Super Bowl Outlook
With the championship game at hand and nothing in the future but an offseason in which to heal, there are few reasons for Seattle to hold Percy Harvin back from kickoff returns. Do not be surprised though if Doug Baldwin still splits some kickoff returns with Harvin, particularly if there is a series where the coaching staff wishes Harvin to be fresh for offensive plays. Baldwin's 69-yard return in the NFC Conference Championship game will make him a viable option even with a championship on the line. Though Bronco's kicker Matt Prater has an excellent touchback percentage in Denver on his kickoffs, his results on the road are more middling. When Denver played in MetLife Stadium earlier this year, Prater managed only 3 touchbacks in 8 kickoffs.
Trindon Holliday should continue to see kickoff returns for Denver, though his ball control issues from earlier in the season resulted in wide receiver Eric Decker continuing to handle punt returns through the playoffs. There is a chance that Holliday could see some punt returns, but Decker is the safer bet. Should the coaching staff decide a change is needed, Wes Welker could also be in the mix.
Super Bowl Team Return Projections
| Receiving Team | KR yards | KR TDs | PR yards | PR TDs | Total Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 59 | 0.01 | 28 | 0.04 | 87 | 0.05 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 63 | 0.02 | 15 | 0.02 | 78 | 0.03 |
Super Bowl Player Return Projections
| Player | Team | Position | KR yards | KR TDs | PR yards | PR TDs | Total Ret Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trindon Holliday | Denver Broncos | WR | 66 | 0.03 | 2 | 0.00 | 67 | 0.04 |
| Percy Harvin | Seattle Seahawks | WR | 45 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.00 | 45 | 0.02 |
| Golden Tate | Seattle Seahawks | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 21 | 0.03 | 21 | 0.03 |
| Doug Baldwin | Seattle Seahawks | WR | 19 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 19 | 0.00 |
| Eric Decker | Denver Broncos | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 0.02 | 12 | 0.02 |
| Wes Welker | Denver Broncos | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 |