No repeat for Seattle; take the Patriots
It鈥檚 no secret who I like in this year鈥檚 Super Bowl.
Well, I don鈥檛 鈥渓ike鈥� either team, but I鈥檓 already on record (Twitter/Facebook) as saying the Patriots are 鈥済uaranteed鈥� to win this game and I鈥檓 sticking with that even though that was pre-鈥淒eflategate.鈥�
I see two extremely determined and motivated people heading into this game: Brady and Belichick.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick want this one sooooo bad. They鈥檇 never admit it, but, believe me, they both know that 鈥淪pygate鈥� cloud still hangs over their first three Super Bowl trophies so they need a fourth to sort of legitimize their place in history.
鈥淒eflategate鈥� won鈥檛 derail them.
Trust me, 鈥淒eflategate鈥� will amount to nothing. Pats owner Robert Kraft would鈥檝e never spoken out so defiantly if he hadn鈥檛 already figured out the NFL won鈥檛 be able to nab his team on this one. Heck, he even said he expected an 鈥渁pology鈥� if New England isn鈥檛 found guilty. Kraft-Roger Goodell = Puppeteer-Puppet. Expect the faux investigation to 鈥渃lear鈥� the Patriots of any wrongdoing.
As for the NFL, really, I feel it wants the Patriots to win another trophy at this point. The league realizes the public鈥檚 perception is that cheating had something to do with those first three rings, and tainted Super Bowl victories aren鈥檛 good for the NFL鈥檚 image. A fourth Patriot trophy might make that asterisk a lot of people see disappear.
Just as a side note, the NFL clearly is not amused by Marshawn Lynch鈥檚 catch-phrase media sessions for Seattle, either (鈥淚鈥檓 just here so I don鈥檛 get fined鈥�).
What I鈥檓 saying is don鈥檛 be surprised if a couple flags come fluttering to the ground at crucial times or a review seemingly goes against what everyone else saw 鈥� in favor of the Patriots.
But, let鈥檚 actually go on the field now.
Bottom line: New England is the better team.
Yes, the Seahawks are the defending champs (I was one of the few who picked them over the Broncos last year), but this Seattle team isn鈥檛 nearly as good or as hungry as that one and wouldn鈥檛 even be here if the Packers hadn鈥檛 practically handed them the NFC title.
You have to give Pete Carroll鈥檚 Seahawks credit for making the plays to pull out the win over Green Bay, especially Russell Wilson鈥檚 almost perfect pass in overtime to win it.
Really, though, who watched that game and came out thinking, 鈥淵eah, Seattle was the better team.鈥� Not many I bet.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have been the best team in the NFL since a Week 4 loss to Kansas City.
Everyone talks about the Seahawks鈥� 鈥淟egion of Boom鈥� defense but the Patriots鈥� defense, though not as spectacular, isn鈥檛 far behind. Belichick will have a scheme in place to confuse Wilson, who threw four interceptions against the Packers. He鈥檒l make a couple key mistakes in this game as well.
Don鈥檛 expect Lynch to run roughshod over this defense either. He鈥檒l get his yards but the Pats will keep him from going into all out 鈥淏east Mode.鈥�
Belichick and Brady, on the other hand, will devise a way to outwit Seattle. They don鈥檛 necessarily need a running game, as they proved against the Ravens, but I still think former Steeler LeGarrette Blount will play a big factor, as, of course, will Rob Gronkowski, who could wind up as the game MVP if it鈥檚 not Brady.
While Belichick is a brilliant coach, Carroll is no slouch either. He鈥檚 got a very good team and he鈥檒l have some tricks up his sleeve, too. He won鈥檛 have enough of them, though, to win two consecutive games against teams that are better than his.
I鈥檒l go as far to say I鈥檇 be shocked if Seattle wins this game. Peyton Manning and the Broncos were one thing. Belichick, Brady and the Patriots are a completely different beast. They鈥檙e going to get that fourth Super Bowl somehow, someway, someday.
My feeling is it鈥檒l be today.
Take the Patriots (-1) and, if you must play the total (48), I鈥檇 give a slight lean to the under.
Patriots 27, Seahawks 20