Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Super Bowl memories adorn Seahawks-Patriots
Teams clash for first time since ’15 final
The last time the Seahawks and Patriots were on the same field, Malcolm Butler was making a Super Bowl-saving play for New England. His goal-line interception robbed Seattle of a rare second straight NFL crown and gave Tom Brady his record-tying fourth in the Super Bowl era.
They meet Sunday (5:30 p.m., KSNV-3) in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with both in solid position to chase another championship, the Patriots (7-1) more so than the Seahawks (5-2-1).
Butler certainly doesn’t mind seeing highlights of his interception, something NBC undoubtedly will do more than once.
“You know, it always does whenever I think back on it,” Butler says of smiling at the remembrance. “But that’s not going to help us win this game. This is bigger than me. It’s about this team. And that play will not help us Sunday night. So we got to be ready to play.”
Since Tom Brady returned from his four-game suspension, he’s been as ready as at any time of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. He recalls the 2015 Super Bowl as being “in a tough spot against a great, great football team and we pulled it out.”
“It took every blade of grass on that field to keep them from scoring. In 2014, they were an incredible team.”
Seattle isn’t incredible right now, but the Seahawks tend to build throughout the season. A win at New England will be a major step in that process.
“Everything that you go through gives you a chance to learn, so we certainly go back and watch all that stuff and how they looked at us and how we looked at them,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says of that bitter Super Bowl loss.
DENVER (6-3) AT NEW ORLEANS (4-4) 10 A.M., KLAS-8
Another top defense — Denver is fourth overall, No. 1 against the pass — going up against a dangerous offense. Drew Brees, having another sensational season, leads the NFL’s best passing attack.
“You look at it, and you’re like, ‘another top offense,’” Broncos linebacker Shane Ray says. “But it’s another opportunity to be great. It’s another opportunity to go out and compete against someone that is looked at as the best. It’s a challenge we want every week.”
New Orleans rekindled its running game a week ago against San Francisco, rushing for a season-high 248 yards. Mark Ingram rushed for 158 yards, including a career-long 75-yard TD.
GREEN BAY (4-4) AT TENNESSEE (4-5) 10 A.M., KVVU-5
It might seem shocking that the Titans have the higher-ranked offense than the Packers, and it’s not really close.
The key here is whether DeMarco Murray, second in the NFL with 807 yards rushing and tied for second with nine total TDs, can get going against the league’s stingiest rush defense.
This is the start of a threegame road trip that could make or break Green Bay’s season.
DALLAS (7-1) AT PITTSBURGH (4-4) 1 P.M., KVVU-5
The Cowboys seek an eighth straight victory, which would tie their 1977 team for the longest single-season winning streak in club history. That team won the Super Bowl. This one has gained at least 400 yards in a franchise-record six consecutive games.
Players to watch are two of the game’s best targets. Dallas tight end Jason Witten needs five receptions to pass Andre Johnson for ninth on all-time list (1,062). Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is 12 receptions from passing Heath Miller for second on the franchise list (592).