Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis Highlight Epic CB Matchup in Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX is set. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off on February 1 in what should be an excellent game.

Besides the obvious duel between quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, there's another dream matchup for fans to enjoy. That's the one between the two best cornerbacks in the National Football League: Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis.

It's rare that the two best players at their respective positions are able to go out and compete on the biggest stage in all of football. It's also incredibly exciting.

What's so fascinating about Revis and Sherman is how their styles are so different, yet equally effective. That's why when we break down how special of a Super Bowl pairing this truly is, we have to first focus in on each cornerback individually.

Richard Sherman: Seattle's Mouthpiece

You know it, I know it, everyone knows it: Sherman isn't shy when it comes to his words. The most famous instance of Sherman serving as the Seahawks' mouthpiece was after the team's NFC Championship victory last season:

Sherman wasn't the silent type prior to that outburst by any means. It's just when you broadcast that kind of intensity on a national stage, people tend to take notice.

Regardless of his words, you can't deny how good of a football player Sherman has become. He's been dominant.

Over the last three seasons, he's picked off 20 passes. Counting Revis' last three full seasons—he suffered a knee injury in after two games in 2012—he's had eight interceptions in that same period of time.

Interceptions aren't the only thing that matters when it comes to being a cornerback, but the fact that Sherman has so many under his belt shouldn't be brushed aside.

Dating back to when the Seahawks took him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Sherman has used his 6'3" frame to outwork, outmuscle and outperform any wide receiver thrown his way.

During Seattle's Super Bowl run last season, there was a lot of talk about how "big" cornerbacks have revolutionized the position. Sherman was always the example thrown out in conversation defending that point of view.

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His physicality allows him to thrive in Seattle's simple yet uber-effective scheme.

Pro Football Focus' data has been a benchmark in the industry for judging NFL players on every snap. In the website's eyes, Sherman has been one of the very best at the position.

In its most recent rankings, PFF listed Sherman as the league's third-best cornerback in 2014. The site's grading system ranked Vontae Davis of the Indianapolis Colts and Chris Harris Jr. of the Denver Broncos ahead of Sherman.

Without taking anything away from either of those two guys, neither one strikes the same level of fear in an opposing offense as Sherman does. Blame it on the constant media coverage he's given or his superb skill set—the fact remains Sherman is one of the most feared cornerbacks in football.

Just ask the Green Bay Packers. In Week 1 of the regular season, they didn't throw the ball once to his side of the field.

When it comes to the 26-year-old's coverage this season, PFF's advanced stats were frighteningly good. Including the team's first postseason game against the Carolina Panthers, he allowed 33 catches on 70 targets for 467 yards and one touchdown.

That 47.1 percent catch rate is outstanding.

Seattle's defense is built around not giving up big plays. Sherman's numbers are a testament to how important he is to that formula.

The media needs a good story. We relish it. That's why the whole Sherman vs. Revis debate started a few years ago. On ESPN's First Take program in 2013, Sherman and the always-brash Skip Bayless traded barbs.

Bayless was questioning Sherman being the top cornerback in the game at that time, so he brought up Revis' name:

The sad part is, it's not even about who's better. Both cornerbacks are special. And the fact that football purists and fans of the sport get to watch them play every season is a privilege.

Sherman's skills make quarterbacks wary of testing him. He takes control of the left side of the field and turns that area of the field into a barren, pigskin-deprived wasteland.

Brady is familiar with that wasteland. In a 2012 Seahawks win over the Patriots, Sherman introduced himself to No. 12 after the game ended.

Since that encounter, Sherman's gotten a lot better. When they view the film over the next two weeks, Brady and his group of offensive workers are going to realize how good he's become from the jump.

Every year, you see fantastic players step up and perform well. Sherman is one guy who's managed to constantly do that.

Darrelle Revis: The Mercenary of Foxboro

Revis is the best kind of mercenary. He's the kind you pay big bucks to and get great results for your money. Revis wasn't always this way. His road to the top has been an interesting one.

He was selected by the New York Jets with pick No. 14 in the 2007 draft. He was a respected, sought-after NFL prospect who flashed ridiculous ability while playing at the University of Pittsburgh.

When Revis came in with the Jets, everything changed defensively. In its first year of mining data, PFF pegged the young Pittsburgh rookie as the 30th-ranked corner in the league.

That year, he was targeted 95 times by PFF's count, allowing 59 of those passes to be caught for 748 yards and four TDs.

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Those numbers are amazing when you consider the fact that he was a rookie thrown to the wolves. Cornerback isn't the easiest position to play for veterans in a pass-happy league. For rookies, it's almost impossible to be a shutdown defensive back right out of the gate.

Great things would come for Revis when defensive sage Rex Ryan was brought in to coach the Jets in 2009. His complex, blitz-heavy scheme relied heavily on cornerbacks who could prosper in man coverage.

Revis was the perfect fit.

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His best season with Gang Green came in Coach Ryan's debut season. Although Defensive Player of the Year honors would be handed out to Charles Woodson for the job he did with the Green Bay Packers, Revis had one of the best seasons of any cornerback in league history.

By PFF's tally, No. 24 was targeted 127 times by opposing offenses. He gave up 48 catches for 502 yards and two touchdowns on that obscene amount of targets.

Unlike Sherman, Revis has made his living off of shadowing the best pass-catchers on each team. Acting like an adhesive, wherever they went, he'd follow—hence the nickname "Revis Island."

That luxury of essentially removing the best player on a team's offense is crazy. It's also rare. Off the top of your head, you can probably name a handful of corners—if that—who have had an ability to do that.

When former Jets general manager John Idzik came in and traded Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, few would have thought he'd end up the Patriots. But sometimes in life, that's how things go.

The Buccaneers as an organization were torn apart after Greg Schiano was canned as head coach in 2013. When Lovie Smith replaced him, the Cover 2 head coach released the more man-to-man-savvy Pro Bowl cornerback.

That shocking move created the mercenary we know today. Shortly after that, Revis inked a one-year, $12 million deal with the Patriots last offseason—with an option for 2015—and as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweeted, he's now representing the Pats in the Super Bowl:

This season, PFF put Revis right below Sherman on its list of top cornerbacks. His plus-17.7 overall grade was only 0.5 points below Sherman's 18.2 mark.

Revis is 29 years old now, but he hasn't lost a step. He's still going to get in your face at the line of scrimmage. He's still going to follow you around the field. And he's still going to make a big play when the ball is thrown in his direction.

All he needs now is that glossy Lombardi Trophy in his life.

Super Bowl XLIX has all of the makings to be a classic. This Revis vs. Sherman component is one crucial piece of that puzzle. For the next two weeks, the Seahawks and Patriots will be preparing, scheming and devising strategies that center on these two names.

Simply put: They're that good.

After all of the hoopla and hyperbole is done and the game finally kicks off, try to keep an eye on both of these guys. Really try to relish in the moment of watching the two best cornerbacks play for the chance to win it all.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.