BY CAILIN BURKE

If you haven’t been keeping up with football all season, here are some things you should know before watching the big game on Sunday.

1) A major part of the game is going to focus on the legacy of Peyton Manning. Several key things make this game huge for Manning. For one, if the Broncos win, Manning will be the first quarterback in NFL history to win the Super Bowl for two different teams. (In 2006, he led the Indianapolis Colts to a 16-14 win over the Chicago Bears.) This is also Manning’s second season back after having neck surgery, which many thought would put an end to his career. Of course he proved them all wrong. Now at 37 years old, despite surgery and being let go by the Colts, he has the perfect chance to make a final statement about his career. Although there is speculation that he will retire if he wins, in interviews he has said he’d like to continue playing football. Either way, a win in this game would ensure his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

2) Richard Sherman will also be at the forefront of the game. As most of us have seen Sherman’s interview after the NFC Championship, all eyes will be on him this Sunday. As a cornerback, his job is to cover receivers in the back field, and for the Super Bowl he’ll most likely be matched up in man-to-man coverage with Broncos star wide-receiver Demaryius Thomas. Make sure to watch for the two of them going head to head during the game.

3) The Broncos have the #1 offense in the NFL while the Seahawks have the #1 defense. This is a pretty even match up and most experts are 50-50 in their predictions of this year’s Super Bowl Champion. According to the spread in Las Vegas, the Broncos are predicted to win by 2.5 but I’ve seen other betting websites predicting the Seahawks to win. Basically, it will be a close game.

4) The Seahawks have never won a Super Bowl title. Although the Seahawks have been in the Super Bowl one time in 2006, they have never won, losing 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers that year. They have a fairly young team and only one team member, receiver Ricardo Lockette, has ever experienced a Super Bowl. The Broncos, on the other hand, have made it to the big game six times, winning two of them.

5) Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is only in his second year in the NFL. As such, he is still known as a NFL rookie. During his first season with the Seahawks, he led them to the Divisional round of he 2012 Playoffs where they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 30-28. If the Seahawks were to win this Sunday, the MVP may not be Wilson, and would likely go to running back Marshawn Lynch instead. However if the Broncos win, the MVP will 100% be Peyton Manning.

6) You should know about the 12th man. This is what the Seahawks fans are known as. In football, there are a maximum of 11 men allowed on the field for each team at one time. Fans are known as the 12th man, because they are a part of the game as well. The Seahawks really value their fans and will always reference the 12th man because their fans have helped them win through their support and loud cheering. (Their stadium is the loudest in the NFL.) Often, you will see Seahawks fans wearing jerseys with a number 12 on the back of them in reference to this.

These are definitely some basic facts you should know before watching tomorrow’s game and if you watch pregame as well, you should hear a lot more about the background of many players and the teams. Whether you’re a die hard #18 fan, a proclaimed 12th man, or none of the above, this year’s Super Bowl is sure to be an exciting one.