On Sunday, it's finally just football. All the off-field distractions that have dominated Super Bowl Week -- Deflategate, Marshawn Lynch's media day quotes (or lack thereof) -- are thankfully set aside for 60 minutes.
It's a shame these sillier stories have dominated the news cycle, because this truly has to potential to be an historic, all time great Super Bowl. It's not often that the actual two best teams in football meet in the Super Bowl, but that's very much the case here in Arizona.
Here are three match-ups to watch for -- because they very well could decide the outcome of this game.
Darrelle Revis vs. Doug Baldwin
With all due respect to Mr. Baldwin, Darrelle Revis has put much better (or at least much more recognizable) wide receivers on Revis Island before him. If he's able to take out Baldwin on Sunday, that would be a massive blow to the Seahawks offensive scheme. It would take away a quarter of the field and allow New England's front seven to load the box to prevent Lynch and Wilson from breaking off long runs. Baldwin doesn't have to put up 100 yards on the day, but the Hawks need him to be at least enough of a threat to keep Revis honest.
Michael Bennett vs. Sebastian Vollmer & Nate Solder
Tom Brady is a Hall of Fame quarterback with very few weak spots. However, opposing defenses can wear him down and force him into inefficient accuracy downfield when they apply pressure. If Brady has all day in the pocket, not even a secondary as good as the Legion of Boom will stop him. Bennett and the rest of the Seahawks D-line needs to beat these two tackles off the snap, get to Brady early, and put the 37-year-old on the ground multiple times.
Special Teams
New England outranks Seattle in special teams efficiency by 14 spots, according to Football Outsiders. In a game that could likely be decided by a field goal or less (Vegas has the Pats just -1.0 as of Friday!), field position and the ability to break off (or on the defense's side, stop) a big kick or punt return might be the only difference between these two otherwise evenly-matched teams.
Watch a preview of Super Bowl XLIX below:
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