Gronk vs. Legion of Boom among five things to watch at Super Bowl XLIX

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

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Five things to watch in Super Bowl XLIX:

1. Can the Patriots silence Beast Mode?

What makes Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch special is that he can not only run you over head-on, but sideways. Few players have such lateral power, even while making a cut. Lynch's balance is remarkable, too. The New England Patriots want to eat up blockers with their defensive line and let their linebackers make plays, putting the pressure on Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins, among others, to keep Lynch from popping the big one. One missed tackle can change everything.

2. How do the Seahawks handle Gronk?

TE Rob Gronkowski is the Patriots' best offensive weapon and one of the most unique matchup threats in the NFL. He's 6-6 and 265 pounds of lumber who's happy to blast his way through a jam to get into his route. The Seahawks have a big strong safety in Kam Chancellor who can run, but it's probably oversimplifying to project that as a 1-on-1 matchup. Depending where he's lined up, Gronkowski could see OLB K.J. Wright or any of the Seahawks' corners, too. Seattle has to keep him from wrecking the game.

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3. Can Russell Wilson escape?

One thing the Packers did well in the NFC Championship Game was force Wilson to pass from the pocket, rather than slipping out and making plays once things broke down. Green Bay played a lot of man coverage on the outside, and the Seahawks receivers struggled to shake clean in pattern. The Patriots have to like the matchups there with CBs Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner against the likes of Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, but those guys know how to uncover in the scramble drill. Preventing Wilson from extending plays is paramount.

4. How will the New England tackles hold up?

Patriots QB Tom Brady is a lot of things. A nimble athlete is not one of them. The Seahawks have just three sacks through two playoff games, but the combination of rushers they can bring from different angles — DL Michael Bennett, DE Cliff Avril, OLB Bruce Irvin and OLB O'Brien Schofield, among others — can cause problems. Patriots LT Nate Solder and RT Sebastian Vollmer have their hands full not only in protection, but helping RB LeGarrette Blount keep the offense on schedule and stay out of those favorable pass-rush situations.

5. Is this a home game for the Seahawks?

Walking around the Phoenix area in recent days, it was hard not to come away with the impression this has turned into Seattle South. Fans in Seahawks gear seem to be everywhere. And while University of Phoenix Stadium isn't going to be as loud as CenturyLink Field, it could be an even more pro-Seattle crowd than last year at MetLife Stadium, where Seahawks fans more than made their presence felt as the tide quickly shifted in their favor against the doomed Denver Broncos.

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