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I have followed Carroll over the years. I am not saying he isn't a good coach, but I don't think he is a great one. He had the luxury of walking into the Seattle job with a team with a perfect salary cap setup allowing them to load up these past few years. In college he had the always powerful USC team. With the Patriots when they had a mdeiocre team, he did nothing, unlike Belichick who has helped build a dynasty. I know I could be all wet because twice the great Belichcik got out coached by Coughlin in the Super Bowl. I just think the Patriots have an advantage here.
I think Carroll's gotten better as a coach. Like players, coaches learn from their mistakes, and I think Carroll has become a better situational coach and a locker room leader. The one knock on Carroll early on was that he was probably a little too soft and too green to be respected by veteran players in the locker room. That's changed now, I think. He's seen as a players coach, but he's become a tougher guy to mess with, as Percy Harvin found out. He's got control of the locker room. In terms of tactics and strategy, he's pretty good. He out-coached McCarthy last week, despite weak play from his team for 3 quarters.
There is no denying the Seahawks are good. But I think the Patriots match up as a team overall better than the Packers.
Brady in recent years has had pedestrian games in the playoffs and his last two Superbowl appearances. But I think the offense this year especially with Gronk healthy is going to give the Seahawks match up fits with Gronk and Edelman and LaFelle. Running game is up in the air - I have no idea if Blount and Co will be able to put up 100 yards. I also think the Pats are going to score on the Seahawks enough that Wilson will have to guide the Hawks to more than their average PPG which could be a problem for them against the Patriots defense. Rodgers was hobbled and definitely affected the Packers ability to put up points. Their defense let them down in the end - or of course you could say the Hawks offense came to life. Regardless, I think the Packers would of had more points with a healthy Rodgers and wouldn't have even been in the late game situation they were. But of course that's just a guess.
The Patriots aren't scared of the Seahawks. The Seahawks are not scared of the Patriots.
how do the Patriots match up better against the Seahawks than the Packers?
Packers have a better running game than the Patriots, a MUST to beat Seattle......Pats running game is very inconsistent, they only rushed for 17 yards against the Ravens.
in the passing attack, Packers scored more passing TD's than the Patriots (38 to 34) .....and Rodgers has a better rating than Brady (112 to 97) ...passing yards Rodgers 4,381 to Brady 4,109.....Rodgers had 5 INT's to Brady's 9 INT (almost double than Rodgers).
Translation: Rodgers is a more accurate passer than Brady........Packers have a better running game and passing game than the Partriots....and the Packers with 5 Hawks turnovers could only score 22 points.
The Patriots haven't faced this Seahawks defense.....the last time they met over 2 years ago , the Seahawks didn't have the #1 defense and it was Wilson's 6 game start in the NFL as a rookie....a lot have change in 2 years....Hawks and Wilson's confidence.
Packers have seen this Seahawks twice this year and still fell short even with a 5 turnover giveaway by the Hawks.
I suppose I still hang onto the notion of "on any given Sunday". As a fan I lived it with the 18-0 Patriots losing to an inferior team. On that day, the Giants were the better team.
The Patriots are a good enough team to be THAT team on any given Sunday. Just because Seattle has the #1 defense, it doesn't mean they are invincible. The Patriots are an excellent team on both sides of the ball - they did not get to the Super Bowl by accident (and please spare me the cheating garbage).
All the past Super Bowls are irrelevant. Only next Sunday matters, and we shall see. Can Brady out duel Wilson against the defenses? Can Belichick out coach Carroll? Will the refs screw up the game somehow? Will it come down to some bazaar play?
Actually not true....Just go back to the Steelers - Packers SB....GB had the #2 defense, Pitts was #1....GB won
exception to the rule:
#1 defense and #2 defense are a toss up, then the team with the better offense wins if the defenses are a wash.......New England doesn't have the #2 defense.......not even in the top 10.
when you allow the Ravens to score 31 points (4 TD'S) in your house and Forsett to rush for 130 yards (5.4 yards per carry) , a back up RB that was waived by 5 teams, I would be worry if I was a Patriots fan playing the Hawks and Lynch.
I don't think any Pats fan (at least the intelligent ones) are taking Seattle lightly. Sounds like you are the one not giving the Pats any shot
Absolutely. I am a huge Pats fan, and of all the team in the NFC, Seattle was #1 and Green Bay #2, at the beginning of the season, that I feared most IF we got to the Super Bowl. Well here we are, and here's Seattle.
If anyone honestly believes just because of last years blowout that the Patriots are the same team as Denver last year and will suffer the same fate are not good analysts. I'm not saying it won't happen, but if you look at this game and the two opponents, it smells of a close match up.
I don't think any Pats fan (at least the intelligent ones) are taking Seattle lightly. Sounds like you are the one not giving the Pats any shot
Seattle has the #1 defense (in case you did not already know), how can New England honestly expect to score points on them?
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every team with the #1 DEFENSE that has play in the S.B. has won......defense wins championships.
