MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady vs. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas
Brady
The Patriots quarterback likes to spread the ball around to his receivers. When he breaks the huddle, he’ll be looking for free safety Earl Thomas to try to determine what the coverage is. Brady should expect a lot of physical man-to-man coverage. He won’t shy away from cornerback Richard Sherman. Brady will throw to the running backs to move the chains. If he can avoid pressure from the Seahawks’ front four, he’ll have time to find his receivers.
Thomas
The free safety is the last line of defense for the Seahawks. He has so much speed and intelligence that they can play a single high safety, and he has enough range to cover the entire field. If he’s close to the line of scrimmage, Tom Brady will count on him blitzing. If Thomas is deep and Brady wants to go down the field, he’ll try play-action to get Thomas to bite on the fake. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman vs. Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell
Sherman
Sherman, left, is the best cornerback in the NFL. He’s 6-foot-3, and he can run. What makes him so effective is that he’s physical, and he has supreme confidence in his ability to provide man-to-man coverage. He’s tall enough to match up with any wideout. He can turn and run with fast receivers, and he has tremendous ball skills. Not many receivers are going to take the ball away from him. Sometimes he’ll bite on fakes or get caught looking into the backfield.
LaFell
LaFell is 6-3 and matches Sherman’s height. In his first season with the Patriots, LaFell caught 74 passes for 953 yards and seven touchdowns. If Sherman tries to jam him, LaFell will use moves to knock down his hands and get off the ball. He’ll try to fake Sherman into going the wrong direction. When he has a chance to make the catch, LaFell has to produce. Brady may try to test Sherman deep by throwing to LaFell.