Storylines to Follow for Super Bowl XLIX
After the hype, this is what really matters come Sunday.
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Patriots, Seahawks to Kick Off Sunday Night - After two weeks of hype, it all comes down to this. Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots (14-4) and Seattle Seahawks (14-4) will kick off from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., live on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST. Will Tom Brady collect his fourth Super Bowl ring or will Russell Wilson and the ’Hawks win back-to-back championships? We’ll find out in just over 72 hours. Before the opening kick, let's ponder some of the crucial storylines to follow for the big game. (Photos from Left: Otto Gruele jr./Getty Images, Elsa/Getty Images)
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Can Tom Brady Figure Out the Seahawks' Secondary? - Aside from a 13-yard touchdown pass, the Seattle Seahawks’ secondary bottled up Aaron Rodgers’s explosiveness during the NFC title game. The Seahawks stifled Rodgers, arguably the best quarterback in the game, into 19-of-34 passing for 178 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (one recorded by Richard Sherman). But the older, more experienced Tom Brady represents a veteran QB who has truly seen it all. And Brady has never been one to back down from a shutdown corner. The question is will even he be able to figure out and beat the Seahawks' secondary?(Photos from Left: Jim Rogash/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Can Vince Wilfork and the Pats' D-Line Tame Beast Mode? - Marshawn Lynch is hands-down the NFL’s most violent, aggressive running back, one who seems to enjoy contact on every carry. The reckless abandonment that he runs with is why they call him “Beast Mode.” But to run roughshod over the New England Patriots, Lynch will have to get past all 6-feet-2-inches and 325 pounds of Vince Wilfork, arguably the NFL’s best run stuffer. What will happen when the two physical forces collide? (Photos from Left: Jim Rogash/Getty Images, Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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Can LeGarrette Blount Get Beastly Again? - The Seattle Seahawks will certainly look to assert their running game by grounding and pounding with Marshawn Lynch. However, the New England Patriots have a physical running back of their own in LeGarrette Blount, who did rush for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC title game. Blount’s ability to eat up the clock and pile up yards against the Seahawks’ defensive line will be key. (Photo: Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
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Best Corner in Football: Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman? - Cornerback supremacy will be on the line Sunday when Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis take the field. Over the past several years, Revis proved to be the NFL's best cornerback, now Sherman has arguably taken that throne. One key play, when it counts most in the Super Bowl, may spell the difference...at least when it comes to bragging rights over the offseason. Who will produce that game-changing play — Revis or Sherman?(Photos from Left: Jim Rogash/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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