The Denver Broncos did not "come anywhere close" to being playing good enough to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's Super Bowl defeat, according to Peyton Manning.
The Broncos slumped to a 48-6 loss at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium as the Seahawks claimed their maiden Vince Lombardi trophy in resounding style.
Manning, who was awarded the MVP award on the eve of the clash, concedes that his team were nowhere near being able to match their Seattle counterparts.
He told reporters: "I think we played a great football team," said Manning. "We needed to play really well in order to win, and we didn't come anywhere close to that.
"Give Seattle a lot of credit. They are an excellent football team, and they caused a lot of our mistakes. At the same time we just didn't play well tonight."
Touchdowns from Marshawn Lynch and Malcolm Smith helped contribute to a 22-point half-time lead for Pete Carroll's men, with Percy Harvin and Jermaine Kearse also reaching the end zone in the second half to seal a first Super Bowl crown for the Seahawks.
