Key Storylines for Super Bowl XLIX Part 2
By Colin Floyd
Jan 23, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of University of Phoenix Stadium in advance of Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The 2015 Pro Bowl is upon us which means there is only a week left until the Big Game. And what would Super Bowl XLIX be without plenty of storylines to keep us busy throughout the two week hiatus.
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Deflategate
By now you all have heard about how the Patriots organization had 11 out of the 12 footballs deflated below the league limit for the AFC Championship game against the Colts. While no official ruling has come from the NFL, many expect there will at least be a hefty fine along with the loss of draft picks. Regardless of the punishment. Deflategate has robbed the Seahawks (and those Patriots who truly had nothing to do with it) of the usual fanfare and media attention produced in the week before the Super Bowl.
Revis Island vs. Optimus Prime
According to Pro Football Focus, Richard Sherman finished the 2014 regular season as the third-highest ranked cornerback behind Chris Harris Jr. and Vontae Davis. Darrelle Revis finished fourth. The two were also voted First-Team All-Pros. Without much dispute, these are the two best CB’s in the league and have been for the past three years.
The two are familiar with each other’s game as they’ve exchanged jabs on Twitter and now they will exchange jabs with each other’s teammates. This will be fun to watch as the two elite corners battle, and the game’s winner could be declared the undisputed top cornerback in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch vs. LeGarrette Blount
Two very similar running styles will be on display in Glendale as Lynch and Blount will face off in what could be an old-school styled game. The Seahawks are known for their hard-nosed football, but the Patriots have turned to the ground game lately with the (re)emergence of Blount, who is coming off a 30-carry game where he rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
Beast Mode is still king as he sits at 13th all-time with 815 rushing yards in the playoffs throughout his career; he is also tied (with Shaun Alexander) for 10th in playoff rushing touchdowns with eight. If Lynch were to have two TD’s in the Super Bowl, he would stand alone at 7th all-time. Blount, however, has been a touchdown machine in the playoffs as he has seven while only playing in four games.
Marshawn Lynch
With the amount of fines Lynch has received this season – from grabbing his junk to refusing to speak to the media – he has officially earned the title of the most penalized player in 2014 (in dollars). There is also speculation the NFL (No Fun League) is looking in to a much larger fine for Lynch due to his attitude towards the national media.
And while all of Seattle is firmly on the side of Beast Mode, you never know what will come next with Lynch; last Super Bowl he produced “I’m just bout that action Boss,” which turned out to be a gem and was made into various remixes. So Seattle, and the entire county, sit and wait eagerly for the next Marshawn Lynch headline, because we all know it is coming soon.