Super Bowl week is about to get going. Over the next several days, a lot of the focus will be on Deflate-gate, but it’s our goal here to provide in-depth analysis of what promises to be a tremendous game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Here’s a look at five potentially fatal flaws the defending champs bring with them into the game. From issues with pass protection to cornerback play opposite Richard Sherman, here are a few issues Pete Carroll’s squad could be looking at next Sunday.
1. Pass Protection
Courtesy of USA Today: Wilson needs pass protection in order to beat a good Patriots secondary.
Russell Wilson was pressured 33 percent of the time he dropped back to pass during the regular season. For comparison’s sake, Tom Brady was pressured on just 25 percent of his drop-backs in 2014. Wilson, who was sacked 42 times during the regular year, also saw himself thrown to the ground nine times, including five sacks, in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.
Needless to say, this is going to have to change if Seattle is going to earn a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Seattle’s lackluster pass-protecting offensive line will now be tasked with going up against a Patriots defense that recorded 40 sacks, including six-plus sacks from Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich.
The biggest matchup is going to be Seattle’s pair of below-average guards against an interior of a Patriots defensive line that includes the mammoth that is Vince Wilfork. If New England can’t take advantage of this mismatch, it will enable the likes of Jones and Ninkovich to seal off the edges and prevent Wilson from scrambling outside the pocket. If that happens, Wilson will struggle pushing the ball down field against a good Patriots secondary.
2. Consistency at Wide Receiver
Doug Baldwin is an extremely underrated receiver. But anyone who thinks he’s a pure No. 1 wide receiver is sorely mistaken. Now tasked with going up against an All-Pro corner in Darrelle Revis, it’s going to be tough sledding for Baldwin. Revis allowed a 51.9 completion percentage when targeted during the regular year. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson completed just 11 passes with two interceptions when targeting Baldwin 20-plus yards down the field during the regular year. That’s going to need to change when it comes to pushing the ball deep against Revis and company.
On the other side, we already know the lack of success Wilson had targeting Jermaine Kearse in the NFC Championship game. Prior to the game-winning touchdown pass to Kearse in overtime, Wilson was picked off four times targeting the young receiver, who will now be lining up against former Legion of Boom member Brandon Browner. The veteran cornerback takes as many chances as any defensive back in the NFL, so that’s a potential area Wilson could attack.
With all that said, this is an obvious mismatch in New England’s favor. Two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks going up against what has to be considered a below-average receiving group. If the Patriots dominate here, they may very well pull off the win.
3. Cornerback Play Opposite Richard Sherman
Courtesy of USA Today: New England will pick on the opposite side of the field from Sherman.
Byron Maxwell was able to return from injury to play a major role in the NFC Championship game. And while Maxwell did record an interception, he allowed five completions on seven targets throughout the game. With Seattle playing corner coverage, Maxwell will be lining up against Brandon LaFell, who should receive a nice amount of targets with Julian Edelman going up against Sherman. That promises to be a point of emphasis here.
More than that, Jeremy Lane will be in the slot next Sunday. That will pit him up against a multitude of pass catchers, potentially even Rob Gronkowski. If you remember correctly, Lane called out Gronkowski by indicating that the tight end wasn’t “that good.” And while Pete Carroll’s squad will look for more favorable matchups such as Earl Thomas against Gronkowski, this promises to still be a story.
4. Under-the-Radar Injuries
Earl Thomas (shoulder) and Richard Sherman (elbow) are both dealing with injuries. Meanwhile, right tackle Justin Britt missed the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. While all three will play in the Super Bowl, there has to be some concern. A large part of Seattle’s success is based on the Legion of Boom. If Thomas and Sherman are somehow slowed down by injuries and unable to use their amazing natural instincts in coverage, it could lead to some issues down the field.
5. An Angry Patriots Squad
There are two ways “Deflate-gate” could go. Because of the distraction, New England may not be prepared to face off against the defending champions this upcoming Sunday. The other scenario is much more likely. Bill Belichick and company could take their ire at the entire situation and focus it on the practice field during Super Bowl week. A focus that could potentially transfer to the field in Arizona.
This may seem fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but well-coached teams tend to find a way to take outside distractions and focus that into on-field play. In fact, we saw this with Seattle in the second half of the season when a whole host of drama became public regarding the team’s locker room, including a situation with recently departed receiver Percy Harvin.
Photo: USA Today