Super Bowl 2015 Stats: Patriots vs. Seahawks Fantasy Review and Highlights

So nobody had Chris Matthews in their fantasy team? Nobody at all? What about Danny Amendola? Is that a hand being raised at the back?

The New England Patriots' 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX was one of the most dramatic title games in NFL history, but it was far from kind to fantasy owners. Well, unless you had some of each team's "other" guys.

Here are some of the key statistics and performers from the big game in Arizona.

The "Other" Receivers Shine for Both Teams

Be honest: If you were preparing for the Patriots, you'd focus your coverage on Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, wouldn't you?

OK, pretend for a moment you're not Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Instead, you're Pats boss Bill Belichick, hoodie and all. You know you want to stop Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson from running. You'd also like to prevent the latter's vertical strikes to Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.

How high do you think Danny Amendola and Chris Matthews rated in the respective game plans? Clearly not high enough, based on how they each surprised with big numbers:

Player	Team	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
Danny Amendola	New England Patriots	5	48	1
Chris Matthews	Seattle Seahawks	4	109	1

Their performances were a testament to how each coach loves to spring a surprise. Amendola's efforts were also part of the strategy that tormented Seattle's zone-coverage structures.

A big part of the plan was isolating running back Shane Vereen out of the backfield. Any fantasy owner who opted for Vereen can feel very happy.

B/R analyst Matt Bowen noted how Vereen continually posed matchup problems at the linebacker level of Seattle's defense:

Vereen was an obvious thorn in the Seahawks' side all night, but it took star men Gronkowski and Edelman time to grow into the game.

By the fourth quarter, the latter was in dominant mood. The brilliantly dubbed "Minitron" made some clutch third-down grabs and even helped himself to what proved to be the winning score.

In the end, Edelman had nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Gronkowski wasn't nearly as dominant but still managed six catches for 68 yards and a score. It's not bad when that's considered a quiet night's work.

Running Back Duel Fails to Impress

Speaking of a quite night, the predicted personal duel between powerhouse running backs Lynch and LeGarrette Blount ended up being a non-event. The Pats struggled to get Blount going even behind their sumo-style front featuring fullback James Develin and Cameron Fleming as an extra offensive tackle.

In the early stages it was surprising to see the Patriots trusting their base personnel to corral Lynch. Belichick took a chance that house-sized linemen Vince Wilfork, Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch would give "Beast Mode" nowhere to run.

However, as he so often does, Lynch came out stronger in the second half. That revival after intermission saw him finish with some decent numbers and reward those patient owners.

Ultimately though, the two running backs didn't justify a pick:

Player	Team	Carries	Yards	Touchdowns
LeGarrette Blount	New England Patriots	14	40	0
Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks	24	109	1

Wilson Still Light-Years Behind Brady

Wilson has just completed possibly the strangest game of his career. If you picked him on your fantasy team, you'd hardly be unhappy with 247 yards and two touchdown passes.

However, the pocket-edition signal-caller also hurled the game-ending interception to rookie defensive back Malcolm Butler. And his overall fantasy value was only surface-deep thanks to numbers that just didn't match up with Brady's, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Ultimately, Brady's four-touchdown effort deservedly stole the show. It also earned him another MVP award, per Reuters' Frank Pingue:

But like Wilson, Brady had his share of struggles. It's rare for an MVP winner to have looked so skittish under pressure.

Brady's struggles with Seattle's Michael Bennett-led pass rush gave him one statistic he won't be proud of—and one that will have annoyed a few fantasy owners:

In the end though, it's the win that matters. Brady and the Patriots have it—thanks largely to the quarterback's 328 passing yards.

All figures and video highlights courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise stated.