Seahawks should win a close one
Between the controversies surrounding New England’s footballs and the circus sideshow involving Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, it’s been easy to forget that there will be a football game played today that will decide who is the champion of the NFL.
In Seattle and New England, the NFL got a matchup of the two best teams in each conference. But it certainly didn’t a get a game in which most of the country will have a rooting interest.
Forget about the good-guy, bad-guy stuff. The NFL got a matchup of two villains – at least that’s how they are largely viewed outside of their respective fanbases.
Do you root against cheater Bill Belichick, who was fined by the NFL for his involvement in the Spygate incident and is currently wrapped up in the current imbroglio? Or do you root against Pete Carroll, who cheated to the point of getting the University of Southern California put on probation and stripped of an NCAA title and then bolted for the NFL?
In Pittsburgh, do you root for the Patriots, who, at least in Pittsburgh, are viewed to have cheated their way to three Super Bowl championships in the early 2000s, or the Seahawks, whose fans are still complaining about losing the 2005 Super Bowl to the Steelers?
Tom Brady or the aforementioned Lynch?
It’s a tough call.
Here’s an idea; just watch the game without rooting for either team.
If you do that, you can be happy because one of these teams is going to lose.
New England is a 1-point favorite to deny the Seahawks a second-consecutive championship, and this game appears to be about as close to a 50-50 matchup as you could want.
New England has the advantage on offense with Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and company – including former Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount.
Seattle has the edge on defense with its “Legion of Boom,” secondary led by Richard Sherman.
It’s certainly a strength-on-strength, which could cancel each other out. The Patriots were fourth in the NFL at just over 29 points per game this season, while Seattle allowed just under 16 points per game.
But New England’s defense, which gave up 19.6 points per game, was more potent that Seattle’s offense, which averaged a more pedestrian 24.6 points per game.
Of course, that’s the way the Seahawks play. Their defense limits opposing offenses and they control the clock with their top-rated running game, which relies on the power of Lynch and the athleticism of quarterback Russell Wilson to churn out just under 173 yards per game.
If the Seahawks can get that ground game rolling, it’s going to be a long day for the Patriots.
Here’s saying that is what is going to happen in this game.
Take Seattle to win the game outright, 24-20
Season record: 117-24-4 ATS; 163-85 Straight up
F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.