Super Bowl 49: Keys to victory for the Seattle Seahawks
By Zac Wassink
Five keys to the Seattle Seahawks winning Super Bowl XLIX.
You may have forgotten that the Seattle Seahawks are, in fact, playing in Super Bowl XLIX considering all that has occurred since the clock ticked down to 00:00 at the AFC Championship Game involving the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have somewhat been answering questions regarding deflated footballs, the defending Super Bowl champions have been left as somewhat of an afterthought, second-class citizens in a world where “Deflate-Gate” continues to grab headlines with each day.
It has been over a week since the Seahawks managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against the Green Bay Packers, and nobody among the national media is speaking about a club that should, right now, be seen as the best team in the National Football League. Embracing the idea that they have become the “other guys” of the upcoming Super Bowl would be a wise move for the Seahawks, as there is something to be said for utilizing any motivational tool available for the biggest and final game of the season.
As with anything regarding the NFL, it all begins and ends with the play of the quarterback. Seattle was nearly reminded of that the hard way two Sundays ago when Russell Wilson was uncharacteristically awful for the majority of the NFC Championship Game involving the Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. Having a bruising running back in the backfield is only worth so much if that team’s quarterback is unreliable, and one can be sure that the Patriots will do whatever possible to force Wilson to be the key man for his offense.
1. Don’t force it, Russ
Wilson was not himself for three and a half quarters the last time that he played a meaningful football game. The championship quarterback forced throws into tight windows, he was erratic and inaccurate, and he threw four interceptions that all could have been prevented had he made wiser decisions in those moments of the game. Seattle’s defense helped bail Wilson out until the QB found his better form, but he cannot count on the same occurring this coming weekend.
The New England Patriots do not, on paper, have the offensive weapons found on the roster of the Packers. That said, Tom Brady is going into this game with several chips on both shoulders following the scandal involving somebody within the Patriots allegedly deflating football before the AFC Championship Game. Brady going off and having a banner day on Super Bowl Sunday is a real possibility, and Wilson may have to match the all-time great if the Seahawks are to repeat as champs.
2. Stick to the plan
The Seahawks are going to feed running back Marshawn Lynch early into the Super Bowl. You know it. I know it. The Patriots know it. New England was responsible for a top-ten run defense during the 2014 NFL regular season, and there may rise the temptation for Seattle to move away from the rushing attack if Lynch does not get off to a hot start.
Ignore that urge, Seattle.
Here are some numbers to consider: 191, 207, 130. Those are the rushing yards New England surrendered in the three regular season losses that the club actually cared about. Lynch gets stronger seemingly with every quarter of a game, and the Seahawks will be wise to stick with him and assume that he will eventually enter “Beast Mode” even if they are trailing by multiple scores in the first half.
3. Get healthy
There’s nothing that the Seahawks can do about this one other than wait and hope for the best. Defensive backs Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman are banged up, and neither are expected to be 100 percent on Super Bowl Sunday. Thomas is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Sherman is carrying a forearm knock. Both men can make plays even when not at their best, but athletes are prone to mistakes when adjusting to playing through pain. Do not be surprised if Brady tests Sherman on the first New England offensive drive of the Super Bowl.
4. Get to Brady
Think back to those two Super Bowl losses the Patriots suffered to the New York Giants. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew beat Brady up on both of those evenings, sacking him five times at Super Bowl XLII. While the Giants only brought Brady down twice during Super Bowl XLIX, New York did register a total of eight QB hits that night. Brady is a gamer, no doubt about it, but he does not respond to taking punishment as do the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck. Do not let Brady get comfortable, Seattle defense, and a second straight Super Bowl victory should be in the cards.
5. Feed the 12th Man
No NFL fan base travels as well as does the “12th Man” belonging to the Seahawks. Seattle fans took MetLife Stadium in New Jersey over last February, and those who live and die on the Seahawks only have to travel to Arizona this time around. The Denver Broncos made it easy for the Seattle fans to get hyped when a botched snap, caused in part because of the Seattle fans making so much noise, resulted in a safety on the first play from scrimmage of Super Bowl XLVIII.
Lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice.
Just as screaming fans fire players up, moments such as a sack or a long pass on the first drive of the game can provide energy to those watching the action at the stadium. Giving the Seattle faithful who make the trek to Glendale reasons to scream their lungs out early into the Super Bowl would give the champs a home-field advantage that could overwhelm Brady and the New England offense.
Next: 5 keys for the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 49