Nothing groundbreaking here: Seattle's defense is both great and well-balanced.

Their per-play run metrics ranked third in the league this year -- same as their pass defense -- and the Patriots' biggest gameplan of attacking a defense's weakness will be diminished, as the Seattle defense is equally tough to beat.

Seattle's Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play (-0.10) is the 11th-best mark of any team in the last five seasons. New England managed only 14 rushing yards on 13 attempts against the Ravens, who ranked second in run defense per our metrics, in the Divisional Round of the playoffs while playing from behind. But in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots rushed for 177 yards with a lead on the 16th-ranked Colts.

Establishing the run -- whether ahead or not -- could prove tricky for the Patriots, and the inability to grind it out (among many, many other things) cost the Packers a trip to the Super Bowl.

Even though the attention will be on the secondary in Seattle, the elite front-seven will be just as big a factor in keeping the game close and possibly swinging it in Seattle's favor.