10 Players to Watch During Super Bowl XLIX

Image via Complex Original

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Linebacker

After coming on strong late in 2013-14, Jamie Collins emerged as a key contributor on the Patriots’ defense this year and will be relied upon in the Super Bowl just as he was against Indianapolis. The 6’3”, 250-pound linebacker is also a tremendous athlete who can drop into coverage, as he demonstrated last Sunday when he picked off Andrew Luck in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game. Now facing the Seahawks, he’ll be tasked with preventing big runs from both Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, as well as covering tight ends and running backs down the field. It’s a lot of responsibility, but Collins’ tremendous play following the season-ending injury to Jerrod Mayo proved that he’s up to the task.

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: Defensive End

It was a down regular season for Cliff Avril, whose 5.0 sacks were his lowest total since his rookie season, but the defensive end has come on strong in the playoffs and has recorded a sack in each of the Seahawks’ two wins. He’ll need to be on point again against the Patriots, whose offensive line has looked vulnerable at many different points during the season despite a relatively modest sacks allowed total. Avril will spend much of his time lined up against New England’s Nate Solder, who has struggled at times this season against strong pass rushers.

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Offensive Tackle

New England left tackle Nate Solder has faced a lot of scrutiny this season for his uneven play on the field, and while his touchdown reception against the Colts was a nice consolation, the reality is that the tackle position is still a question mark heading into the Super Bowl. The model for beating the Patriots begins with the defensive line getting pressure on Tom Brady, and this season Solder has often been the one faced with containing the opponent’s best pass rusher. That hasn’t always gone well, and who wins his matchup with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett may decide who wins the game.

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: Defensive End

It’s no secret how the New York Giants were able to beat the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl: Their defensive line pressured the hell out of Tom Brady, disrupting his timing without removing anybody from coverage. Defensive end Michael Bennett has a chance to be that same kind of disruptive force this year. After leading the team with 7.0 sacks during the regular season, he has yet to record a sack in the playoffs and now faces the tough task of going against New England’s Sebastian Vollmer. While Bennett doesn’t have to record a bunch of sacks to be effective, if he wins his individual battle it will go a long way towards helping the Seahawks lift a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy.

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Wide Receiver

Tom Brady loves spreading the ball around, and Brandon LaFell was a huge beneficiary this season. After being limited to just 11 catches over his first five games, LaFell became a go-to target for Brady thereafter as he hauled in 63 passes the rest of the way. The Patriots love going to him in long-yardage situations (49 of his 74 receptions came when they needed 10-plus yards for a first down), which, given the quality of Seattle’s defense, they’ll likely see in the Super Bowl. If New England looks for a big play to the outside, this is the man they’ll target.

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: Wide Receiver

After hauling in the game-winning touchdown last week, Jermaine Kearse has certainly gotten a lot of attention. However, the touchdown last week was also his only reception of the game despite being targeted by Russell Wilson six times, and Kearse again figures to be a primary target of the Seattle quarterback. With the Patriots likely stacking the line to prevent big games on the ground from Wilson and Lynch, Kearse is going to have multiple one-on-one chances in the secondary. Whether he can turn those chances into receptions and big plays will play a huge role in the success of Seattle’s passing game.

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Defensive End

Defensive end Rob Ninkovich will draw perhaps the most important job on New England’s defense: containing Russell Wilson. Ninkovich has emerged from relative obscurity to become a staple of the Pats’ defense in recent years, recording exactly 8.0 sacks for three straight seasons (leading the team in two of them). With Wilson especially dangerous on the run, Ninkovich is going to need to seal off the edge and keep the versatile quarterback safely in the pocket. In passing situations he’ll also be relied upon to pressure Wilson along with Chandler Jones, something the Patriots started to improve upon against Indianapolis (no sacks, but pressure on 47 percent of Andrew Luck’s dropbacks).

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: Linebacker

Often tasked with covering the opposing team’s tight ends, K.J. Wright has drawn one of the toughest matchups of his career: Rob Gronkowski. The ubiquitous Gronk is often the focal point of the Patriots’ passing attack—a wrecking ball of a human being too big to be covered by a defensive back but too fast to be covered by a linebacker. Wright will have some help behind him in Kam Chancellor, but more often than not it’s going to be up to the fourth year man whether Gronk succeeds or goes quiet on the big stage.

Team: New England Patriots

Position: Safety

A free agent-to-be, Devin McCourty has been a revelation since moving full-time from cornerback to safety. He is now a security blanket in the back of the Patriots’ secondary. His play has been strong all season, and New England’s group of defensive backs would seem to have an advantage over Seattle’s average receiving corps. However, with fellow safety Patrick Chung likely stepping up to help slow the run, it will be up to McCourty to prevent big plays over the top, like the game-winning bomb Russell Wilson threw to Jermaine Kearse in the NFC Championship game. A big day for McCourty could translate to a huge payday this offseason.

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: Offensive Tackle

Russell Okung doesn’t just protect Russell Wilson’s blind side; he sets up all of those read option runs off tackle that the Seahawks have basically mastered. The Patriots likely know this, too, and that makes it even more important that Okung be ready to handle the variety of looks New England will likely throw at him, most often with talented young defensive end Chandler Jones. Okung’s ability to seal off that outside edge and keep Wilson’s jersey clean will make a huge impact on the final result.