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10 Key Players To Watch During Super Bowl XLIX

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By @ClydeASpeller

10 Key Players To Watch During Super Bowl XLIX

New England Patriots-Vince Wilfork vs Seahawks
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This Sunday, the NFL season will come to a dramatic end when the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks meet in Super Bowl XLIX. Both teams possess numerous players who can play a major role in getting his team the Lombardi Trophy. Let’s take a look to see who the 10 key players in this year’s Super Bowl are.

10. Brandon Browner

New England Patriots-Brandon Browner
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10. Brandon Browner

New England Patriots-Brandon Browner
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When thinking of the Patriots’ secondary, the first name that comes to mind is Darrelle Revis. Some people are forgetting that fellow cornerback Brandon Browner played in Seattle for three seasons prior to joining the Pats. I’m sure he still knows the tendencies of his former teammates, and that knowledge could greatly help him and the rest of the Patriots’ defense.

9. Earl Thomas III

Seattle Seahawks-Earl Thomas III
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9. Earl Thomas III

Seattle Seahawks-Earl Thomas III
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Apparently, it will take more than a banged up shoulder to keep safety Earl Thomas from playing in his second consecutive Super Bowl. It’s in Thomas’ nature to play aggressively and to lay the wood on anyone who comes in his direction. We’ll see if he favors that shoulder when LeGarrette Blount is coming downhill, or Rob Gronkowski is streaking across the middle.

8. LeGarrette Blount

New England Patriots-LeGarrette Blount
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8. LeGarrette Blount

New England Patriots-LeGarrette Blount
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After being waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers in November, no one would have thought that LaGarrette Blount would have played a significant role in the postseason. It turned out that his reunion with the Pats resulted in him having a huge game in the AFC Championship (148 rushing yards and three touchdowns), which catapulted them into Super Bowl XLIX. It will be hard for him to duplicate those numbers against Seattle’s third-ranked run defense.

7. Kam Chancellor

Seattle Seahawks-Kam Chancellor
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7. Kam Chancellor

Seattle Seahawks-Kam Chancellor
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Kam Chancellor could be looked at as the most important player for the Seahawks on Sunday. Having a reputation as one of the most intimidating players in the NFL, Chancellor will have the daunting task of not only making his presence felt on New England’s receivers, but also matching brute strength against both Rob Gronkowski and LeGarrette Blount.

6. Vince Wilfork

New England Patriots-Vince Wilfork
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6. Vince Wilfork

New England Patriots-Vince Wilfork
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For the past 11 seasons, Vince Wilfork has been arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the league. Wilfork has also stuffed many ball carriers at the line of scrimmage during that time. On Super Bowl Sunday, Wilfork will have to do the same to the player that he called “hands down the best back in the game,” Marshawn Lynch. We’ll see if “Beast Mode” is too much for him to handle.

5. Rob Gronkowski

New England Patriots-Rob Gronkowski
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5. Rob Gronkowski

New England Patriots-Rob Gronkowski
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The Seahawks have the top-ranked pass defense this season, but had trouble with keeping tight ends out of the end zone. In the regular season, 11 of the 17 passing touchdowns surrendered by Seattle were to tight ends. Rob Gronkowski tied for first among NFL tight ends with 12 touchdown receptions. He could definitely be the x-factor in this game, and a major problem in the red zone.

4. Richard Sherman

Seattle Seahawks-Richard Sherman
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4. Richard Sherman

Seattle Seahawks-Richard Sherman
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It appears that the sprained elbow suffer during the NFC Championship won’t affect the play of cornerback Richard Sherman. Whether if it’s on or off the field, Sherman is always a person who you must keep an eye on. And regardless of how great Sherman is, I’m sure that Tom Brady won’t be afraid to throw the ball his way.

3. Russell Wilson

Seattle Seahawks-Russell Wilson
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3. Russell Wilson

Seattle Seahawks-Russell Wilson
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Winning a second consecutive Super Bowl could possibly put Russell Wilson into the category of elite quarterbacks. So far, the argument to put him in such a class seems valid. Throughout his three years in the NFL, Wilson’s record against Super Bowl winning quarterbacks is 9-0. A victory over arguably the greatest QB in history could boost him to such status.

2. Marshawn Lynch

Seattle Seahawks-Marshawn Lynch
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2. Marshawn Lynch

Seattle Seahawks-Marshawn Lynch
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Just like LeGarrette Blount, Marshawn Lynch’s big game in the NFC Championship was the key ingredient in the Seahawks’ appearance in Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle’s offense hasn’t been too dependent on their passing game this year — their leading receiver, Doug Baldwin, only had 66 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season. It’s apparent that Lynch will be Seattle’s No. 1 option all night long.

1. Tom Brady

New England Patriots-Tom Brady
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1. Tom Brady

New England Patriots-Tom Brady
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Even if the Deflategate story wasn’t an issue, Tom Brady would still be the main focal point of Super Bowl XLIX. As soon as he sets foot on the field, Brady will be the first quarterback in NFL history to play in six Super Bowls. If the future Hall of Famer happens to win his fourth ring on Sunday, he’ll then be one step closer to possibly being the greatest quarterback of all time.

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