New England Patriots at Washington Redskins in 2009.
On February 1, 2015 at 3:30 PM, hundred millions of Americans will tune in to NBC to watch the biggest sporting event of the year: the Super Bowl. This year, the Super Bowl will be held in Glendale, Arizona at the University of Phoenix Stadium. It will be a memorable one because it will be featuring the New England Patriots, team known for its historical successes, and the Seattle Seahawks, the winner of last year's Super Bowl XLVIII.
Based on the NFL games of the 2014-2015 season, here are some things to take note and expect for the Super Bowl:
The New England Patriots were the American Football Conference - Eastern Division (AFC East) winners of the season. They beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts to reach the Super Bowl. In the process of reaching to the Super Bowl, the Patriots were accused of "Deflategate," series of allegations that the Patriots used underinflated football during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Seattle Seahawks were the National Football Conference - Western Division (NFC West) winners of the season. They beat the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers to reach the Super Bowl. The Seahawks boasted of statistically the best defense in the National Football League, also known as the Legion of Boom.
Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Patriots and the champion of three Super Bowls already, seeks to win his fourth ring which will tie him with the famous 49ers quarterback, Joe Montana. Look out for how Tom Brady will attempt to connect with his tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Coach Bill Belichick of the Patriots will strategize new schemes to achieve another postseason win (he already has most wins in postseason out of all coaches in NFL) and a Super Bowl title to his resume.
The significant part of the game will be determined by how Tom Brady play against the Legion of Boom. The Legion of Boom consists of multiple Pro Bowl selected players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas. The runningback for the Patriots, LeGarrette Blount, will have to come big for the Patriots offense to free the load off of Tom Brady. Expect to see one or two trick plays throughout the game by the Patriots to confuse the Seahawks defense.
Also, it will be interesting to note how the Patriots defense will seek to stop the Seahawks runningback, Marshawn Lynch (also known as Beast Mode), and the Seahawks dual-threat quarterback, Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson holds the record, 36-12, as the most wins by a quarterback in his first three seasons. Coach Pete Carroll of the Seahawks is not a conservative coach, so anticipate bold 4th down moves or trick plays from the Seahawks as well. Pete Carroll will be facing his successor in Bill Belichick as Carroll coached the New England Patriots in 1997 to 1999.
Super Bowl XLIX will be a great game with two of the brightest coaches in NFL battling with schemes and plays. It will be a game of history versus novelty - a team with long history in the postseason and a rising, young team.
Joo Heon Lee is a volunteer student writer from the University of California, Irvine.
