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Top Storylines for Super Bowl XLIX

Pete Carroll

We checked in on the top early storylines for Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots early last week.

It’s now time to delve further into aspects of this potentially historical matchup that may very well end up being the top stories we take out of the game.

From Deflate-gate to Seattle looking to become the first repeat Super Bowl champion since the New England Patriots, here are the top storylines for Super Bowl XLIX.

1. Seahawks Defense Looks to Prove its Worth as the Best in NFL History

Courtesy of USA Today: Richard Sherman and Co. could stake claim to best defense in history.

Courtesy of USA Today: Richard Sherman and Co. could stake claim to best defense in history.

The Chicago Bears of the mid 1980’s and the Baltimore Ravens of the early 2000’s are usually mentioned the most when we talk about the best defenses of all-time. Sprinkled in there is the Pittsburgh Steelers Steel Curtain of the 1970’s as well. Outside of that Pittsburgh squad, none of these teams won more than one Super Bowl, which is a feat Seattle is attempting to accomplish on Sunday.

Statistically speaking, the numbers are absurd. Seattle’s defense finished No. 1 in the NFL in total yards and points against in each of the past two seasons. It yielded just 14.4 points per game in 2013 before seeing that number increase to a minuscule 15.9 points this past regular season. Speaking of 2014, Dan Quinn’s unit surrendered a total of 39 points and forced 10 turnovers in the team’s final six regular season games.

For comparison’s sake, the 1985 Chicago Bears, who had one of the best defenses of all-time, gave up 12.4 points per game in an era of the NFL when scoring wasn’t anywhere near at the level we see today, especially with the new offense-friendly rules around the league. And while that squad gave up just 10 points in three postseason games in 1985, the Bears finished the next season with a premature playoff exit in the divisional round.

It’s all about sustained success. If Seattle does find a way to win a second consecutive Super Bowl, its defense will be the primary reason why. It’s not going to be the Russell Wilson show or Marshawn Lynch putting up 200-plus yards against a good Patriots defense. Rather, it’s going to be the Legion of Boom making a lasting impression on the history of the National Football League. If that happens, Seattle’s defense will go down as one of the best, if not the best, in the history of the game.

2. Can Tom Brady Match Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw in Super Bowl Wins?

Courtesy of ESPN: Brady's meeting with history could come Sunday.

Courtesy of ESPN: Brady’s meeting with history could come Sunday.

Brady will never really match either of these quarterbacks in terms of Super Bowl success. Montana and Bradshaw went a combined 8-0 in their Super Bowl appearances. For his part, Brady is currently on the verge of potentially falling to .500 in his six Super Bowl outings.

But it’s undeniable just how much success the future Hall of Famer has had. Now throughout his career, Brady has appeared in the Super Bowl 40 percent of the time he’s suited up for a full season. His six appearances are a league record for the quarterback position. And with a win Sunday against Seattle, he will match these two Hall of Famers with a NFL-high four Super Bowl titles. That’s entering into some pretty elite company right there.

3. Deflate-gate be Done, it’s Now About the Game

Let’s all hope that one of the top storylines coming out of the game isn’t this scandal that has impacted the common sense and intelligence of nearly everyone involved. The Patriots may have cheated. They might be in the wrong here. It might be a bad look. Heck, this could very well be much ado about nothing. But it won’t really matter when the opening kickoff is conducted in Arizona on Sunday. Instead, it’s time for everyone (and I mean everyone) to start focusing on the game at hand. After all, this is the last meaningful NFL game in about six months. Let’s enjoy that, and then deal with the scandal during the offseason (or not).

4. Two Enigmatic Running Backs, One Chance to Shine on the Biggest Stage

Courtesy of USA Today: Blount's redemption story could culminate with a win on Sunday.

Courtesy of USA Today: Blount’s redemption story could culminate with a win on Sunday.

The back stories regarding Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount and Seattle leading rusher Marshawn Lynch are by now well known. One was kicked off his college football team for absolutely losing it on the field following a game. The other one avoids the media like the plague in order to avoid losing it in the public realm. One was castoff by multiple teams prior to finding a role with the Patriots. The other was castoff by the Buffalo Bills and eventually traded to Seattle for scraps before finding a true home in the NFL.

Both are going to be impact players in the upcoming Super Bowl, and both are going to be among the top MVP candidates when all is said and done. Whoever comes out on top in this matchup will likely be hoisting the Lombardi in Arizona on Sunday night. And for both running backs, this is somewhat the pinnacle of their careers. Good stories with a minor backdrop of controversy. It’s what the NFL is all about nowadays.

5. Pete Carroll’s Potential Meeting with History

With a victory on Sunday, Carroll will become the 14th head coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowls. He would also become just the seventh coach and the first since Bill Belichick to hoist the Lombardi in consecutive seasons.

That’s a far cry from Carroll’s last stint as a NFL head coach some 16 years ago with the Patriots, who fired him following a disappointing eight-win season in 1999. After spending 12 years out of the NFL, Carroll returned to the league as Seattle’s head coach in 2010. Since then, all he has done is turn a once fledgling franchise into one of the most dominant organizations in the sports world. He has done so after numerous pundits criticized Seattle for hiring a retread just five years ago. And now, he has a chance to make history against the very same team that gave him this false retread label.

6. A Dynasty Could be Born

The term “dynasty” can be thrown around a bit too much. When I think of dynasty, I look at the Oakland Athletics of the 1970’s, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1980’s and Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s. The one common theme when talking dynasty has to be back-to-back championships or a stretch of four or five seasons with more than two. This would also include the current-day San Francisco Giants.

Now while that term is subjective and can be defined a variety of different ways based on your own opinion, it’s readily apparent that the Seattle Seahawks are not currently a dynasty. At the very least, it requires a second championship, something that might very well change Sunday against New England.

If Seattle does find a way to earn that second consecutive Lombardi, the short-term future sets up well for the team to earn a third one and etch its name in the history book as a dynasty. With most of Seattle’s young players locked up on long-term deals and questions abound in the rest of the NFC West, there’s no reason to believe that this team won’t contend for a championship on an annual basis moving forward. And while things can change in a short period of time, Sunday’s game could be the one moment that we look back at as the time a dynasty was born in the Pacific Northwest.

7. What the Future Holds for Some of the Game’s Best

Courtesy of ESPN: Could Lynch call it quits after this season.

Courtesy of ESPN: Could Lynch call it quits after this season.

There has been some talk about Marshawn Lynch hanging his cleats up should Seattle win on Sunday. He’s going to be in the midst of a contract dispute with the organization. There is also a feeling around Lynch’s inner-circle that a win would pretty much cap off what the running back believes he can accomplish in the NFL. It would be odd for a player seemingly in the height of his career to walk away, but Lynch isn’t necessarily what you’d call “normal.” We have also seen great running backs in the past walk away early (See: Barry Sanders).

On the opposite side of the ledger, New England will have some questions regardless of the outcome. Outside of the entire Deflate-gate scandal, we don’t know what the future is going to bring for Darrelle Revis, who may look to collect on the last long-term deal of his career as a free agent in March. In addition to this, Tom Brady’s father had some interesting comments regarding the future Hall of Fame quarterback and the only franchise he has called home during an illustrious NFL career. While it’s highly unlikely Brady and the Patriots part ways, there are changes coming in New England following the Super Bowl. That much is for certain.

8. Bill Belichick’s Legacy

Six Super Bowl appearances in 15 seasons, Belichick will go down in the history book as a true legend in every sense of the word. There will be some who point to the multiple controversies, myself included, but his success speaks for itself on the field.

A coach in the NFL since the Gerald Ford Administration (1975), there’s no telling how much longer this future Hall of Fame coach will man the sideline in New England. And at 62 years old, he is the third-oldest head coach in the NFL.

In reality, this could be Belichick’s last chance to earn a fourth Super Bowl championship. Regardless of how long he hangs on, the sun might be prepared to set on the Patriots dynasty. It now remains to be seen what that legacy will be defined by.

Photo: USA Today

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