LeGere: Five of the most Super-charged matchups

Football may be, as coaches and players are fond of saying, "the ultimate team game." But it's individuals and matchups that determine winners and losers.

The result of the following five battles in Super Bowl 49 will determine who wins the war.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady vs. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman:

Challenging the NFC's best cornerback is a mistake, even for Brady, who will become the only quarterback with six Super Bowl appearances. But completely avoiding the rangy, 6-foot-3, 195-pound Marshall is a tactical error as well.

"You can't throw at him just because you're trying to throw at him," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels told reporters Tuesday at Media Day. "(But) it's not easy to avoid someone the whole game (and) just say you're not going to throw over there."

If Brady ignores Sherman's side, it makes it easier for multiple other Seahawks defenders to focus on the rest of the field. And, if Sherman knows he won't be challenged, he will have more opportunities to freelance, where he also can be dangerous. So Brady must at least keep Sherman honest by occasionally throwing in his direction.

"But you have to be smart because he will take the ball away from you," McDaniels said. "There's a reason he's taken the ball away from people because of his skill level. But there's no way around it. If the coverage takes the play there, that's where you go."

Even though most quarterbacks avoided Sherman like a bad clam, he still had 4 interceptions during the regular season and 2 more in the postseason. He had 8 picks in each of the previous two seasons.

"We're not going to avoid someone throughout," McDaniels said, "but we're not going to go out of our way to get in trouble."

Sherman usually lines up at left cornerback (the offense's right side) and doesn't flip-flop sides to shadow an opponent's best receiver.

And the Patriots move their receivers from side to side, so Sherman could be matched up with wide receivers Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola, as well as tight end Rob Gronkowski or even running back Shane Vereen.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson vs. Patriots CB Darrelle Revis:

Wilson is not nearly as productive in the pocket as Brady, but he may be the NFL's most dangerous quarterback outside the pocket. Wilson makes 20-yard scrambles appear effortless, but what makes him more dangerous on the move is that his eyes are constantly looking downfield, searching for even bigger plays.

Revis is every bit as capable of taking away one side of the field as the Seahawks' Richard Sherman. That's especially true against Seattle's average wide receivers; 5-10, 189-pound Doug Baldwin and 6-1, 209-pound Jermaine Kearse.

The Seattle wideouts whine, especially Baldwin, about how they are disrespected.

"We've (been) getting that negativity all year, years prior," Baldwin said. "So it's nothing new."

Maybe the Seattle wide receivers are better than they're given credit for, but neither is a match for Revis.

Baldwin dialed down the rhetoric on Media Day but said he's looking forward to facing the 5-11, 198-pound Revis and the Patriots' other corner, 6-4, 221-pound Brandon Browner.

"I'm excited about it," said Baldwin, whose modest totals of 66 catches and 825 yards this season were the best of his four-year career. "I'm going to bring my sunblock, my shades and a hat, and I'm going to go to Revis Island and see what I can do. And I'll let you know after the game."

Unfortunately for Baldwin, most wide receivers who venture onto Revis Island on game day aren't heard from for the next three hours or so.

Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount vs. Seahawks run defense:

Seattle ranked third during the regular season, holding opponents to an average of 81.5 rushing yards per game.

But the Dallas Cowboys pounded them for 162 yards on the ground in Week 6, the Carolina Panthers had 132 in the divisional round and the Green Bay Packers had 135 in the NFC title game.

Only the Cowboys, though, were able to parlay their ground-and-pound success into a victory.

In the 6-foot, 250-pound Blount, the Patriots have the blunt object they could use to bludgeon a Seattle defense that is more susceptible to smash-mouth football than speed or finesse.

And Blount sounds like he's up for the challenge.

"I don't care about them being the top defense; that doesn't bother me," Blount said on Media Day. "They were good enough to get here, just like we were good enough to get here. They're not immortal. They can be beaten."

Two of the Seahawks' last 3 losses were to teams that had success running on them; the Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs, who got 159 rushing yards from Jamaal Charles in a 24-20 victory in Week 11.

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Patriots run defense:

While it doesn't get nearly as many accolades as the Seahawks' defense, the Patriots' defense was No. 9 this season vs. the run, led by immovable object Vince Wilfork in the middle.

Lynch's 1,306 yards on 280 carries (4.7-yard average) and 13 touchdowns were the main reasons the Seahawks were No. 1 in rushing yards and average gain per rush during the regular season.

Lynch is the NFL's premier tackle-breaker; he was 12-for-13 on third-and-one attempts.

If the Seahawks get ahead, they will be content to feed Lynch and let him go "Beast Mode." If the Patriots cannot contain Lynch, it's difficult to imagine them winning.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski vs. Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas and strong safety Kam Chancellor:

When Seahawks nickel corner Jeremy Lane was asked about Gronkowski during the week he said: "I actually don't think he's that good."

That's an opinion shared by no one else. Lane is likely to find himself covering Gronkowski at times, but Thomas and Chancellor should spend more time than anyone else on that assignment.

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman caught 10 more passes (92) this season than Gronkowski, but it's the tight end who is the team's most dangerous weapon. "Gronk" averaged 13.7 yards on his 82 receptions and scored 12 touchdowns.

At 6-3 and 232 pounds, Chancellor probably matches up better physically against the 6-6, 265-pound Gronkowski than any player in the league.

"He's a big, physical guy," Chancellor told reporters. "But it's going to be big on big. That's the go-to guy for them."

The 5-10, 202-pound Thomas will be at a serious size disadvantage, but that hasn't prevented him from becoming the NFL's top free safety.

He has started all 89 games (including the postseason) the Seahawks have played since they drafted him in the first round (14th overall) in 2010. He has been voted to four straight Pro Bowls and to three straight all-pro teams.

Thomas suffered a dislocated shoulder in the NFC title game against the Packers, which was popped back into pace and will not, he insists, hinder his play against the Patriots.

"I'm not coming off the football field," Thomas told the Seattle Times, "unless they take me off on a stretcher."

Prediction: Patriots 23, Seahawks 20

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