Flynn: It'll Be Tough For Seahawks To Score Points
BOSTON (CBS) - 98.5 The Sports Hub's Ryan Johnston and Mike Flynn, filling in for Toucher & Rich, started to put DeflateGate behind them and began breaking down the Super Bowl x's and o's Monday morning.
The radio duo pointed out how Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson struggled for most of last Sunday's game against Green Bay, whose defense is not as well rounded as the Patriots.
"There's no doubt [Russell Wilson] is not Tom Brady in the pocket, so if you could limit what he can do in the running game and don't let him get to the edge out of the pass rush, I think Seattle is going to have a tough time scoring points on New England," said Flynn.
The Packers defense succeeded in keeping Wilson in the pocket, challenging him and his receivers to make plays in man coverage. Wilson threw four interceptions and was sacked five times in the game, which was salvaged late by the defending champs, overcoming a 19-7 deficit in the fourth quarter and winning in overtime.
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Although the game-winning touchdown was a 35-yard pass by Wilson, Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse was in single coverage with no safety deep.
"If you can match up on the outside to bring [strong safety] Patrick Chung closer to the box, maybe only have one safety deep because I don't think their receivers are these explosive type of guys that can beat a lot of man coverage," said Flynn.
While Wilson may have trouble throwing on Patriots cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in the air, halting the ground game of Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch will be the main priority on defense for New England. Lynch had 25 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown, and Wilson rushed for 25 yards and one touchdown last week against Green Bay.
The Sports Hub's Ryan Johnston emphasized the importance of stopping Seattle's rushing attack, citing how both recent Super Bowl losses to the New York Giants were battles for possession and low scoring.
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"Marshawn Lynch scares me in this game because I look back at the loss to the Giants in the last Super Bowl, and the Patriots had the ball less than 23 minutes that game," said Johnston.
Johnston noted that the Seahawks defense kept them in the Packers game, and limiting possessions for Brady by controlling the ball on offense seems to be a clear blueprint of success for Seattle.
"If it gets into a shootout, if Brady goes out and puts up 35 points, I don't think the Seahawks have a chance," said Johnston.
Listen below for the full discussion:
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