4 Reasons the Seattle Seahawks Will Win Super Bowl XLIX

The Shut-Down Pass Defense

Everybody knows of Richard Sherman, but the Seattle secondary is much more than just a single cornerback.

The Seahawks ranked third in the league in pass defense, per our metrics, and although some felt they feasted on sub-par competition, they were actually just really, really good this year. The Patriots' pass offense ranked fifth in the league, per our metrics, and slowing down this passing attack will be crucial for Seattle to keep the New England offense off the field.

Even though it took a very improbable comeback to defeat the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks held Aaron Rodgers to just 171 yards on 34 attempts, intercepting him twice, once on a glorious Sherman interception in the end zone, and another by Byron Maxwell on the Seattle 26 yardline.

They haven't allowed a 300-yard passer all season -- including the post-season -- and have allowed just four games with more than 240 yards passing. New England's biggest threat on offense is the pass, and Seattle has the recipe to stifle it. The Pats should be able to complete passes underneath, but big plays might be hard to find.