1. Art and Diseño

N F C C H A M P I O N • S ENAFTCT LCEH AS EMAPHI OA W
N K•S S E A T T L E S E A H A W K S
AFC CHAMPION • NEW ENGL AND PATRIOTS
Familiar territory for No.1s
NEW ENGLAND
S
PATRIOTS
Regular-season • Postseason stats
OFFENSE
Total yards (avg.): 365.5
Passing
Rushing
257.6
107.9
Postseason: 409.5
314.0
95.5
First downs: (361)
Rushing
Passing
96
228
uper Bowl XLIX matches each conference’s top seed for the second consecutive year as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks represent the NFC in going up
against the AFC champion New England Patriots. This will be New England’s eighth Super Bowl appearance (3-4) while Seattle is in its third title game (1-1).
Seattle seeks to become the first repeat winner since the Patriots managed it a decade ago.
A victory would stamp these Seahawks as an all-time great team, particularly having beaten Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in successive Super Bowls. The
Seahawks also come off a mediocre performance in the NFC title game, which should spur them on.
New England, of course, doesn’t want to add a stigma of Super Bowl loser by dropping three in a row after winning in its first three trips with Brady and Bill
Belichick. Brady can equal Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana with four Super Bowl rings, while Belichick can tie Chuck Noll with four.
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. • Sun. • 4:30 p.m. MST (NBC)
Penalty
37
Key component
Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch will try to impose his will on a solid but not
overwhelming defense. If Lynch is slowed, that leaves the onus for running
on QB Russell Wilson. Also a threat
as a receiver out of backfield.
(RUSHING)
Regular season
CAR YDS AVG LONG TD
60
Blount
281 4.7
34
3
280 1,306 4.7
Postseason
33
79 13
Postseason
149 4.5
22
3
SCORING (PPG)
29.2 Points for
19.6 Points allowed
Postseason
40.0 Points for
19.0 Points allowed
39
216
5.5
25
1
R. Gronkowski
87 • TE
PLAY SELECTION (PCT.)
Regular season
Postseason
PASS RUSH
PASS RUSH
D. Amendola
80 • KR
J. Edelman
11 • PR
61.9 38.1
L. Blount
29 • RB
SPECIAL
TEAMS
COACHES’ CORNER
J. Develin
46 • RB
R. Allen
6•P
Career record
(Reg. season)
W
211
L
109
Super Bowl
W3 L 2
T. Brady
12 • QB
Bill Belichick
K. J. Wright
50 • ROLB
K. Chancellor
31 • SS
T. McDaniel
99 • DT
Surpassed Tom Landry’s mark for postseason
victories (21). Regardless of the findings of the
B. Irvin
NFL’s probe into under-inflated footballs in the
51 • LOLB
PATRIOTS OFFENSE
AFC championship contest, he is known as an
Unquestionably the key matchup when the Patriots are on the field, will
innovator. Finds new ways to exploit the
be All-Pro TE Rob Gronkowski against the legions trying to cover him.
opposition.
For Seattle’s Legion of Boom, much of the assignment will fall to S Kam
Chancellor. Chancellor has the size (6-3, 232), speed and tackling
skills to somewhat neutralize Gronkowski. Green Bay showed the
Seahawks can be run on, so RB LeGarrette Blount could wind up
FIELD GOALS
being a featured player.
Stephen
YARDS Gostkowski
1-19
20-29
COACHES’ CORNER
B. Maxwell
41 • RCB
B. Wagner
54 • MLB
M. Bennett
72 • LDE
SEAHAWKS DEFENSE
Head into the Super Bowl with the league’s best
defense. Seattle must get pressure from pass
rushing DEs Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril and
LBs Bobby Wagner, an All-Pro, and Bruce Irvin.
Brady is most vulnerable ---- which isn’t very
vulnerable ---- when he has to throw before he wants
to and can’t set his feet. All-Pro CB Richard
Sherman will likely draw versatile WR Julian
Edelman.
E. Thomas
29 • FS
R. Sherman
25 • LCB
Career record
(Reg. season)
83
W
L
61
Super Bowl
W1 L0
Pete Carroll
No team brings more energy to the field
than the Seahawks, and it stems from
Carroll. He got his team over a Super
Bowl hangover early in the schedule, to
not only snap out of it, but reach peak
form down the stretch.
FIELD GOALS
LEADING RECEIVERS
Total catches
Regular season (TDs)
92
Regular
season
Julian Edelman was
seventh-round draft pick gradually
grew into top offensive threat as
playing time increased after WR Wes
Welker signed with Denver. Former
college QB threw 51-yard TD pass to
Danny Amendola in 35-31 divisional
playoff win over Baltimore.
82
74
52
27
Constructing a contender
Team makeup
Current 53-man roster
Draft
24
WR Julian
Edelman (4)
TE Rob
Gronkowski (12)
WR Brandon
LaFell (7)
S. Hauschka
4•K
WR Danny
Amendola (1) D. Baldwin
89 • KR
B. Walters
19 • PR
R. Wilson
3 • QB
J. Ryan
9•P
RED ZONE
V. Wilfork
75 • DT
R. Ninkovich
50 • LDE
D. Revis
24 • LCB
Tom Brady: Battle tested
Passing yds: 4,109 (reg.) • 593 (postseason)
Touchdowns: 33 (reg.) • 6 (postseason)
Loss
YARDS
249
Win
TDS
149
234
159
292
361
7
8
9
10 BYE
11
12
D. McCourty
32 • S
J. Collins
91 • LB
9.6%
38.5%
WC
245
317 DIV
287 CONF
182
261
13
354 14
333 15
16
257
17
349
80
WR Jermaine
Kearse (1)
38
37
29
22
A. Ayers
55 • LB
C. Jones
95 • RDE
D. Hightower
54 • MLB
J. Britt
68 • RT
No score
7.8%
66
230 367
226
Made
Missed
Regular
season
Russell Wilson’s most
trusted option, Doug Baldwin, took over
after Paul Richardson was injured
in the divisional round win over Carolina.
Baldwin has been
a spot kick return option
after trade of Percy Harvin.
Fumbled kickoff against
Green Bay in NFC title game.
Blueprint for success
Team makeup
Current 53-man roster
Draft
B. Browner
39 • RCB
Chris Jones
94 • DT
J. R. Sweezy
64 • RG
J. Kearse
15 • WR
Production inside the 20-yard
line, includes postseason:
WR Doug
Baldwin (3)
RB Marshawn
Lynch (4)
WR Paul
Richardson* (1)
TE Luke
Willson (3)
*Injured
L. Wilson
82 • TE
R. Okung
76 • LT
J. Carpenter
77• LG
M. Unger
60 • C
M. Lynch
24 • RB
W. Tukuafu
46 • FB
27
DEFENSE
51.9%
89 • WR
40-49
50+
LEADING RECEIVERS
Total catches
Regular season (TDs)
PROJECTED
STARTERS D. Baldwin
RB Shane
Vereen (3)
Trades 3
OFFENSE
Field
Touchdowns goals
29.9%
62.3%
RB Marshawn Lynch will try to punish a solid but not overwhelming defense led by DT Vince
Wilfork, DE Rob Ninkovich, LBs Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower. If Lynch is slowed, that
leaves the onus for running on QB Russell Wilson. While highly capable ----he rushed for 849
yards and six TDs in 2014 ---- Wilson would prefer balance on offense. When he throws, he must
avoid the interceptions that plagued him vs. Green Bay in the NFC title game.
SPECIAL
TEAMS
Free agents
WEEK
1
2
3
4
5
6
30-39
SEAHAWKS OFFENSE
Made
Missed
Steven
Hauschka
YARDS
1-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50+
54.8 45.2
53.6 46.4
C. Avril
56 • RDE
K. Williams
94 • DT
R. Wendell
62 • RG
S. Vollmer
76 • RT
J. Edelman
11 • WR
PLAY SELECTION (PCT.)
Regular season
Postseason
PASS RUSH
PASS RUSH
B. LaFell
19 • WR
N. Solder
77 • LT
D. Connolly
63 • LG
B. Stork
66 • C
Penalty
24
SCORING (PPG)
24.6
Points for
15.9 Points allowed
Postseason
29.5 Points for
15.9 Points allowed
PROJECTED
STARTERS
S. Gostkowski
3•K
OFFENSE
Total yards (avg.): 375.8
Passing
Rushing
203.1
172.6
Postseason: 372.5
225.5
147.0
Postseason: (36)
1
20
15
DEFENSE
Yards allowed (avg.): 267.1
Passing
Rushing
185.6
81.5
Postseason: 334.0
200.5
133.5
Lynch
(RUSHING)
Regular season
CAR YDS AVG LONG TD
SEAHAWKS
Regular-season • Postseason stats
First downs: (328)
Rushing
Passing
144
160
Unleashing the ‘Beast’
LeGarrette Blount, among others, takes turns carrying the ball.
Arrived from Pittsburgh in Week 12. After a stellar performance in
the AFC Championship game, Blount, a powerful runner with
surprising agility and elusiveness, appears to be the feature back.
Postseason: (57)
35 4
18
DEFENSE
Yards allowed (avg.): 344.1
Passing
Rushing
239.8
104.3
Postseason: 318.5
209.0
109.5
58.2 41.8
S E AT T L E
Trades 2
20
31
Free agents
P. Chung
23 • S
RED ZONE
PATRIOTS DEFENSE
WR Jermaine Kearse will see plenty of CBs Darrelle Revis
and Brandon Browner, a Seahawk last season, and could
struggle getting open deep. S Devin McCourty also will
help in coverage on WR Doug Baldwin and TE Luke Willson.
If the Patriots can tame the Beast, they will have a big head
start toward a fourth NFL championship since 2001.
Production inside the 20-yard
line, includes postseason:
OFFENSE
No score
Field
13.6%
Touchdowns goals
51.5%
34.8%
6.8%
DEFENSE
56.8%
36.4%
Russell Wislon: Dangerous on the run
Pass yds: 3,475 (reg.) • 477 (post.)
Touchdowns: 20 (reg.) • 4 (post.)
Loss
Win
TDS
YARDS
WEEK
191
7
1
202
8
2
9
3
258
10
4 BYE
201
11
5
126
12
6
199
179
172
178
211
313 13
14
15
16
17
236
263
168
WC
DIV
CONF
268
209
339
239
SOURCES: National Football League; STATS LLC