Super Bowl 2015: Head-to-head matchups

Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end

(87) and wide receiver

(11) talk on the sideline during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks Pass Defense vs. Patriots Pass offensive

The Legion of Boom vs. Tom Brady. How much better can a Super Bowl get? Both Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are hurt, but both are expected to play. Sherman’s injury looked pretty bad against the Packers, as he couldn’t move his arm at all. He has expressed how much better he is doing, but it will still be interesting to see how healthy he is on game day. Thomas is currently the only player listen as questionable on the Seahawks, so his injury seems to be a bit more severe, but just like with Sherman, nobody will really know the severity until game day. Byron Maxwell is often the forgotten corner on this team, but he is extremely talented and has stepped in right where Browner left off. Kam Chancellor is also a major part of this secondary, and I would expect him to be seeing a lot of tight end Rob Gronkowski. That matchup might be the most interesting of the game.

The Patriots offense is always looking for mismatches that they can exploit, but they might have a tough time finding one against the Seahawks. The most common mismatches for the Patriots are with whoever lines up next to Gronk and Vereen. I think Gronk will be seeing a lot of Chancellor, especially in the red zone, and Chancellor is one of the few defensive backs who can matchup with Gronkowski’s size. Vereen will also have a tough time against some very athletic linebackers. The good thing for the Patriots is, Julian Edelman is not a typical No. 1 wide receiver, and I don’t think Sherman or Maxwell will be able to shut him down. The Pats must look to him and Danny Amendola to have short catches and get some yardage after the catch.

Advantage: Tie 

This will be a fantastic matchup. The offensive line will be a major factor for the Patriots. The line did a very good job in the first two playoff games. Especially against the Ravens, they did a terrific job of giving Brady time and keeping him upright against two of the best pass rushers in the NFL. They will need another performance like that so that Brady can find the open receiver and make players. I think Brandon LaFell will have a tough time on Sunday against either Sherman or Maxwell as they are both very tall and physical. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots completely abandon the run if it has no success, and try a similar game plan as against Baltimore. I think the health of Sherman and Thomas will be interesting to monitor and it will be interesting to see how much Brady will test Sherman. The one key for Brady is that he can not force it to Gronk. His two latest interceptions have both been passes to Gronkowski that he simply tried to force.

Seattle Seahawks 2, New England Patriots 1 (1 tie)

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