4 players from each team who will decide Super Bowl XLIX

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Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Which four players from each team will decide Super Bowl XLIX?

Deflate-gate is the flavor of the week right now, but the focus will soon turn to the players from each team who will decide Super Bowl XLIX.

The sideshow that is dominating headlines right now will soon fade into the background, thankfully, as this matchup could provide one of the most compelling championship games in NFL history.

Super Bowl XLIX features two of the great masterminds in the game in Bill Belicheat — er, Belichick — and Pete Carroll. Belichick is the pre-eminent strategist in the game, while few coaches have been able to get as much out of his players on a consistent basis as Carroll.

The attention starts with those two men, but the game will be decided by the players and their performance on the field. In this piece, we present eight players — four from each team — who are likely to have the most influence on the outcome of this game.

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