Patriots vs. Seahawks: Live Stream, TV Schedule for 2015 Super Bowl Game
Congratulations, you made it.
After navigating through two weeks of borderline nonsense about deflated footballs, whether Marshawn Lynch would speak to the media and the Pro Bowl, you have made it to Super Bowl Sunday. Now all that is left is to sit back and enjoy the showdown between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Here is a look at the essential schedule and broadcast information for the big game.
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Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Date: Sunday, Feb. 1
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Patriots -1 (via Odds Shark, as of Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET)
Live Stream: NBCSports.com (broadcast starts at noon ET and includes halftime performance and postgame coverage)
Intriguing Matchup to Watch: Rob Gronkowski vs. Seattle Seahawks Secondary
Two of the featured stars in this clash are tight end Rob Gronkowski for the Patriots and the Legion of Boom Seattle secondary as a unit, and for good reason.
Gronkowski finished the season with astounding numbers from the tight end position with 1,124 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, while the Seahawks were first in the league against the pass, in total defense and in scoring defense. Lest you think they were slacking against the run, the Seahawks finished third in that category.
That means something has to give in the showdown between Gronkowski and the Seattle secondary.
Interestingly, if the Seahawks have a weakness on the defensive side this season, it is stopping tight ends. They finished a surprisingly low 18th in the NFL against tight ends in Football Outsiders’ advanced metrics, which is not exactly parallel to the rest of their defensive stats. It also isn't very encouraging for the Super Bowl considering Gronkowski is one of the league's best overall players.
What’s more, Seattle may have a motivated Gronkowski on its hands, who could be the only tight end in the league more dangerous than Gronkowski. Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane poked the bear a bit with his quote leading up to the Super Bowl, via Terry Blount of ESPN.com:
"I actually don't think he's that good. He's OK. He does have a big body. But from what I've seen on tape, he doesn't like you putting your hands on him. So if we put our hands on him and shake him up a little bit, he won't catch that many balls."
Gronkowski’s stats and physical nature are difficult to deal with for any secondary, but this chart does not paint an enticing picture for the Seahawks’ chances in handling him Sunday, via ESPN Stats & Info:
| Running Backs | 33.9 | 1 | 1 |
| Receivers | 62.7 | 5 | 10 |
| Tight Ends | 87.2 | 11 | 2 |
Michael Grey of ESPN Seattle and ESPN Stats & Info noted that this could be a very concerning matchup for the Seahawks:
There is already a tight end blueprint in place when facing the Seahawks as well.
The San Diego Chargers’ Antonio Gates torched the Seahawks with seven catches for 96 yards and three touchdowns in one of Seattle’s only four losses on the season. Gates’ overwhelming production helped open up the rest of the field for Philip Rivers to tally 284 receiving yards and zero interceptions against the mighty Legion of Boom.
No disrespect to Gates (who is an all-time great at the position) and Rivers, but the connection between Gronkowski and Tom Brady strikes a bit more fear in the hearts of opponents in 2015.
If Gronkowski follows the formula set in place by Gates and has some early success up the middle, it could open up the entire field for Brady as the Seahawks pinch more defenders into the seams to deal with the tight end.
An open field for Brady is a scary proposition, even for the Seattle secondary.
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