Predicting the Winner: Defense Will Reign Supreme in Super Bowl XLIX

Lost in the last couple of weeks amidst all the talk of underinflated balls, Bill Belichick doing his best impersonation of Bill Nye the Science Guy and coming up woefully short, having the real Bill Nye call Belichick’s stab at science ridiculous, Richard Sherman‘s impending bundle of joy – specifically about whether it will impact his ability to play – and of course, Marshawn Lynch going full Beast Mode on the media, is the fact that the Super Bowl is still being played, and is upon us.

That’s right folks, the 49th – or XLIX for you roman numeral lovers out there – edition of the Super Bowl is just a scant few hours away now. And somewhat reminiscent of last season’s big game, it will be pitting the NFL’s number one defense in the Seattle Seahawks against the high powered, multi-faceted offense of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

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No, it’s not a matchup of number one defense versus number one offense like the Seahawks/Denver Broncos matchup last year. But given how that game turned out, perhaps a little difference is a good thing. Not that the Patriots offense is shabby by any means. New England enters the Super Bowl after an up and down start to the 2014 season, boasting the NFL’s 11th ranked offense.

While the Patriots don’t come into the game with the offensive stature the Broncos enjoyed last season, in many respects, they actually enter the game with a better offense than Denver’s. They are certainly far more balanced than Denver was – they aren’t simply relying on the arm of Brady to carry them to the Lombardi Trophy the way the Broncos leaned on Peyton Manning.

Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) gestures against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Packers 28-22 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With all universe TE Rob Gronkowski, solid wide receivers in Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, and Danny Amendola, and more than capable running backs in LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray, the Patriots offense is loaded. Combined with the coaching – dare we say it – genius, and ruthless craftiness of Belichick, the Seahawks will find that they will have their hands full.

Seattle enters the game with the league’s ninth ranked offense, and while they don’t have the flash and pizzazz of New England, they will grind you down and wear you out. Especially when Beast Mode is feeling good and doing his thing. Seattle’s offense – as they showed against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game – is opportunistic, and when given a chance, will usually capitalize. While they’re not necessarily a dynamic offensive unit, they are a dangerous one.

What Super Bowl XLIX is going to boil down to though, is defense. Seattle’s defense, led by the infamous Legion of Boom, is unlike anything the Patriots have faced this season. They will put pressure on Brady and his receivers from every angle and hit them all relentlessly – which will be bad news for the Patriots.

The common thread throughout New England’s four losses this season was their opponent’s ability to put pressure on and get to Brady. In their season opening game, the Dolphins put constant pressure on Brady, hitting him relentlessly and totaling four sacks on the day, with Cameron Wake accounting for two of them on his own. The Dolphins won that game 33-20. Against the Chiefs, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali combined for three sacks as well as numerous other hits and hurries and routed the Patriots 41-14.

And if there is one thing Seattle is good at, it’s disrupting offenses, putting pressure on quarterbacks and forcing them to make bad decisions. Especially in big games. Just ask Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers about that.

Predicting the Outcome: Defense Will Reign Supreme in Super Bowl XLIX

By Kevin Saito | Feb 1, 2015