Super Bowl XLIX will kick-off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., broadcast on NBC.
The Seattle Seahawks are notorious for the Legion of Boom: New England Patriots are led by arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks ever: Katy Perry has the voice and the looks to perform the halftime show. And don’t forget there are those historically great commercials. How can you lose?
Let’s start with Seattle. In the regular season, the team led the league in total defensive yards per game (267.1), passing yards allowed per game (185.6), rushing yards per game (172.6) and was third in rushing yards allowed per game (81.5).
Seattle’s success has carried them through the postseason to the Super Bowl, coming off a high last week as they pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Green Bay Packers. Seattle’s defense held Green Bay’s quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 178 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Although Green Bay put up 22 points, several big red zone stops forced the Packers to settle for field goals.
With Seattle showing they could contain the highest-scoring offense in the league, their odds are looking pretty good heading to Arizona. One problem for the Seahawks is having seven injured players, including Richard Sherman (elbow) and Earl Thomas (shoulder), although both are expected to play against New England.
“I’m expecting a very intense game, with both teams being fueled for different reasons: the Seahawks trying to avoid being a one-hit wonder [and] the Pats trying to squash any petty allegations of cheating,” said avid Seahawks fan Colin Serkowski.
On to the Patriots New England has been getting a lot of attention the past week for the controversial “Deflategate.”
Basically, 11 of the 12 Patriot game balls were under-inflated by two PSI in the AFC Championship game. This makes it easier to grip the ball and tuck away in harsher weather conditions.
Head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have claimed no knowledge regarding the condition of the footballs. Ignoring the controversy, the Patriots annihilated the Colts in the conference championship (45-7). They had the fourth best total offense this season, averaging 29.2 points per game.
Although Brady had an up-and-down year, he still put together solid numbers and is considered one of the best quarterbacks ever. Since Brady became a starter, the Patriots have been to six Super Bowls and won half of them.
“Brady’s experience and talent-level far outweighs that of Russell Wilson, and therefore I believe the Patriots will win,” said sophomore Brendan Meyer.
Unfortunately for Brady, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is 10-0 in his career when facing Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. Seattle also won the Super Bowl last year, decimating the Broncos (43-8). Wilson did throw four picks against Green Bay in the NFC Championship, but came through when it mattered most. Meanwhile in the AFC Championship, Brady became the all-time leading passer in postseason play (7,017 yards).
The week before, Brady surpassed Joe Montana to become the all-time touchdown leader in postseason play with 46 touchdown passes. Brady also holds the record for most postseason wins as a starting quarterback with 19. Offensively, the Seahawks have averaged more rushing yards per game, while the Patriots averaged more passing yards per game.
All-in-all, this should be an impressive match-up but, then again, last year’s was supposed to be as well.
Not everyone is excited for the game, especially with the attention both teams get. “I want both teams to lose,” said sophomore Austin Haas. “I’m a 49ers fan, so I don’t want the Seahawks to win, and the Patriots are just arrogant.”
Don’t forget about Katy Perry though. Whether she is roaring or shooting whipped cream or fireworks out of her chest, her halftime performance should be one worth watching.
Expect the commercials to be good as well. Per usual, Budweiser will theoretically have a good Clydesdale one; Snickers should make people laugh; and James Bond is even supposed to make an appearance.
Some people watch the Super Bowl simply to check out the commercials, just keep your eyes glued to the TV during commercials.
The Super Bowl is a good time for parties with friends. Even Trinity is offering deals in Mabee for ordering wings and other Super Bowl foods in bulk. If you’re tuning in this Sunday, enjoy the game (or the halftime show or the commercials) as it should theoretically be a great game.
The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. central time and airs on NBC.
