Patriots vs. Seahawks: Opening Favorite and Pick for Super Bowl 2015
Guess who’s back, back again?
The Super Bowl favorite Seattle Seahawks are one win away from defending their crown, but the New England Patriots have ideas of their own. The Patriots are also fairly familiar with the Super Bowl considering this will be quarterback Tom Brady’s record sixth appearance on the sport’s biggest stage.
Here is a look at the essential information for the showdown, including a prediction, before digging into some intriguing early storylines. The point spread is courtesy of Odds Shark as of Monday at 2 a.m. ET.
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Super Bowl XLIX
Matchup: Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Date: Sunday, Feb. 1
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Seahawks -1
Predicted Winner: Seahawks
Initial Storylines to Watch
Darrelle Revis vs. Richard Sherman
Even in a game featuring Brady and Russell Wilson, the two biggest stars may just be the cornerbacks on opposite sidelines.
For years, Darrelle Revis was seen as the premier corner in the game and the go-to guy when defenses needed to stop an elite wide receiver. However, Richard Sherman recently came along and helped lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl title with a number of incredible plays, including the game-winning one in last season’s NFC Championship Game.
Now Revis and Sherman will face off for the Lombardi Trophy.
It is worth monitoring Sherman since he injured his elbow Sunday in the NFC title game, but he didn’t seem too concerned, via John Clayton of ESPN.com: "We got tape for the warriors. I guarantee you in our next game, we will all be out there."
Neither team features game-changing, household names at wide receiver like these corners are accustomed to facing, but even that seems secondary with both corners going for the perceived title of best defender. Rarely do we get to see two of the very best at what they do face off with a Super Bowl title on the line.
The real question is how much Brady and Wilson will target these defensive superstars in the passing game.
Quarterback and Dynasty Battle
The Seahawks look like an NFL juggernaut right now after winning the title a season ago and reaching the Super Bowl again this year, but the Patriots are the closest thing the league has had to a dynasty in recent years.
New England won three Super Bowls in four years from 2001 to 2004, is the last squad to win back-to-back titles and features a quarterback who has been to more Super Bowls and thrown for more postseason yards than any other signal-caller in history. What’s more, coach Bill Belichick has more playoff wins than any coach in NFL history.
However, Wilson and the Seahawks are the defending champions and the ones trying to build a dynasty of their own in 2015. Wilson is the quarterback popping up on televisions across America on commercials now as he makes plays with both his arm and his legs. Ironically, he appears to be following someone’s path to greatness, via ESPN Stats & Info:
Like Revis and Sherman at the cornerback position, the two quarterbacks will not be on the field at the same time, but they will inevitably be compared. Will the most recent dynasty add another Lombardi Trophy to the shelf, or will the Seahawks turn into a dynasty of their own with another title?
High-Flying Offense vs. Shutdown Defense
It wouldn't be a good Super Bowl without some type of offense vs. defense showdown.
New England was fourth in the league in scoring offense and features players like Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount.
Brady threw for 4,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, while Gronkowski finished with 1,124 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns and Edelman fell just 28 receiving yards shy of 1,000 on the season. Blount has given the running game more of a physical presence as well since coming over after the Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with the former Oregon Duck.
Seattle will counter with a defense that finished first in the league in yards allowed, first in scoring defense, first against the pass and third against the run. The “Legion of Boom” with Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will attempt to shut down Brady and company all game.
You can’t ask for a more intriguing storyline than the league’s best defense against one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.
Perhaps we will finally see if defense truly does win championships.
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