Super Bowl XLIX: Spotlighting the Biggest Mismatches

Super Bowl XLIX is less than a week away, and both the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks likely have the vast majority of their game plans in order.

And given the events of the 2014 season—where we analyzed both teams throughout and identified their strengths and weaknesses—we can begin to pinpoint the significant mismatches that will present themselves once the big game kicks off Sunday.

Some of these mismatches are just that—a mismatch in both spirit and reality, with a player of a much higher caliber going against one of a lesser sort. But others are a different animal entirely, with two excellent players going head-to-head, yet one still has a considerable edge.

It's going to be fascinating to see how these matchups play out, but it's fair to identify them as mismatches going into the game. In this column, we spotlight those individual battles and let you know which player will come out on top.

Patriots CB Darrelle Revis vs. Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

After hauling in six receptions for 106 yards in his team's NFC Championship Game victory over the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin channeled his inner Rodney Dangerfield, loudly complaining about the lack of respect shown to him and the team by the media (both assembled and otherwise).

While Baldwin's comments were a little curious—it's hard to find many people who have disrespected the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks—it's likely that he'll be even angrier after Super Bowl XLIX is complete.

And that's because he'll likely be drawing coverage from Patriots star cornerback Darrelle Revis.

While Baldwin put together a respectable 2014 season—66 catches for 825 yards and three touchdown receptions—he's no Revis, who finished the year ranked as Pro Football Focus' fourth-best cornerback. 

Baldwin is a nice receiver and has come up aces in big spots for the Seahawks, but Revis is a human eraser capable of removing more accomplished pass-catchers than Baldwin from opposing game plans.

If Revis does indeed match up with Baldwin throughout the Super Bowl, expect it to be a quiet Sunday evening for Mr. Baldwin.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski vs. Seahawks LB K.J. Wright

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

In truth, it really doesn't matter who the Seahawks assign to cover Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski. 

That's because the man known as "Gronk" is just too damn good to be held down by any linebacker, cornerback or safety. Gronk will catch the ball, Gronk will probably score, and in the event that the latter happens, Gronk will absolutely spike the ever-loving crap out of the pigskin.

Gronkowski authored a 2014 campaign for the ages, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Simply put: He's unstoppable. Period, end of story.

While Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports the Seahawks will use multiple defenders to cover Gronkowski, the smart money is on linebacker K.J. Wright being Gronk's primary shadow. And Wright is no slouch, having finished the year ranked as Pro Football Focus' sixth-best 4-3 outside linebacker and receiving a positive grade in pass coverage.

But in the end, it doesn't matter if it's Wright, free safety Earl Thomas or strong safety Kam Chancellor, or even all three at the same time, as Gronkowski has proved that he cannot and will not be denied.

Regardless of the matchup, Gronkowski represents a mismatch for the opposing defense each and every time he sets foot on the gridiron. Super Bowl XLIX will be no different.

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Patriots DEs Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks possessed the NFL's No. 1-ranked rushing offense in 2014, and star running back Marshawn Lynch deserves the lion's share of the credit.

On the season, Lynch averaged 4.7 yards per carry and ran for 1,306 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. His performance in the NFC Championship Game was nothing short of epic, as he carried the ball 25 times for 157 yards and a score. And Lynch is extremely difficult to bring down in the open field—per Jared Dubin of CBSSports.com, Lynch led the NFL with 101 broken tackles. 

The Patriots have an excellent run-stuffer in the middle of their defensive line in tackle Vince Wilfork, who finished the year with a rush-defense grade of plus-15, per Pro Football Focus.

The problem for the Patriots is that the other two principals on the defensive line—ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones—both finished the year with negative grades in rush defense, per Pro Football Focus.

Given that Seattle center Max Unger is terrific in the run game, it makes sense for the Seahawks to lock up Wilfork and run the ball with Lynch directly at either of the Patriots defensive ends (likely Ninkovich, who plays primarily on the left side of the defense). 

There's no way Ninkovich or Jones can handle Lynch in the open field. It'll be up to Wilfork and linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins to try to keep Lynch under wraps.

Seahawks DE Cliff Avril vs. Patriots LT Nate Solder

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

In the two Super Bowls that the New England Patriots have lost in the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era (Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, both to the New York Giants), the primary reason why they failed to lift the Lombardi Trophy was an abundance of pressure on Brady from New York's pass rush.

So it goes without saying that keeping Brady upright and his pocket clean will be of paramount importance if the Patriots are to claim their first Super Bowl championship since the 2004 season. The team will be counting heavily on left tackle Nate Solder to protect Brady's blind side and allow him the time to deliver the ball down the field.

The fly in the ointment of that particular plan is that Solder had a fairly miserable season as a pass-blocker, finishing with a negative grade in that department from Pro Football Focus. He was also PFF's 44th-ranked tackle on the season, and no, that's not good.

The man on the Seattle defensive line surely licking his chops is right defensive end Cliff Avril, who should be matched up against Solder quite a bit on Super Bowl Sunday. Avril accumulated only five sacks in the regular season, but he tallied a sack in each of Seattle's two playoff wins leading up to the big game. He saves his best performances for when they matter the most, a fact that should worry Belichick and Brady.

In obvious passing downs, Avril will pin his ears back and come after Brady with all his might. And given Solder's pass-blocking foibles this year, Avril could provide a vital ingredient in the recipe for another New England Super Bowl defeat.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson vs. Patriots LB Jamie Collins

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Yes, we are well aware of just how good of a run defender Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins was in 2014. 

Collins finished the year ranked as Pro Football Focus' sixth-best inside linebacker against the run and had an excellent all-around season. He's the real deal and is absolutely worthy of respect and plaudits.

So how is it possible that Collins could be on the negative end of a potential Super Bowl mismatch? Because his competition is Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who is nothing short of majestic when he takes off to run with the football.

On the season, Wilson rushed for 849 yards, six touchdowns, averaged 7.2 yards per carry and was a big reason why (along with star running back Marshawn Lynch) Seattle finished the season as the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense. 

Speaking on the subject of Wilson's scrambling ability, former Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, "The Patriots are going to have to be more disciplined than Green Bay was with Wilson (in the NFC Championship Game). I think a guy like Jamie Collins has the speed to spy on him. It’s going to be up to Collins to make that tackle going in the open field against him."

While Collins has proved to be an adept run-stuffer, Wilson's speed and savvy will be too much for Collins to overcome. If (and when) the two meet in the open field, expect Wilson to leave Collins in the dust en route to a big gain.