Super Bowl XLIX Spotlight: The AFC Champion New England Patriots

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The greatest teams in the NFL are the ones that can overcome any level of adversity and the New England Patriots are such a team. With a porous offensive line and a defense that seemed to have lost its edge, this is a team that was embarrassed in prime time and left its fan base and the experts filled with doubt. But they rallied back, securing that line and pouring on the points and here we are now, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl and here is what we can expect from them tonight.

STRENGTHS
Tom Brady and the offense are simply the stuff of magic. Most of Brady's finest weapons are no longer with the team, yet great quarterbacks turn regular receivers into stars and #12 does just that as he takes apart defenses piece by piece before unleashing his nuclear weapon, Gronkowski. The run game is no slouch either. Thanks to their prolific passing game the Pats can pound the rock as well, and we should see a healthy mix of run and pass to keep the Seahawks honest.  

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WEAKNESSES
The offensive line however, is still cause for concern in New England and it can be exploited. The right kind of blitzing means that the Seahawks can get to Tom Brady and that has been the formula for beating Tom for a very long time in this league. Knock him around and sack him enough and the frustration shows through in his play. We also need to mention the fact that their defense can be beat if it stays on the field long enough.

KEYS TO SUPER BOWL XLIX
The Patriots will have to come out and establish offensive superiority early and maintain it often.  There is a fair chance that their, at times, porous defense will allow the Seahawks to hang in this game, so setting up and maintaining a big lead will be crucial for this squad, but more importantly, that offensive line has to protect Brady.

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