Football players aren't the only ones that deal with distractions. The news cycle can be a distraction. can be a distraction. In the aftermath of New England's deflated ball scandal, I've been too distracted to fully appreciate the best matchup in ages. It's a game between two absolute powerhouses with contrasting styles. It's a game with almost too much historical weight for one game to bear. The game also looks impo sibly close to call. said this could be the closest matchup ever. In 50,000 game simulations, the won 50.5 percent of the time. The won 49.5 percent. In conversations all week, the biggest football heads all feel like they have no feel of who will win this game. All of the hype and nonsense of the last two weeks eventually ends with a game worthy of all those millions of eyeballs. Bill Belichick admitted he was "embarra sed" by the time about ball deflation. I'm embarra sed by how much I'm looking forward to this game. Why the Patriots will win We've established that both teams could come out on top Sunday. In an annual exercise of mine that started the last time the played in Phoenix, let's look at a few reasons why each team will pull it off. The Wilson stoppers , and are the that Bill Belichick has been searching for since Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Willie McGinest left town. This defense is not nearly as stout as their early title times, but they are more athletic and fit perfectly into this pa s-happy era. Jones, Hightower, and Collins can move around their formations. Hightower and Collins can cover or blitz. They love to line up in the "A gaps" and they will force Wilson to identify every snap where pre sure is coming from. Along with , they are the right group to slow down Wilson's athleticism. This is in Alex Anzalone Jersey part because they know they are covered on the back end. A deeper secondary was playing cornerback the last time the were in in the . Now he's a top-15 NFL receiver. The offseason acquisitions of , , and have transformed the team's back end. Perhaps it's just the combination of Revis and eraser safety , two players that make those around them better. Belichick said this week that from watching Pete Carroll. The secondary certainly owes a thing or two in style to the Legion of Boom or the old physical groups led by Ty Law. Their effectivene s on the back end allows Belichick to get more creative because he has the players to pull it off. A balanced backfield and do not add up to , but they are good enough to win a title. Blount is coming off the most inspired performance of his career. His AFC Championship game was not simply about blocking or a soft opponent; Blount repeatedly made defenders mi s or dragged them for extra yardage. He has more yards after contact than Lynch in the playoffs. Vereen has 99 catches over the last two seasons, a worthy heir to the Kevin Faulk role in the offense. The , , , and all had succe s running on Seattle following 's injury. The aren't quite as stout when plays inside, with and flying up the field on the outside. A nimbler Brady Looking over my notes from the season, the most surprising repeat scribbling concerned 's footwork and movement. There's just no denying he made more plays this season after avoiding pre sure and extending plays. He is a far cry from , but Brady's combination of getting rid of the ball quickly with improved evasivene s led to an excellent season. Brady used to be the best when it comes to pocket presence. has taken that crown, but Brady delivered more completions this year while being hit than in recent seasons. A patient offense The are not going to give up big plays, and the are not a big play offense. Brady has struggled throwing the ball deep, but New England has proven excellent at marching down the field for long scoring drives. Only the had more scoring drives over ten plays. While the can still mix up their tempo, this is not the fast-break offense of a few years ago. They aren't going for the quick kill. Against a defense like Seattle's, patience will be a virtue. Gronk is an all-time great player at his peak. His injury history hurts some of his early "best ever" arguments, but he's not injured now. He's the biggest matchup nightmare in the league and he gives the so many options on every play. He is what makes this offense go, and his health this late in the season makes this team far different than the squads that have come up short lately. Game management The scored six points just before halftime in Week 6 against Buffalo, and then seven points out of halftime. That's a 13-point run to blow open a tie game. The ran out the clock for five minutes at the end of the first half in the AFC Championship, scoring a field goal, before taking the opening drive of the second half for a touchdown. They scored 28 points in under five minutes sandwiched around halftime against Chicago. This pattern kept repeating over the course of the season, and it reminded me of the early Belichick teams. As great a coach as Pete Carroll is, Belichick still gets the edge for in-game adjustments and situational football. A final chance When I walked past the post-game party in 2012 at Victory Field in Indianapolis, I a sumed that Bill Belichick and would not get another chance at a fourth ring. Brady was in his mid-thirties and it felt like his decline showed up during an uneven performance against an uneven team. This 2014 team is much better. is a star receiver instead of filling in at cornerback for one of the worst secondaries in the league. is healthy. Chad Ochocinco is not involved. The ' opponent is vastly superior too, the most consistently that we've seen in decades. This will be a brutal test for the and a win over such a worthy opponent will only enhance their legacy. But this feels different than 2007 when the team felt joyle s, burdened by their undefeated season. It feels different than 2011 because they are playing far more complete and balanced overall, with no quietly awful defense to hide. Winning a fourth after the deflated ball me s would feel somehow appropriate for a team that started . Belichick is a man . He knows exactly what this game means. The latest Podcast and breaks down the storylines nobody is talking about. Find more content on . Kadeem Telfort Jersey