Post 2 - Superbowl XLIX Preview

Hello! And welcome to Cabache’s Corner!

Here we are; the Superbowl, 330 games down and just 1 left (excluding the Pro Bowl). The Seahawks and Patriots are heading to Arizona. The Seahawks trying to boost their claim to being the NFL’s latest dynasty and the Patriots trying to put the finishing touches on a dynasty of their own. This really is a clash of heavyweights, I can’t wait!

Last week the Patriots demolished the Colts, 45-7. They outplayed the Colts in every single phase of the game; forcing 2 turnovers on defence, and another 1 on special teams, whilst limiting the Colts to just 209 offensive yards. On offence they flat-out manhandled the colts, running the ball 40 times for 177 yards, with only 2 negative plays, and 3 touchdowns. Even when the Patriots weren’t running the ball they dominated, with 3 more touchdowns including one to an offensive lineman! Deflated balls or not, the Patriots were by far the best team and deserved to win. They earned their right to play in the Superbowl.

The Seahawks on the other hand won what I consider the best game I have ever seen. Down 16-0 at half time, and 19-7 with five minutes left after their 5th turnover of the day, the Seahawks came back to win in overtime with 3 unanswered touchdowns, a 2-point conversion and an onside kick recovery. For 55 minutes of the game it was the Packers’ game to win, but the Seahawks found a way to win, and ruthlessly capitalised on the Packers’ mistakes. The way they finished this game really confirmed what we already knew; they are a force to be reckoned with. They proved that they are worthy of all the success that comes their way by playing with the one trait all champions must have, always finding a way to win.

Championship Games over, we’re onto the Superbowl.

I really like this matchup, unlike last year, it isn’t the best offence against the best defence, it is the best two TEAMS going head to head.  It is hard to pick out a favourite as both teams have their own strengths. The Patriots have shown they can win in any way; they are the chameleon of the NFL. I would love to see Brady go out and attack the Legion of Boom, but I think for the Pats to win this game it’ll have to be via LaGarrette Blount. Though the Hawks have the ability to stop the run (allowing 81.5 yards at 3.4 yards per carry during the regular season), during the playoffs the Panthers (132 yards at 4.4 yards per carry) and Packers (135 yards at 4.5 yards per carry) were both able to run against them with relative success. Going by the Pats’ success when they stick with the run, there is no reason why they couldn’t have the same or better production than the Packers and Panthers had, especially considering they have a Beast Mode of their own.

However, on the other side of the ball I think the Pats may really struggle to contain the Hawks’ backfield. Marshawn Lynch is so physical, and never seems to tire; seeing as the Pats’ secondary will likely not struggle to contain (Luke) Willson, Baldwin and Kearse, this game will likely be won in the trenches. The Pats must also consider Russell Wilson’s ability to escape the pocket and run the ball. I think the job of containing Wilson will likely fall to Jamie Collins, as he is definitely the most athletic linebacker for the Pats.

For Seattle to win this game they are going to have to find a way to deal with Gronkowski. Even if the Pats run the ball 30 times, Gronk only needs one or two opportunities and he will make a big play. The Hawks are going to have to dial up something new in order to contain him. They will probably leave it up to Kam Chancellor, due to his strength and athleticism, just look at what he has done to Vernon Davis in the past. I, however, think that it would be interesting if they lined Sherman up against Gronk. Sherman would be able to press him at the line of scrimmage and in coverage I believe he would put a blanket over him, Sherman is just too quick for Gronk to be able to pull away. Secondly, Sherman is exceptional at finding and high-pointing the ball, taking away Brady’s option of just putting it up for Gronkowski to go and get it. This would of course leave Maxwell and Lane to cover Edelman and LaFell/Ammendola, but I think they could, Maxwell did, after all, do a pretty good job against the Packers…

All in all, I think, this figures to be a great game. But I think the Patriots may just pull this one out of the bag. This is by no means the single best defence the Seahawks have faced, or the single best offence they’ve faced, but I think the Pats’ combination of great offense and very good defence coupled with how they are playing right now, may be too much for the Seahawks. I can see the Patriots winning this 27– 24.


This should be a good one folks!

Comments

  1. Mighty JezJanuary 28, 2015 at 12:16 PM

    An interesting take on this matchup, it's going to be an interesting one for sure! I think that, ultimately, the Patriots will win after exploiting one of the very few areas of weakness the Seahawks have and that's their receiving corps. That is, of course, assuming the Patriots can contain Marshawn Lynch... not an easy task!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remy CabacheJanuary 28, 2015 at 6:32 PM

      Patriots just have to hope Marshawn Lynch is at least slightly human, and that he can't handle the ball every play.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

XFL player draft: Wide receivers

Image
The XFL has announced its player pool ahead of its inaugural season starting in February. The XFL player draft will start on Tuesday October 15 and wrap up the following day. So who are these players? You can find them all listed by position here on Cabache’s Corner. QB  |  RB  |  TE  |  OL  |  DE  |  DT  |  LB  |  CB  |  SAF  |  ST As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the offense in the XFL is going to have to be the draw for a fanbase, at least initially. With QBs and RBs already covered, next up is the WRs who’ll be vying for targets once the action gets started. The players are listed in alphabetical order, on order of the days they were announced – Day one players come first, then day two players are listed alphabetically and so on. Floyd Allen, Ole Miss Anthony Amos, Middle Tennessee State Dontez Byrd, Tennessee Tech Jordan Gandy, Murray State Antoine Grif...
Read more

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

Image
If nothing else, Week 14 can be remembered for giving us the game of the season. Monday Night Football was an all-time great between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, and was hopefully a precursor for the final months of the NFL season. It truly felt like a playoff game, and in the final three weeks of the season we have many playoff-like matchups to look forward to. While we have a fairly clear picture of the teams who are legitimately in contention, there are many questions to be answered ahead of the playoffs, and I can’t wait to find the answers. So, heading into the final three weeks of the season, here are my Week 14 Power Rankings. 1.        Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) Even on a day Patrick Mahomes throws three interceptions, the Chiefs still put up 30+ points and win a game. Kansas City were genuinely tested by the Dolphins throughout the game, but their quality ultimately won out. With teams around them faltering, the route to the Su...
Read more

Post 10 - The second wave of free agency is upon us. Who should we keep an eye on?

Image
Hello! And welcome to my corner. Most of the big names are off the market, the huge contracts have been signed and lots of teams are now focusing on the draft. However, there are a lot of guys still on the market, with plenty to give for any team who comes calling. The Ravens still have many needs, here are the guys I think are at least worth a look. At this point, following the resigning of Justin Forsett and loss of Torrey Smith, receiver is our biggest need. Most of the big name receivers are gone, the only receivers raked in Around the NFL's Top 101 Free Agents list are Michael Crabtree, Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Hackeem Nicks and Denarius Moore. Of course, there are more than 5 receivers, but I only see a few that are worth a look. That said, I think any of these players would only be a filler for a year or two whilst younger guys develop.   Hackeem Nicks  Down the stretch last year, Nicks showed glimpses of his old self. I think that he could function as ...
Read more