Key matchups that will decide Super Bowl LX
· Yahoo Sports
The New England Patriots will try to complete their Cinderella season when facing the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on Sunday.
This game will be all about the matchups and which team does the better job of exploiting those areas to their benefit. It has been an ugly road to the Super Bowl for New England, but they have continuously found ways to win throughout the playoffs.
Three top-five defenses, bad weather and high altitude on the road—they have stared down the barrel of one of the toughest and most unpredictable runs ever. Has that prepared them enough to knock off the Seahawks and win a seventh Lombardi Trophy for the franchise?
Here are the key matchups that will decide Super Bowl LX:
Christian Gonzalez vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
If this were a boxing match, the A-side of the ticket would be Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez matching up with Seahawks First-Team All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Gonzalez was snubbed as an All-Pro this season, but it's clear that he's one of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the NFL.
Seeing him match wits with Smith-Njigba, who just torched the Los Angeles Rams defense for 153 yards and one touchdown, is a heavyweight matchup for the ages. Gonzalez doesn't have to put Smith-Njigba on an island. The hope from a Patriots standpoint would be slowing him down enough to force somebody else on Seattle's offense to beat them.
Patriots interior OL vs. Seahawks interior DL
One of the scarier matchups for the Patriots will be their interior offensive line battling with a Seahawks defensive line that has shown the ability to generate consistent pressure up the middle. Most notably, Patriots rookie left guard Jared Wilson, who has been up-and-down at points this season, could find himself dealing with Byron Murphy II, who has been one of the league's most disruptive playmakers on defense.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye's strength is escaping up the middle when things break down in the pocket. He would have a hard time doing that if Wilson, Garrett Bradbury and Mike Onwenu struggle against the Seahawks' defense.
Kayshon Boutte vs. Seahawks CBs
The Patriots should have opportunities to push the ball downfield against the Seahawks' defense. They won't be playing in a blizzard or a rain shower this time around, and they'll be facing a Seahawks team that's gettable on the backend of the defense.
Things could get really interesting if Boutte gets one-on-one matchups with Tariq Woolen or Josh Jobe. Also, as talented as Devon Witherspoon is as a player, he isn't Patrick Surtain II or Derek Stingley Jr. The Patriots don't want to test it too much, but don't expect them to shy away from that matchup.
Don't sleep on Mack Hollins in this matchup, either. Teams get so worried about Boutte that Hollins turns into the Patriots' best downfield threat in games.
Seahawks interior OL vs. Patriots interior DL
The strength of the Patriots' defense, outside of the secondary, is their defensive front. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore have formulated arguably the best defensive tackle duo in the NFL. They are game-wreckers in the trenches, and they'll be facing a Seahawks team that has some real weaknesses on the interior part of its offensive line. Not enough people are discussing how this matchup could potentially decide the game. If the Patriots have a puncher's chance, they are facing a team susceptible to their best punch.
Sam Darnold vs. Zak Kuhr
Can Patriots defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr remind Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold what ghosts look like in the pocket? That's one of the biggest questions heading into Super Bowl LX.
Darnold had his best game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and many have been quick to say he's a completely different quarterback. Look, Darnold is playing better football now than he has in his entire NFL run. With that said, he turned the ball over more than any other quarterback this season, and quite frankly, the Rams' defense has been on a serious decline in recent months.
The Patriots are legitimately a top-five NFL defense, and Darnold hasn't faced that yet in these playoffs.
Drake Maye vs. Seahawks defensive front
It's no secret that Drake Maye needs to play better for the Patriots to win this game. The Seahawks don't have superstar edge rushers, but they have a strong defensive front capable of shutting down the run and consistently pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
Like Darnold, Maye will have to avoid becoming a turnover machine when things break down around him. The Patriots need him to make plays, but more importantly, they need him to know when to push the abort button when a play isn't there.
Mike Vrabel vs. Mike Macdonald
The Patriots have experience on their side in this matchup.
Granted, Mike Vrabel has never coached in a Super Bowl, but he has won three Super Bowls. Couple that experience with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has won six Super Bowls with the Patriots, and it's clear who has the edge in the coaching department.
This is Mike Macdonald's first rodeo, and he'll be entering the game as the favorite. All of the pressure is on Seattle to beat a Patriots team that is well ahead of schedule in its rebuild. Vrabel out-coached Sean Payton in the AFC Championship Game. Will he do the same to Macdonald in the Super Bowl?
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Key matchups that will decide Super Bowl LX