BY DEBORAH GLICK | Sunday is the Super Bowl. Not only will the winner determine the champion of the league but it is the most widely watched televised event in the United States. Last year the Super Bowl was watched by more than 112 million people and this year the number may be even greater.
The Seahawks are seeking to repeat their Super Bowl triumph from last year, and the New England Patriots, led by a telegenic quarterback and a dour evil scientist for a coach, are back in the big game for a sixth time trying to break a 10-year drought since the last time they won the Super Bowl.
But how did we get here? The championship games to get to the Super Bowl were both notable. As predicted, the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks game was the game to watch.
Although the Seahawks were expected to win and did, anyone watching the game up to the last four minutes would have expected a different outcome. The Packers dominated the game entirely, and if it wasn’t for a complete letdown in their defense, they would have won.
The key play for the Seahawks victory was the recovery of an onside kick that gave them back the ball, and the subsequent plays sent the game to overtime. At the end of the game, if you listened carefully, one could almost hear the hearts of every Green Bay fan shattering into a thousand pieces, as the Seahawks managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It’s safe to say that it was a loss that no Packer fan will ever forget.
The New England Patriots were expected to win and they did by blowing out the Indianapolis Colts. This victory has been overshadowed by alleged shenanigans of the Patriots, who appear to have deflated footballs to give their team a competitive advantage. This is a controversy that is silly, but as the Patriots have been found guilty of cheating in the past, it has overwhelmed pregame coverage.
Historically, the team with the best defense usually wins the Super Bowl. Going by statistics alone, it would seem Seattle would have the advantage. However, the one flaw in their defense is a tendency to give up big plays to the opposing team’s tight end. New England’s tight end, Rob Gronkowski, is a freakishly large and fast player, who has devastated opposing teams all year. He certainly will give Seattle a run for their money.
What this all means is that the Super Bowl will be a real game with the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Both teams are well-rounded and have great offenses and defenses. It should be a barn burner of a game, well worth watching. Too often the Super Bowl is a mismatch and rather boring. That will not be the case Feb. 1.
Follow Deborah Glick on Twitter at @DeborahJGlick to get her play-by-play tweets on all the game action during the Super Bowl.
