It’s the heavy-weight Super Bowl matchup that the NFL surely wanted since the beginning of the season. It’s New England vs. Seattle. It’s the spoiled Patriots vs. the loudmouth Seahawks. And it’s one of the most talked about Super Bowl matchups in recent memory.
On one side, Seattle is looking to validate its run of dominance with a second-straight Super Bowl victory. The Seahawks handily took down the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and made the venerable Peyton Manning look abnormally human.
Behind a stingy, in-your-face defense that isn’t afraid to hit you and let you know about it after, Seattle is deadly. The “Legion of Boom” consisting of Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Byron Maxwell may get all the publicity, but guys like Bobby Wagner, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and K.J. Wright make this defense complete.
Add in a run-dominant offense led by Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson and Seattle comes into this game built more like an NFL team of yester-year, rather than the pass-heavy offenses of today.
On the other side are the often-despised New England Patriots and the luckiest man in the country: Tom Brady.
Brady is the person every guy wishes they could be and the guy every girl wishes they could be with. A former sixth rounder, Brady has put in a Hall of Fame career, married a gorgeous supermodel and has turned around the New England franchise with the help of Bill Belichick.
Belichick, who is the Gregg Popovich of the NFL, has taken the team to Super Bowl after Super Bowl after Super Bowl in his tenure in New England.
Put all that talent into perspective and Super Bowl XLIX has all the makings of an instant classic.
As the ball kicks off on Sunday, keep on eye on Brady’s willingness to challenge the Legion of Boom. With a weapon at tight end like former Arizona Wildcat Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots are sure to try the deep ball at least a couple times.
However, don’t be surprised to see Lynch and NE running back LeGarette Blount dominate the game with their smash-mouth running styles.
It may not be popular opinion, but when the dust settles and the confetti falls, the Patriots will come out on top behind an opportunistic defense and steady offense.
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Follow Roberto Payne on Twitter.
When the clock strikes down to 0:00 in the midst of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks will walk away victorious. The Seahawks continue to find improbable ways to win, just look at the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Seahawks were down by 12 points and the Packers appeared to have clinched the victory.
That is until Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch went beast mode on the Packers defense with a 24-yard touchdown and quarterback Russell Wilson regained his groove with a 1-yard run. How can a quarterback throw four interceptions and then still be the game hero? Well, Wilson managed to do just that with a 35-yard bomb to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse in overtime.
Somehow, someway, the Seahawks find a way to win, which is exactly what they will need to stop Tom Brady and the Patriots in Glendale, Ariz. The Seahawks will enter the upcoming game with confidence, unlike the Patriots, who will most likely still be embarrassed from their “DeflateGate” scandal just a few weeks back.
Both teams have experience and should know what to expect. The Patriots are 3-4 all-time in the Super Bowl, whereas the Seahawks are 1-1.
The Seahawks do have one thing going for them: their running attack. The Seahawks have run for more yards than any other NFL team with 2,762 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Patriots rank ninth in the league in rushing defense, but stopping Lynch might just be too tough.
But everybody knows the key matchup for this game will be Brady versus the “Legion of Boom.” The Seahawks rank first in the league with 4,274 net total yards allowed. But against Brady, anything is possible. The Patriots quarterback has thrown for 4,109 yards this season alone and 33 touchdowns.
Bottom line: This game is going to be close, which is what every Super Bowl should be. Plus, this game has the NFL’s best celebrities going head to head.
The Seahawks are going to win, just because this is the same team that managed to crush the Broncos last season. Wilson will come out gun-slinging and Lynch will do his breaking tackles thing. Don’t be surprised if Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman pulls the same stunt as he did last season in his postgame interview as the Seahawks ride their way to glory
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Follow Matt Wall on Twitter.
