tackle? Who can block? The game is still the same. The surroundings may be different, but once we get to the ball it’s all about attacking the football and that’s what we do pretty good.”
Linebacker Malcolm Smith said that Norton has told the players to focus on the task at hand because it would be a shame to come this far and then lose because they weren’t preparing the right way for Sunday’s game. They’ll start doing that with a regular Wednesday practice that Smith said he’s looking forward to as a way to get into the headspace that Carroll and Norton want the team in come Sunday.