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Top 10 Storylines For the New England Patriots In Super Bowl XLIX

Top 10 Storylines For the New England Patriots In Super Bowl XLIX

Robert Kraft New England Patriots
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

For the sixth time in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era, the New England Patriots will be playing in the Super Bowl. Chatter and hype surrounding the juicy matchup with the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will only intensify between now and kickoff. Here are the storylines most worthy of your attention for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

10. Solving the Sack Drought

Rob Ninkovich New England Patriots
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

10. Solving the Sack Drought

Rob Ninkovich New England Patriots
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Out of the 12 teams that played a playoff game this month, the Patriots and Denver Broncos are the only teams that haven’t registered a sack (and the Pats have played one more game than Denver). The Patriots did generate markedly better pressure on Andrew Luck in the AFC Championship than they did the previous week against the Baltimore Ravens, but actual QB takedowns need to occur in the Super Bowl to hinder the Seattle Seahawks' offense.

9. Julian Edelman Keeping Up the Good Work

Julian Edelman New England Patriots
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

9. Julian Edelman Keeping Up the Good Work

Julian Edelman New England Patriots
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Few players in the NFL are asked to do as much as Julian Edelman. He does the grunt work in the short-yardage passing game, takes the occasional end around hand-off and returns punts (oh, and he also threw a touchdown pass against the Ravens in case you forgot). Against the Seahawks, Edelman will be effective if he can move the chains on crucial third downs like he did a handful of times against the Indianapolis Colts.

8. Defense Forcing Turnovers

Darrelle Revis New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

8. Defense Forcing Turnovers

Darrelle Revis New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots can owe their berth in Super Bowl XLIX, in part, to a defense that has forced seven turnovers this postseason. Unlike Patriots' defenses of recent memory, this unit doesn’t rely on interceptions and fumble recoveries to survive — they are very capable of stopping drives early on — but it never hurts when Darrelle Revis is getting his mitts on the ball. If Russell Wilson throws multiple interceptions, the Seahawks are toast.

7. Committing To the Run

LeGarrette Blount New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

7. Committing To the Run

LeGarrette Blount New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Somehow, the Patriots were able to defeat the Ravens in the Divisional Round despite the eyesore that was the ground game; the Patriots ran for 14 yards against the Ravens, the fewest by a playoff victor in NFL history. Know this: lightning won’t strike twice. The Seahawks’ defensive front is as good as Baltimore’s, if not better, so it is paramount that the Patriots do a better job of establishing the run in the Super Bowl.

6. A Strong Pass Defense

Kyle Arrington New England Patriots
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

6. A Strong Pass Defense

Kyle Arrington New England Patriots
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

All that touting about Andrew Luck pushing Tom Brady off the quarterback throne subsided when the Patriots’ secondary suffocated the kid in the AFC Championship, as evidenced by Luck’s 23.0 passer rating. In addition to usual suspects Devin McCourty and Darrelle Revis, Kyle Arrington had an outstanding game on Sunday, holding T.Y. Hilton to 36 yards. This unit must sustain the good play in the Super Bowl against another third-year quarterback.

5. A Healthy Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

5. A Healthy Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Having Rob Gronkowski makes all the difference in the world. He’s caught a touchdown pass in every single game since we were digesting Thanksgiving leftovers on Nov. 30, but Gronkowski can also destruct defenses in a decoy role. As fans of the game, we look forward to Gronkowski and Kam Chancellor encountering each other in the Super Bowl. As fans of the Pats, we look forward to Gronkowski spiking the ball through the Glendale air.

4. An Unpredictable Run Defense

Justin Forsett Baltimore Ravens
Winslow Towson-USA TODAY Sports

4. An Unpredictable Run Defense

Justin Forsett Baltimore Ravens
Winslow Towson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret how the Seahawks win. They employ the services of the meanest back in the NFL, Marshawn Lynch, to wear down front sevens over the course of a game. The Patriots did well against the run for the most part in the regular season, but were exposed by Justin Forsett earlier this month, so fans have reason to be concerned about Lynch.

3. Protecting Tom Brady

Tom Brady New England Patriots
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

3. Protecting Tom Brady

Tom Brady New England Patriots
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Just ask the New York Giants, pressuring Tom Brady is the key to beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Expect the Seahawks to unleash blitzes early and often as they try to force Brady into making poor throws. Front and center of this storyline is quite literally Ryan Wendell, who took over for injured center Bryan Stork and played well in the AFC title game. If Stork isn’t healthy, all the attention will be on Wendell.

2. Trickery

Nate Solder New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

2. Trickery

Nate Solder New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

In the Divisional Round, it was Julian Edelman throwing a touchdown pass. In the AFC Championship, it was Nate Solder catching one. And in the two playoff games, the Patriots declared a player ineligible a total of 28 times. What gives? Well, we can expect more deceptiveness as Bill Belichick looks to outsmart Pete Carroll, his predecessor in New England.

1. Tom Brady Chasing History

Tom Brady New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tom Brady Chasing History

Tom Brady New England Patriots
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

With a win in Super Bowl XLIX, Brady will join an elite club of quarterbacks who have garnered four rings — a club that currently has only two members: Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. He will be starting a record sixth Super Bowl, and a win would go a long way toward cementing his legacy. In terms of the Manning/Brady debate, defeating the team that embarrassed Manning a year earlier would certainly launch Brady into a more esteemed category.

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