JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- On board the Cornucopia Majesty docked behind the team's hotel on the Hudson River, a few of the Broncos met with the media in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII. Each of the players fielded questions for nearly a half hour before heading off to practice at the New York Jets practice facility.
Here are some of the highlights.
Running back Knowshon Moreno
On Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch
"Every back has a different style. You want to say that each back power and speed but each back has their own little thing. Marshawn is a great running back just like a lot of the running backs in this league, even the ones that you may not mention. You may say, 'who's that guy?' You don't know him but he might be good still. He's in this position, he's in the NFL for a reason. Not too many people get that opportunity. There are a lot of great backs out there and he is one of them for sure."
On Peyton Manning's calls at the line
"It's crazy, sometimes I'm confused. I mean what are you doing? (laughs) But he knows what he's doing. There is just so much going on you have to be on the same page as a team – offensive line, receivers, quarterback and running back. Everyone has to be on the same page especially when a lot is going on and the crowd is there or whatever is going on. You just definitely have to be on the same page."
On Seattle's front four
"Front four? You could say their whole defense. Everyone, they fly around to the ball. They make some big plays and you have to make plays. At the end of the day, if you make more plays you come out with big victories. But those guys fly around, make big hits, get turnovers. They are the number one defense for a reason. It's going to be a great contest."
Linebacker Paris Lenon
On the coldest game he's ever played
"We played my first year in Green Bay, we played Minnesota on a Sunday night. I forgot what the temperature was, but with the wind chill, it was like -30."
On Russell Wilson
"First of all, I guess you've forgotten that I played against him twice last season. (laughing) I think he's improved, but I thought he was pretty mature as a rookie. He's continuing to develop. And he's a very effective guy. We've got to try to make it tough for him."
On the Broncos defense
"I think we have a group of guys that take their jobs seriously and are going to put the time in this. And, like I said, have been putting the time in since we knew who we were playing. We are going to go out there and we're going to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. We're going to play as one. And we're going to try to limit their offense as best we can."
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
On Super Bowl experience and keeping it normal
"Basically, just shared my experience being in the Super Bowl and told the guys last week was going to be big in preparing for this game. When you get here, there will be a lot of distractions and you're going to want to enjoy being here, so the main thing is to take last week and try to bring it over to this week. Being in the game, first just being here just getting media day out of the way and understanding that it is still just a game."
On his approach this time around
"I was a rookie the first time, I was just young, still wrapped up in the concept of being in the NFL. I was just happy go lucky. Happy to be there and excited and really enjoyed it. Now that I am a little older, I understand that we are here to play our game and after we get a victory, we can really enjoy the festivities."
On how to game plan for Russell Wilson
"It's hard. He's a guy that can beat you running or throwing, so the main thing is to keep him inside the pocket and not let him scramble around because he has receivers that can get down the field and get open, they're good in their routes and anytime he can get outside the pocket, he can make things happen. It makes it more difficult when he extends plays as a corner because you have to cover for a long time, it you get pressure and get after him, I think we should be good."
*Defensive Tackle Terrance Knighton *
On how to prepare for Russell Wilson
"You've just got to watch a lot of film. Quarterbacks have tendencies. His tendency is, he's a right-handed quarterback; he wants to get out to the right and throw. He's more successful that way. We've just got to do a good job of keeping him in the pocket and forcing him out of his comfort zone. When he's moving left, he'll tend to run it more, and when he runs right, he wants to pass it more. So we just have to do a good job of containing him. He'll get out; he'll make his plays during the game. We'll just have to limit them."
On the AFC Championship Game being the defense's best performance
"Yeah, I think so, and like I said, it was just about peaking at the right time. Our offense has been rolling all season, and we just want to play complementary football, and we want to do our part, get three-and-outs, get off the field, and that's what it's about in the playoffs: teams that can stop the run, and allowing our offense to be on the field and control the clock."
On his relatives that are Patriots fans not talking to him
"No, they're cool. The only thing they were saying was, 'Just don't hurt Brady.' That was all they kept saying to me. They're happy that we won and I'm in the Super Bowl; they were just wondering about Tom Brady's longevity."
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