Sports Then and Now

Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch are hoping or a repeat f Super Bowl XLVIII when they were the dominant team.

After a week in which we have learned more than we ever wanted to know about the air pressure of a football or Marshawn Lynch’s personality (or lack thereof), we are now closing in on the important topic of just which team will win Super Bowl XLIX.

If live betting trends are any indication, it will be a close game. The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were the early favorites, but as the game has drawn closer, the Patriots seem to be attractive to many folks who are laying down money on the game.

One reason the Patriots have become a hot pick is because they dominated the AFC Championship Game while the Seahawks needed a late comeback to earn their back-to-back Super Bowl appearance.

Regardless of whether you think the Patriots gained an advantage in the AFC Championship Game because of the pressure of the footballs, there is no disputing that the Patriots dominated the Colts to reach the Super Bowl for the sixth time in the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era.

The question now is whether they can claim their fourth victory or if they will fall for the third straight time in the biggest game of the year.

Pete Carroll and the Seahawks didn’t look like they would have a chance to repeat early in the season, or with 10 minutes left in the NFC Championship Game for that matter, but they fought their way back to the top and now have a chance to win back-to-back titles for only the ninth time in Super Bowl history and first time since the Patriots did it a decade ago.

As was the case a year ago when the Seahawks whipped the high-scoring Broncos as well as in each of the two Super Bowl losses the Patriots suffered at the hands of the Giants, the game will hinge on whether a talented offense can overcome a dominant defense.

The Patriots have a chance if LaGarrette Blount and the running game take the pressure off Tom Brady.

Recent history would indicate that the defense has the advantage, but after looking pedestrian against the Packers and suffering injuries to a number of key players, the Seahawks could be hard pressed to regain the swagger they showed in Super Bowl XLVIII.

If they are able to slow down Rob Gronkowski and smother the other New England receivers, then Brady could struggle as he did in his last two Super Bowl appearances. However, if LaGarrette Blount and the running game are able to pound out some yards to open things up, Brady might be able to test the Seattle defense.

Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle offense have been more inconsistent this season than a year ago, but they showed against Green Bay the ability to explode when needed. If they are able to get off to a faster start than they did in the NFC Championship Game, it would allow the defense to play more aggressively and torment Brady and the Patriots.

Prediction: It is tough to pick against Brady and Belichick, but Seattle has proven over the last two years that you cannot count them out. Watch for the game to be close throughout, but for Seattle to edge ahead in the third quarter and then hand the ball off to Lynch to take them home. Final Score: Seattle 27, New England 17.