Looking forward to a great game today.
The Game
It's no secret what the blueprint is to slow down the Seattle Seahawk's offense. Slow down their running game and put Russell Wilson into obvious passing situations. This has long been the defensive gameplan against many NFL teams, but it is especially true with Seattle's punishing ground game, Wilson's strengths and weaknesses throwing the ball, and the Pat's strength in the secondary. Their last game against Green Bay was very telling when down in the fourth quarter, they continued to run the ball. This is unusual in the current NFL. There has been some talk in New England of the Patriot's past success against Marshawn Lynch, but I don't know if that would mean anything now. That was when he played for an inferior team with an inferior offensive line.*
It is very difficult to predict the Patriot's offensive gameplan. You can't even predict from game to game who they will start in the backfield. Against stellar defenses such as Baltimore's and Detroit's, they spread it out and strongly featured the pass. The difference is that those teams have dominating defensive lines, but can be taken advantage of in the secondary. You neutralize a top defensive line by getting the ball out of there quickly. Seattle is a great all around defense, but their strength is in the secondary. Their defense is fast and athletic, and they are good enough to keep the Pats in check no matter how they attack. Some believe that to take away defensive speed, the offense should use misdirection, screens, play action, etc. You still need to mix that in, but those types of plays are more to exploit a lack of discipline. If Seattle plays disciplined defense, those plays allow Seattle to take full advantage of their speed in pursuit of the ball. You need to attack a fast defense; go right at them, put them on their heels, and neutralize that speed.
The Coaches
I remember Pete Carroll during his time coaching New England. He was in an almost impossible situation following Bill Parcells, and he was probably not quite ready for the NFL, in over his head. He had trouble gaining the respect of the players and the fans. He seemed to grow substantially in the following years at USC. During his years there, I watched a TV special about how he works with inner-city teens, and I gained great respect for the man. He seems to have found a home in Seattle, and he would appear to be a great coach for that team. His great enthusiasm was made for those young, aggressive players. I am happy for his success.
Bill Belichick gets a bad rap across the country. Part of it is his doing for his public demeanor, but nobody could argue his success. He is precise, calculated, and focuses solely on the task at hand. During the offseason, he will sometimes give more relaxed interviews, allowing his personality to show through. If he does this more in the future, people will start to look at him in a different light. The players believe in him, and will do anything for him. You never hear an ex-player of his speaking a negative word about him. That means something.
Seattle's keys to victory
Start strong!
If Seattle starts the way they did against the Packers, this game will be over by halftime. The Pack played scared; the Patriots will not, and if they get the chance, they will go for blood.
Pressure Brady
It doesn't matter how good your secondary is; if you give a quality NFL quarterback time to throw, he will pick you apart.
Mix it up
There is something to be said about imposing your will on the other team. Teams like to do what they do best, and make the other team stop them. But if Seattle struggles at all, they shouldn't be afraid to try some different things, a hurry up spread offense just for an example. Using an offense like this doesn't mean you have to change up your play selection; it's just about giving the defense a different look.
New England's keys to victory
Protect the ball!
This is true for any team in any game, but it's especially true against the Seahawks. They really know how to attack that ball, and the whole team feeds off it.
Keep Wilson in check
No, not Russell Wilson, that goes without saying. I'm talking about the tight end, Luke Wilson. The Pat's defense has been vulnerable covering that position this year, and Wilson is a *good one. The Seattle QB trusts him in big situations, and the guy often delivers. The Pat's could play great defense on 1st and 2nd down, but if Wilson starts beating them consistently on 3rd down, the Pat's will have to alter their gameplan.
Jamie Collins
Collins is a future star for the Patriot's at linebacker. He is athletic, intelligent, and can make plays all over the field. Becoming that star in this game would go a long way toward a Patriot victory.*
Intangibles
Motivation and emotion play an enormous role in football. True, in the Super Bowl, both teams should have plenty of this, but it doesn't always seem to play out that way. Seattle won last year, but they've still struggled a little bit in these playoffs. They have been talking a little trash, and it appears that they may be a little overconfident. They're a young team that should be a contender for years to come, and they know this. The Patriots don't have the same window of opportunity. Tom Brady doesn't have as many great years left, and because of this, I think they are the more desperate team. I think that deflate gate was the best thing to happen to the Patriots. When a team goes through something like this, they tend to come together even stronger. In the last 10 to 15 years, the Patriots have played some of their best football when things seemed to be against them. The whole world seems to be against them now, and it would seem that they have a lot to prove.
In conclusion
Two weeks ago, I couldn't make up my mind as to who I thought would win this game. Due to the events of the last 2 weeks, I now look for the Patriots to come out on top in this Super Bowl. I have nothing but respect for this Seahawk's team, but I believe Tom Brady wakes up in the morning with an unprecedented 4 Super Bowl victories in 6 appearances.
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