At 6:30 PM eastern standard time nearly every person in America will have their TV turned on to watch the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
It is no surprise that the New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl as they were the best team in the AFC for the entirety of the season. The Patriots were 12-4 going into the playoffs and dominated the Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship game. However their path to the Super Bowl was not without scrutiny as there has been a scandal involving the team recently, as they allegedly deflated footballs played with during the AFC Championship game.
“The last time the Patriots had a scandal going into the Super Bowl the team got upset by the New York Giants and I think the scandal could get to them again,” said sophomore Charlie Harris.
The team is led by one of the most effective offensive players in the league. Tom Brady is the starting quarterback for New England and one of the more acclaimed quarterbacks in the history of pro football. He has over 4,000 passing yards and over 30 passing touchdowns this season. He has been able to do this without a solid running game for most of the season. Their recently signed running back LaGarrette Blount also had an amazing three touchdown game against the Colts in the conference championship game.The team’s defense has improved despite a few obstacles.
In contrast to the New England Patriots who are an offensively oriented team, the Seattle Seahawks’ success is based much more on defense. They dominated the Denver Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl and are the highest scoring offense in NFL history. The Seahawks defense was the main catalyst for their sixteen point comeback against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game.
“It was remarkable how the Seahawks were able to overcome so many turnovers and such a deficit in their game against the Packers,” said sophomore, David Akerman.
The Seahawks are a balanced football team on all sides. Their quarterback Russell Wilson is the best dual threat quarterback in the NFL as he nearly ran for 1,000 yards rushing in addition to his 3,475 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Wilson’s partner in the backfield, Marshawn Lynch is one of the better running backs in the NFL rushing for over 1,300 yards on the year.
The game should be a very competitive Super Bowl unlike last year’s blowout. However, the Seahawks’ balance will lead to their second straight Super Bowl victory.
