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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As the Denver Broncos continue to search for reasons why Super Bowl XLVIII went horribly awry, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman divulged a trade secret that he says helped his team win the game 43-8.

Sherman told Sports Illustrated the Seahawks were able to decipher some of the complex hand signals Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was using in the game, and that it helped he and his teammates successfully predict plays before they happened.

“All we did was play situational football,” Sherman told the magazine. “We knew what route concepts they (the Broncos) liked on different downs, so we jumped all the routes. Then we figured out the hand signals for a few of the route audibles in the first half.”

According to the magazine, after making that statement, Sherman went on to demonstrate several signs he said Manning used for various routes, saying the Seahawks “were calling out plays throughout the game and getting them right.”

“Me, Earl (Thomas), Kam (Chancellor) … we’re not just three All-Pro players. We’re three All-Pro minds,” Sherman said. “Now, if Peyton had thrown in some double moves, if he had gone out of character, we could’ve been exposed.”

The implication found in Sherman’s statement was that Manning didn’t vary his calls, and therefore the Seahawks defense was able to remain one step ahead of the Broncos offense throughout the rout.