Patriots vs. Seahawks: Breaking Down New England's Game Plan

A game of football.

It will be a welcome thing for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks after toiling through nearly two weeks of jaw-dropping media absurdity, sensationalism and hot-take-induced ennui. Sixty minutes of hard-nosed football should be just the prescription to remove the toxicity from the NFL.

Here is what the Patriots need to do to emerge victorious and place the fourth ring on Tom Brady's fingers.

Patriots Defense vs. Seahawks Offense

The Seahawks will feed the beast. The Patriots must stop the beast. That beast is named Marshawn Lynch. If Lynch can average five or more  yards per carry, quarterback Russell Wilson will be content to hand the ball off all day long. Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork was amazed at what Lynch does, with and without the ball:

"

He's a complete back. I think you give credit where credit is due. He's a complete back in this football (league) and I've said many times I think he's the best back in the game. With the ball in his hands, catching the ball, running the ball, blocking, yards after contact, you name it. All those areas he leads. He's amazing when he gets the ball in his hands.

"

If the Patriots are able to plug up the interior enough to stop Lynch, they still have to contain the slippery Russell Wilson. Some well-timed blitzes in the A gap and a mush rush on the outside should cause him some discomfort.

 

Defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones will need to set a hard edge to prevent Wilson from creating outside the pocket. When he buys extra time, his receivers—Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse—become exponentially more dangerous down the field. The Patriots defensive backs cannot let their guard down until the whistle blows.

Patriots Offense vs. Seahawks Defense

The Seahawks defense is scary to look at, both on paper and in real life. They hit hard, run fast and, most importantly, create turnovers. The latter is what gave Brady pause:

"

They're a ball-hawking defense and they definitely get after the football. I know Coach (Pete) Carroll said it's always about the ball. It's all about the ball. He's right. You see all their players are conscious of that. They're very conscious of stripping the ball. They're very conscious of getting their eyes on the quarterback when the balls being ready to be thrown so that they can make breaks on it. They've done a great job turning the ball over the last however many years that he's been there.

"

Priority No. 1 for New England has to be taking care of the football. The Patriots have a stout defense, but they can't put it in a hole by giving up the ball. Enter the running game. 

LeGarrette Blount—passed over on waivers by all 32 teams after his release from the Pittsburgh Steelers—is ready to put his team on his shoulders. Even if he doesn't rush for more than three or four yards per carry, the ability to set up the play-action passing game will be invaluable. Get safeties Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and linebacker Bobby Wagner moving in the wrong direction and their speed and power are suddenly negated.

Watching the Patriots teeter-totter from the run to the pass will be fun to watch.

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What They're Saying

The Patriots surprised the Baltimore Ravens with some inventive formations and ineligible receivers. They tried the same against the Indianapolis Colts. Whether they will attempt that against the Seahawks remains to be seen. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels explains:

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Again, when we did that, I think we've only done it five times all year. We've huddled every time. We've reported every time, ineligible. And once we did that we broke the huddle, we lined up and we ran the play. We didn't try to hurry. We didn't try to do anything that was deceptive in that manner. I think it was unique for a few plays. What most people probably don't know is we ran it a couple times last week against Indianapolis and got nothing out of it. Everybody talks about those couple Baltimore plays, but Indianapolis defended it very well. 

"

Bill Belichick doesn't do the old gag, he does the new gag. Whatever new wrinkle he has in store for Seattle will surely catch everyone by surprise. 

Tale of the Tape

Quarterback

The two best at their position this year couldn't be any more different other than one thing: Natural leadership. Wilson and Brady push their teams to a new level each week.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs 

Lynch is the best back in this game, but the depth of Blount, Shane Vereen, Jonas Gray and Brandon Bolden even this score.

Verdict: Push

Wide Receivers

Gone are Golden Tate, Paul Richardson and Percy Harvin. Baldwin and Kearse have come up big in spots, but they can't overtake Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell.

Verdict: Push

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Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski is an alien. Watching him go against Chancellor will be a treat for fans of smashmouth football. Luke Willson and Tony Moeaki are fine players, but they match up on the Tim Wright level.

Verdict: Patriots

Offensive Line

Both lines are protected by their quarterbacks. Wilson helps his line by moving around, while Brady helps his by getting rid of the ball. Whichever line blocks better for their running backs could portend the winner in this game.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line 

The interior linemen are stout on both sides of the ball, but the explosive Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett give Seattle a slight edge over Ninkovich and Jones, who will be asked to play in more of a contain role.

Verdict: Seahawks

Linebackers

Wagner, K.J. Wright, Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower are four of the best young linebackers in the game. Expect a defensive MVP performance out of one of these guys.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Backs

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Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis get most of the press, but Earl Thomas and Devin McCourty are every bit as good. These are the two best secondaries in the league.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

The batteries in the kicking game are solid across the board, but Edelman's prowess as a punt returner should give New England a small edge in the field-position game.

Verdict: Patriots

Overall: Patriots, 2-1-6

On paper, the Patriots have a slight advantage. However, the number of tied categories shows even a layman how closely matched this Super Bowl is. 

In the end, the quarterbacks and defensive backs will likely have the last say in determining the outcome. Whichever team is able to disguise their coverages longer will likely end up holding the Lombardi Trophy.

My gut says that it will be Belichick raising it for the fourth time as Patriots head coach.

Stats and figures courtesy of NFL.com.