Breakdown of SB 49 position by position

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Super Bowl: Tale of the tape

by David P. Woods 2h ago

Joe Nicholson / US PRESSWIRE

It's often said that defense wins championships, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Within a defense, a singularly dominant unit can take over a game and determine its outcome. Case in point: the New York Giants' defensive line's suffocating performances in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
Similarly, a dominant offensive unit can lead a team to glory. The Washington Redskins' famous "Hogs" offensive line paved the way for the team to set 20 Super Bowl records in Super Bowl XXII, including 280 yards rushing and 356 yards of total offense in one quarter.
So how do the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks stack up position by position?

Coach

Pete Carroll is a master motivator and unquestionably one of the league's best coaches, but Bill Belichick is on another level. Say what you will about allegations Belichick seeks an unfair edge by bending the rules (or outright cheating), but the results he achieves speak for themselves. Six Super Bowl appearances in 13 years is absurd. One more ring should be enough to cement Belichick's status as the greatest head coach ever. 
Advantage: Patriots

Quarterback

It's remarkable how much Russell Wilson's early career trajectory resembles Tom Brady's. Both shocked the football world by rapidly rising above their status as draft afterthoughts to experience significant success almost immediately out of the gate. If Wilson finishes this season with a win, he will break Brady's record as the youngest player to win two Super Bowls.
Wilson's rushing ability gives him an edge over Brady, but he's still largely a game manager in the pocket and can be prone to errors, as we saw in the NFC Championship Game. Conversely, Brady has developed into a far more sophisticated passer than he was in his past Super Bowl wins. His vision and accuracy from the pocket put him a class above his young counterpart.
Advantage: Patriots

Running Back

LeGarrette Blount ran all over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game - 30 carries, 148 yards, three touchdowns - but even on his best day, Blount is a poor man's Marshawn Lynch.
Lynch is the most terrifying running back in the league and he's somehow getting better as he ages. Lynch forced 15 missed tackles against the Green Bay Packers, according to Pro Football Focus, breaking his own record for missed tackles in a playoff game. When the stakes are high, Lynch is nearly impossible to bring down.
Shane Vereen, Jonas Gray and Brandon Bolden give the Patriots a slight depth chart advantage over the Seahawks' Robert Turbin and Christine Michael, but it's nowhere near enough to overcome Lynch's value.
Advantage: Seahawks

Wide Receiver

Neither team's wide receiving corps appears likely to produce big numbers against two of the NFL's best secondaries, but the Patriots have a better chance to carve out short gains and keep their drives alive.
Neither team employs a star pass-catcher, but Julian Edelman's consistent slot production (he caught 92 passes this season) often goes overlooked in a world of superstar deep threats. Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola are unspectacular, but similarly underrated complements.
The Seahawks traded away Super Bowl XLVIII star Percy Harvin midseason, cutting their receiving talent by a significant margin. Doug Baldwin is miscast as a No. 1 and Jermaine Kearse is a home-run threat who strikes out more often than not.
Advantage: Patriots

Tight End

The talent gap between Rob Gronkowski, the NFL's best tight end, and Luke Willson is as big as any in the game.
Advantage: Patriots

Offensive Line

The Patriots' offensive line overcame a very slow start to the season to emerge as one of the NFL's best and most balanced units.
The Seahawks' line is excellent at opening holes for Lynch in the running game, but pass protection remains a weak spot. Wilson was sacked 42 times in the regular season - 16 more than Brady.
Advantage: Patriots

Cornerback

Assuming Richard Sherman is healthy enough to play without limitations - he insists he'll be 100 percent - the Seahawks will enter the game with the NFL's best defensive secondary. Sherman is a slightly better player than Darrelle Revis, and Byron Maxwell, Tharold Simon and Jeremy Lane get the edge over Brandon Browne, Kyle Arrington and Logan Ryan.
Advantage: Seahawks

Safety

Devin McCourty has developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety and Patrick Chung's career revival is a great story, but neither Patriots safety approaches the talent or effectiveness of Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor. The Seahawks boast the best pair of safeties we've seen in years.
Advantage: Seahawks

Linebacker

Bobby Wagner's incredible burst and closing speed make him more of a weapon than a tackler, but similar things can be said about Jamie Collins' athleticism and versatility. K.J. Wright and Dont'a Hightower are less exciting players, but are fundamentally strong.
In terms of depth, Akeem Ayers provides no significant talent edge or deficit compared to last year's Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith.
This one's too close to call.
Advantage: Even

Defensive Line

A convincing argument can be made that Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril were the best players on the field in Seattle's Super Bowl win a year ago. This time around, they'll be joined by the surging Bruce Irvin, whom the Seahawks classify as a linebacker but is almost a pure pass rusher. The blueprint for beating the Patriots is to get in Brady's face and the Seahawks have the tools to get it done.
Chandler Jones is no slouch himself when it comes to getting after the passer, but the Patriots simply can't match the Seahawks' depth coming off the edge. One advantage the Patriots boast is in the interior of the line. Vince Wilfork's blocker-eating, run-stuffing abilities are unrivaled.
Advantage: Seahawks

Special Teams

The Seahawks have been shaky returning kicks in recent weeks and Stephen Gostkowski has more experience kicking in big-game situations. Special teams is unpredictable, but the Patriots hold a clear edge on paper.
Advantage: Patriots

Total

• Seahawks: 4
• Patriots: 6
• Tie: 1

This means the Patriots are going to win the game, right? Not so fast. Super Bowl history clearly illustrates that advantages on defense and in the running game - two areas where the Seahawks appear to hold the edge - correlate strongly with winning.
Can the Patriots exploit their advantages in other areas to negate the Seahawks' strong suits? It will be fun to find out.