The Super Bowl is a week away and arguably the best secondaries in the league (honorary mention to Arizona) will be going head to head. The ball deflating Patriots are going up against the 12th man Seahawks (even if their amazing fan base leaves games early). Both teams have the right to say that they have lock down defenses. The Patriots took a team in the Indianapolis Colts and made them look completely out of their realm by beating them 45-7. Indianapolis was the third best offense in the league for the 2014 regular season as well as the number one offense in the postseason, by over a hundred yards. Then the Patriots showed them how a championship team plays. The Seahawks on the other hand didn't necessarily stop the packers from scoring until they absolutely had to. The Seahawks respectively took a Green bay Packers team that ranked 6th in overall offense for the regular season and held them to one touchdown for the entire game. Green Bay did score five field goals as well as take a 16 point lead into the locker room at halftime but how you finish means everything. In this manner everything came down to which corners stopped two of the best QB's in the league from continuing their onslaught of offense that happened throughout the 2014 season. Leaving the question to be answered, who has the best defense and I specifically want to zone in on who has the best secondary. The Pats or the Hawks?
Seattle comes into the postseason with the number one ranked defense. The Patriots come in with the 13th. Now both teams came out of the gate slumping but got it together when push came to shove. Seattle has a game plan that has yet to fail them. That game plan is letting strong safety Kam Chancellor cover between the numbers while Richard Sherman covers the left side of the field and the right side of the field is left to Byron Maxwell. All I have to say is Gronkowski! This game is strongly based on the play of Gronkowski and if Seattle's cover-3 scheme can stop him. If theres anyone that can match up with Gronkowski I would put my money on Chancellor. Although with that said, I think Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are up to the
task to make Chancellor run if not sprint for his money. The Chargers did it in week 3 when Antonio Gates ended the game with 96 yards and 3 TD's in a 21-30 victory. That entire game they attacked the middle of the field and left Seattle to make the decision between letting Chancellor do his thing or abandon their scheme. They did the latter and ended up losing. This leads me to saying how will Sherman contribute. The receiving core of the Patriots isn't the best. I mean Amendola is always a threat but has yet to bust out like he has in the past. Then theres Edelman who seems like he is always a threat (did you see that 51 YD TD pass he threw to Amendola), but everyone knows Gronkowski is their bread and butter and Brady and Gronk are going to attack the middle of the field all game I already put my money on it! So Sherman can cover whoever ends up on his side of the field but it won't be Gronk so I am left to wonder how much he will impact the game. In my eyes if Sherman wants to be considered the best CB in the league he needs to cover the best receivers on the opposing team. Regardless to say Seattle has a respectable defense and they are as good as they look on paper but I think if there is an offense that can put that to the test its the stout O line of the Patriots followed up by Brady and Gronk.
The Patriots! I don't care if they are blamed for deflating balls. Beating the Colts to the tune of 45-7 is a feat in its own, even if the balls weren't standard. Holding that offense to 209 yards goes to show the kind of defense that the Patriots can put on the field. Then there's Revis! With the Seattle receiving core not being able to make the big play unless the game is on the line against Green Bay - I still have no idea how they did that by the way - New England might be able to beat the Hawks by the tune of 45-7 just like they did the Colts. Thats not my prediction but if it happened I wouldn't be surprised. You can put Revis on any receiver you want anywhere on the field. Then theres Browner who if he can stop getting penalties 3-4 times a game is a pretty damn good back. There is no doubt in my mind that Revis can lock down Doug Baldwin and Im almost positive Browner can put in some work on Jermaine Kearse. Leaving the Seattle offense in the hands of the rush attack from Lynch and Wilson. Those aren't bad hands to leave your fate in though. Overall based from Seattle's options I see the Patriots defense looking better than Seattle's. If the Patriots can and did stop Andrew Luck, by stop I mean completely knock him over, then I see them having no trouble stopping Seattle's mediocre offense from moving the ball. Darrelle Revis is a force to be reckoned with and Sherman can mouth off all he wants. I can't wait for the question of who is the better CB is answered. The Super Bowl is that answer and it will appear clear as day when Seattle struggles to be super at all. Maybe a little beastly but very rarely do you win a game let alone the Super Bowl off of a single performer. Pats 38 Hawks 17 call me crazy!
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