New England Patriots
What You Need to Know:
This year’s installment of the Patriot machine went 12-4 in the regular season and finished first in the AFC East. After earning a bye through the first round,Tom Brady and the Pats knocked off Baltimore and Indianapolis to earn the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. At 37 years old, Tom Brady is looking for his fourth Super Bowl title. The quarterback from Michigan has thrown for over 4,100 yards this year with 33 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. This Super Bowl will be the sixth for both Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.
Why They Could Win:
New England has an exciting, prolific offense that has been getting better as the season has progressed. Throughout the regular season, the Patriots have averaged 29.3 points per game, a mark that was good enough for fourth in the league. However, since Week 5, Belichick’s squad is putting up over 32 points per game, which bumps them up to second in the NFL. You want to talk about playoffs? In their two playoff games so far, the Patriots have scored a combined total of 80 points! On top of this, Belichick has not been afraid to try quite a few tricks and gimmicks on offense, so anything is possible is Super Bowl XLIX.
Why They Could Lose:
The offensive line has been a problem for the Patriots all season long. Inconsistency has been the major issue here. Inconsistency is a scary thing when the opponent has an aggressive defense like the Seahawks. The Patriots have a very good defense as well, however, their aggressiveness could also hurt them if Marshawn Lynch is able to burn them for a couple big plays. Remember the famous ‘helmet catch’ by David Tyree against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII? Well that game between the Patriots and Giants was also played in Glendale, Arizona. Now Tom Brady, Belichick, and Pats Nation has a chance to either redeem the city of Glendale or be haunted by it forever.
Seattle Seahawks
What You Need to Know:
The defending Super Bowl champs are back after going 12-4 in the regular season and claiming the NFC West Division Title. The Seahawks defeated the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to earn their bid to the Super Bowl for the second straight season. The faces are generally the same for the Seahawks: quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch, and the secondary nicknamed the ‘Legion of Boom’ still headline the squad.
Why They Could Win:
Defense is the calling card for the Seahawks. Seattle’s stingy defense is led by their hard hitting secondary which includes Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Byron Maxwell. “The Legion of Boom” and the rest of the Seahawk’s defense allowed the least amount of points per game in the entire NFL this year, giving up only 15.9 PPG. This has been a proven recipe for success for this team and they have not strayed from it in their quest for a second title. The Seahawks are hot right now, currently riding an eight game winning streak that they will look to stretch to nine.
Why They Could Lose:
The Seahawks secondary is a little banged up right now with Earl Thomas battling through an injured shoulder and Richard Sherman nursing a sprained elbow. Quarterback Russell Wilson looked shaky throughout much of the game against Green Bay, throwing four interceptions, but he turned it on at the end to pull out a remarkable comeback. It will be interesting to see which Russell Wilson will show up this week.
Prediction:
In the battle of offense vs defense, something has to give. I think, in the end, Tom Brady will not be not be denied and he will go out on top. Patriots win 31-21.