Broncos' No. 1 offense vs. Seahawks' No. 1 defense

Balance will be the Broncos' best friend. And running back Knowshon Moreno just may hold the key.

Super Bowl XLVIII pits Denver's No. 1-ranked offense against the Seahawks' top-ranked defense, and Sunday night we will see whether Seattle's "Legion of Boom'' secondary is tough enough to contain Peyton Manning's high-octane passing game.

And for the Broncos, "complementary football'' is their foolproof plan.

"If the pass is working, pass the ball. If the run's working, run the ball,'' said Moreno, who went to high school in New Jersey. "We try to stay as balanced as possible, but at the end of the day, all you want to do is get wins. You want to get to this big game right here. We're working hard right now to get the biggest win of our lives.''

Seattle's defense may be stout, but the Broncos believe they have all the tools to be successful, receiver Demaryius Thomas said. He's one of five Broncos, including Moreno, who scored at least 10 touchdowns -- a first in NFL history. And that type of balance has led to Denver's success.

"It's pretty special,'' wide receiver Eric Decker said of the record. "It hasn't been done in NFL football. It's an honor more than we talk about it because we're focused right now on the game and making sure we make this season memorable.''

Seattle's secondary often is suffocating, thanks in large part to shutdown corner Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas. The Seahawks also possess a formidable defensive front that includes Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. But the Broncos don't appear to be the least bit worried about scoring.

It's the first time in 23 years that the Super Bowl has matched the top-ranked scoring defense against the No. 1 scoring offense. The league's top defense prevailed -- barely -- when the Giants beat the Bills, 20-19.

"I think we're good -- whatever we put out there, we have to be able to execute it,'' Thomas said. "They have a great defense and we have a great offense. This is what you play for. I think we'll be fine.''

"Beast Mode,'' aka Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, has garnered much of the Super Bowl week discussion, but Moreno figures to be just as integral for the Broncos, if not more so. Besides having the best overall defense (273.6 yards per game), the Seahawks also gave up the fewest passing yards (172) this season. That means Moreno's ability to run the ball and catch passes will be just as crucial as Manning's completion percentage.

"[He's] very important,'' Denver coach John Fox said of Moreno. "You strive for balance. It doesn't always work that way because the defense does dictate a little bit of that. Knowshon has been a tremendous teammate and a real bright spot to us, not just in the running game, but as well as the passing game.''

As Thomas said: "If you have a balanced offense, it's hard to stop.''

Besides stopping Moreno, the Seahawks must figure out how to limit an offense that averaged 37.9 points per game and set a season record with 606 points.

Their proficiency stems from Manning -- a perfectionist who expects as much of others as he does of himself.

"I think it's just tremendous how detail-oriented he is,'' Decker said. "For how long he's played, he never wavers from watching as much tape as he does every other day of the week. He's a guy that's a great leader for us, that makes sure we all are better professionals, as far as our preparation goes. He's the ultimate at it.''

Manning's ability to recognize schemes and quickly call audibles is a rare trait, his teammates said. It may look effortless on game day, but the quarterback's "laser focus'' is the direct result of countless hours spent poring over and breaking down game tape, Manning said.

"He does little things you don't see regular quarterbacks do all the time -- checking, calling an audible and trying to throw you off,'' Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan said. "He has just helped me become a better person.

"You just pray to God you are not on the other side. You want to play with him, not against him. Peyton is Peyton. He is going to be out there calling plays. You just have to sit back and get ready for your turn.''

As the season went on, it seemed fans became more and more fixated upon Manning's incessant "Omaha'' call at the line of scrimmage. But despite its frequent use, no one -- except the Broncos -- truly knows what it means, and that's just the way they like it.

"I've had a lot of people ask what Omaha means. Well, Omaha, it's a run play,'' Manning deadpanned before the AFC Championship Game against New England.

"But it could be a pass play, or a play-action pass, depending on a couple of things: the wind, which way we're going, the quarter, and the jerseys that we're wearing. It really varies, really, from play to play. So there's your answer to that.''

Good luck trying to unlock the code, Seahawks.

"A lot of that stuff is obviously for them,'' Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said. "I'm not going to be a genie back there and try to guess what he's doing. It's all about principles. We have principles in our defense, and if we follow them to a 'T' based on what they're trying to do, I think we'll be fine.''

This is the matchup the Broncos wanted: the best against the best. And soon we will get to see which unit -- offense or defense -- truly wins championships. Two No. 1 units squaring off should be an "incredible'' sight for the fans, Fox said.

"I'm not sure exactly when that matchup has last happened, but I know it hasn't been real recent,'' he added. "It should be a tremendous matchup, and it's one we're very excited about.''