The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are set to face off in Super Bowl XLIX tonight, finally ending two weeks of "Deflategate" talk and painfully hilarious Marshawn Lynch press conferences. This battle of No. 1 seeds is shaping up to be a classic, so what can fans expect?
Regular-Season Records:
New England: 12-4
Seattle: 12-4
Last Meeting:
October 14, 2012: Seattle Seahawks 24, New England Patriots 23
New England Outlook:
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are playing in their sixth Super Bowl together, but are looking for their first victory since 2004. After limping to a 2-2 start to the season, the Patriots have looked unstoppable thanks to Brady and an improved defense, led by cornerback Darrelle Revis. Their running game has also taken off since they picked up LeGarrette Blount halfway through the season, giving them a well-balanced attack.
Seattle Outlook:
The Seahawks pulled off a comeback for the ages over the Green Bay Packers to get to the Super Bowl, put the defending champs are back and want to protect their crown. Head coach Pete Carroll's squad has relied on the same formula all year, riding their stingy defense along with tough running Marshawn Lynch, and some timely playmaking from quarterback Russell Wilson.
Seattle will try to dictate this game by keeping New England's drives short and control the ball on offense with a lot of runs.
What To Watch For:
The key matchup in this one will be how Tom Brady handles Seattle's defense and the "Legion of Boom" secondary. New England's offense is based on quick passes with big plays from tight end Rob Gronkowski, while Seattle's defense is based on physical play designed to take those things away. Whoever gains the advantage on that side of the ball will win the Super Bowl.
Prediction: Seahawks win 24-20
This game is essentially a toss-up, but the Patriots will fare much better against the Seahawks defense than the Denver Broncos did last year. However, we all know that "defense wins championships," and I expect Seattle's defense to carry them to a hard-fought win.
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