This is one of several NFL Super Bowl reviews that takes a look at some of the player matchups that may be essential to determining a winner in Super Bowl XLIX that takes place on Sunday the 1st of February 2015 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. In this review today, we look at RB Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks and the question of whether he can dominate in the run game going up against New England like he did against Green Bay, and then what can the Patriots do defensively to stop Lynch.
In the playoff game between the Raven and the Patriots, Baltimore was able to run against New England fairly easy, they used a simple tactic, nicknamed 1-Back Zone, and it worked well for Baltimore, and the Seahawks like to run that pattern also. In the NFL this season the Ravens were the best team at running the 1-Back Zone, which has a simple theory, but requires some talented offensive lineman to make it successful.
This accomplished as the offensive lineman on the front reach their defensive opponent, they occupy them, and get the involved in traffic away from the running back, while the backside lineman take out their defenders with cutting block. This requires that the RB with the ball have great vision and patience so the blockers can develop an opening, then the RB needs good acceleration to get through before the opening closes, and have the running talent and power to break arm tackles, and escape the reaching defenders who have the offensive linemen in their face and being taken out.
Against the Patriots the Ravens RB Forsett carried the ball some 24 times and managed 129 yards against the Patriots, while 16 of the carries where 1-Back Zone plays as he broke tackles and on those 16 carries made 90 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Thus in this Super Bowl game the New England Patriots will be up against Seattle who also has one of the best 1-Back Zone running teams in the NFL, with RB Lynch who is considered the best in the NFL running that patter among others.
This season the Patriots were 19th in the NFL in allowing rushing yards after 1st contact at 1.95, and Lynch averaged 2.75 yards per rush after contact, and had a total of 771 yards after contact, and per game averaged 6.25 yards after contact.
This Super Bowl game will provide a interesting game with game as the contest become more heated, primarily in the 2nd half of this Super Bowl game. In the Patriots game with the Ravens they did better against the zone scheme offense, especially on plays where their defensive scheme shot linebacker and defensive linemen into the gaps and penetrating the backfield of the Ravens. Thus, they will more than likely use a similar scheme against the Seahawks, on what they conceive as running downs.
So if you bet on NFL football at an offshore sportsbook then take into consideration that throughout the season, the New England Patriots adjustments in the 2nd half of their season games were good adjustments and worked for the most part all of the 2014 season, as they ranked 5th in the NFL for allowing only 41.7 yards per game.