The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks lay it all on the line this Sunday.
Super Bowl Sunday is less than two days away and both teams are gearing up for the premier sporting event of the year. The Patriots and Seahawks, both holding a 14-4 record to this point, have been the best in their respective conferences for the majority of the season.
The Patriots fought their way back from two separate 14-point deficits against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round, becoming the first team in NFL history to do so, before defeating the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks have not lost since Nov. 16, falling 24-20 to the Chiefs in Kansas City. Since then, Seattle has won eight-straight games, including a thrilling overtime finish over the Green Bay Packers to punch their ticket for this weekend.
Here's three keys for New England to come away with a victory Sunday evening. --
Run Game in Focus: New England must find a way to establish the run and stay balanced on offense this week. Tom Brady cannot drop back 50-plus times Sunday. If the Patriots can generate some momentum on the ground, it will open up opportunities in the passing game and keep the unit balanced.
In Seattle's four losses this season, they allowed an average of 139 yards on 33 rush attempts. Compare those numbers to their 14 wins, when their opponent averaged just 73 yards on 22 ground attempts.
On the other side, the Pats defense will focus on Marshawn Lynch. The NFL's fourth leading rusher gained over 1,300 yards on the ground this year.
Quarterback Russell Wilson's ability to run is also a concern. Wilson rushed for more yards than any other signal-caller in the league this season, and his read-option with Lynch will test New England in a variety of ways.
Jamie Collins could take on a "spy" role, shadowing Wilson and keep him in-check. Dont'a Hightower will be responsible for setting the Pats defense and minimizing Lynch's impact on he ground.
Red Zone Offense, Scoring Key: In the NFC Championship Game two weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers had the Seahawks on the ropes. In Green Bay's first three scoring opportunities, however, they had an interception and settled for two field goals.
Seattle has an efficient offense, but won't generally light up the score board. The Patriots must capitalize on every opportunity in the red zone, finding a way to score touchdowns and not settle for three points.
The winner of the last four Super Bowls has scored first in those games. In fact, teams who score first are 32-16 in the Super Bowl. The Patriots scored first in 10 of their 18 games in 2014, winning each of those contests.
Scoring first and finishing drives with touchdowns will go a long way Sunday.
Short Passing Game: The Seahawks have one of the best defensive back units in recent NFL history. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor lead the "Legion of Boom" secondary.
While Seattle's secondary gave up a league low only 190.4 passing yards-per-game this season, there are still holes for New England to exploit.
With the Seahawks presumably focusing on Rob Gronkowski, other receivers will have to step up. Sherman will stay on the defensive left side, with Byron Maxwell on the right. Seattle's cover-3 defense, will play the Pats close to the line of scrimmage, in an attempt to disrupt timing with Tom Brady.
Brady could look at Julian Edelman, Brandon Lafell or Gronkowski at times, but Danny Amendola could be the surprising x-factor. The Pats will be looking to get the ball out of Brady's hands quickly, and Amendola could be the best option with other players grabbing more attention.
New England will likely use a lot of "stacked" formations, crossing routes and pick plays to create space underneath Seattle's defense, letting their wide receivers pick up yards after the catch.
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