Super Bowl 2015: Head-to-head matchups

Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback

(24) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks Passing Offense vs. Patriots Pass Defense:

While the Seahawks ranked first is most of the rushing categories in the NFL, they also rank last in passing yards and yards per attempt. Russell Wilson had a rough day against the Packers, as he totaled a career-high four interceptions and he will be looking to bounce back from that. I think Wilson is a very capable passer, but the weapons around him are quite mediocre. Doug Baldwin is clearly the Seahawks Nr.1  wideout, and will be a main focus for the Patriots secondary. The Seahawks like to run short play-action passes to their tight ends, and the Patriots will have to watch for those, because they can be very deceptive.

The Patriots secondary is one of the best in the NFL and they are out to prove that they are the best against the Seattle Seahawks. Since the Seahawks run a very run-heavy offense, players like Kyle Arrington might not see nearly as much playing time as in recent games. Darrelle Revis will most likely matchup against Baldwin and Brandon Browner will play against the bigger Jermaine Kearse. On paper the Patriots dominate the matchup in the secondary, but a key in the passing game will be to contain Wilson. If the Patriots are able to shut down the Hawks receivers, Wilson will look to make plays on his feet and again that will be up to the front seven to contain him.

Advantage: Patriots

The Patriots have the clear advantage here, but they must beware of the deep threat. In the NFC Championship, Seattle showed that they are able to produce big plays, especially when needed, so the Pats secondary must be on guard for that. Revis will most likely shut down Baldwin for the most part, though I would love to see Arrington play some man-to-man vs. Baldwin as he is very similar to T.Y. Hilton and Arrington was very successful against Hilton. This is a big game for Browner, and he will be looking to prove something, but he must watch out that he does not get burned deep or get any penalties called on him. McCourty will be the ball hawk he always is and will give Browner back up. I expect Chung to play up in the box a lot in order to stop the run, and otherwise will matchup with a tight end.

Seattle Seahawks 1, New England Patriots 1

Next: Can Blount produce against a team that is not the Colts?