Start with Seattle. The Seahawks were barely two minutes from an ignominious exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Packers, but only a miraculous finish (and some highly suspect Green Bay play) kept Seattle alive. The Seahawks had the finest defense in the game throughout the year, but it was their offense which couldn't keep pace this day. Green Bay gifted this one to Seattle in a dozen different ways, but that doesn't take away from the strength of the Seahawks.
Question is, will even the Seahawks' defensive prowess be enough to contain a Brady-and-Belichick offense that could find flaws in a diamond wall? In the nightcap Sunday, Tom Brady demonstrated an absolute mastery of the offensive game, humiliating the Colts so badly that Indianapolis might well consider whether it wants to stay in the AFC.
This, then, is the key matchup of the Super Bowl: Tom Brady vs. the Legion of Boom. Give Bill Belichick enough time, and he ought to be able to suss out all of Seattle's weaknesses, starting with the arm injury cornerback Richard Sherman suffered in Sunday's game. Sherman indicated he'll be fully healthy, but what else would you expect him to say? For whatever reason, the Packers didn't target the hobbled Sherman, but you can expect Belichick will have no problem lasering in on any weakness.
The flip side of the matchup, Seattle's offense against New England's defense, seems at first glance to angle more in the favor of New England. The Patriots absolutely shut down Andrew Luck on Sunday, and if Seattle QB Russell Wilson brings any of the horror show he put on against Green Bay to the Super Bowl, it could be a tough 60 minutes for Wilson.
Granted, the Seahawks do have Marshawn Lynch, who is unlike anyone the Patriots have faced in the playoffs ... or, really, unlike anyone else in the human race. Lynch is capable of tilting an entire game, as he did against Green Bay late, and he'll do so with a handshake and a one-sentence response.
Current Vegas lines have Seattle favored by about 2.5 points, and that line will likely move closer to pick-'em as the two weeks pass. Both teams have elements of their teams that are once-in-a-generation talents. Everything's set up for a Super Bowl that keeps us in front of the television right on through the end of the game ... and not just for the commercials.
____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.
And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1sTimV2
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire