Super Bowl XLIX: Expert picks & predictions

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SEATTLE (NEWS1130) – After two weeks of hype, the Super Bowl is finally upon us.

With the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots preparing for Super Bowl XLIX, the expert panel at Sportsnet provided their predictions for how the final game of the NFL season will play out.

Our NFL expert panel consists of Jordan-Heath RawlingsGeoff LoweCraig BattleJustin Dunk and Jeff Simmons.

Who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy?

Jordan Heath-Rawlings, NFL Editor/Deputy Editor
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks 
The Score: 27-24
Super Bowl MVP: Russell Wilson

The Breakdown: This won’t be easy — but the Seahawks get it done. With the Patriots stable of smaller receivers locked down by the Legion of Boom, and Rob Gronkowski covered by Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner, the ball ends up in the hands of LeGarrette Blount, whose punishing inside running gets the Patriots into the game. While the Pats try to grind the Seahawks down in three- and four-yard chunks, Seattle relies on explosive plays to put up their points. The lock-down ability of Darrelle Revis is limited by the lack of a true No. 1 receiver for him to check. After establishing that he’s willing to look everywhere on the field — throwing to Doug Baldwin, Jevon Kearse, Ricardo Lockette and Canadian Luke Willson — Wilson starts working in some read-option to keep the Pats off balance.

With New England up 24-20 and trying to kill the clock, Thomas flies to the ball and strips Blount, giving Seattle possession at midfield with about three minutes left. With 54 seconds left on the clock, Wilson fakes a screen pass and takes off in the other direction, running it in himself from 16 yards out with the winning points. Despite only throwing for 195 yards, Wilson takes home the MVP award — thanks to his rushing totals of 85 yards and a touchdown.

Geoff Lowe, Associate Editor
The Pick: New England Patriots 
The Score: 30-21
Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady

The Breakdown: The difference is going to be in the secondary, but not the way you think. If there’s one group of defenders that could shut down Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, it’s the Legion of Boom. But the L.O.B. isn’t 100 percent, with the best cornerback and safety in the game nursing injuries.

Meanwhile, with physical former Seahawk Browner on one side and the smothering Revis on the other – and both healthy – the Patriots defence has the ability to do to Wilson what Green Bay did in the first half of the NFC title game: keep him contained and shut him down.

While it’s hard to bet against Sherman, Thomas and company, I’m going to do just that. Wilson will struggle to get going against a well-prepared defence, while Brady and Gronkowski will take advantage of a banged-up Seahawks secondary on the way to a big game in Arizona.

Justin Dunk, NFL Writer
The Pick: New England Patriots 
The Score: 24-17
Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady

The Breakdown: When the Sportsnet panel made predictions for the 2014 NFL season I picked New England to win the Super Bowl and I won’t deviate from that choice now. New England should be able to smash the football down the throat of an undersized Seattle defensive front with power runner Blount. And Gronkowski will be a nightmare for the Legion of Boom.

On the other side of the ball, Revis, Browner and the Patriots secondary has the capability to lock down a rather pedestrian group of receivers. That will leave extra manpower to play in the box to slow down Marshawn Lynch and, most important of all, containing Wilson.

Bill Belichick and Brady will snap a two-game Super Bowl losing streak and hoist the Lombardi Trophy together for the fourth time.

Craig Battle, Senior Editor
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks 
The Score: 29-13
Super Bowl MVP: Russell Wilson

The Breakdown: Having gotten their sloppy play out of the way and been through this ringer just a year ago, Seattle will be the more composed team. They’ll play to their strengths on offence — gaining ground on the edges and taking the occasional shot downfield to keep the Patriots guessing — while making Brady incredibly uncomfortable with their defence. If Wilson, who emerged this season as the NFL’s best running threat at the quarterback position, punches one in on the ground as well as through the air, he’ll get the MVP.

Jeff Simmons, Staff Writer
The Pick: Seattle Seahawks 
The Score: 27-23
Super Bowl MVP: Marshawn Lynch

The Breakdown: Initially, I was prepared to pick New England. The thought of Brady and Belichick with two weeks to prepare plus the added motivation of Deflategate had me favouring the Patriots. But as the week has gone on, my gut has shifted back towards Seattle. The Seahawks are bigger, faster, and more physical and when all is equal, the best defence tends to come out on top.

In this case, however, it’s not the defence that helps separate Seattle. It’s Lynch. New England allowed an average of 158 rushing yards in the team’s four losses, and struggled to defend runs out of the power formation all year long. Lynch wears down the New England defence in the fourth quarter and helps the Seahawks pull away to secure its second straight championship.

The media will just love Beast Mode’s MVP press conference, won’t they?

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