Super Bowl 49 will take place in Glendale, Arizona, with the Seattle Seahawks facing the New England Patriots.  Seattle is the defending champion, after defeating the Denver Broncos last year.

Seattle has had a rough road getting on top, with some saying they have been both hot and cold. After losing to Dallas early in the season they ended their two-year home winning streak. The next week on the road, they lost to the Rams in week seven. Then, they traded away star wide receiver Percy Harvin due to “locker room issues.” However, they have now figured out a way to get back on track, not losing since week 11 with Doug Baldwin turning into a very good wide receiver.

Seattle battled their way to make a comeback and push the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers. They went on to win 28-22 in overtime. After that game it might be safe to call them the dark horse.

Seattle leads on the offensive thanks to quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson is the second African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Wilson is also the third lowest paid quarterback to win the Super Bowl, only making $662,434 last year. He was even the lowest paid quarterback on the Seattle roster last year, behind Tarvaris Jackson at $1.25 million and Terrelle Pryor at $705,000.

The injuries for Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch and cornerback Richard Sherman are huge factors in this game. Marshawn Lynch seems to be ready, although he has been battling a back injury all year. The Seahawks will need him if they want to win this game. With 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns, Lynch lead Seattle to be first in the league in rushing yards this year. Richard Sherman also suffered an elbow injury in the NFC championship game. Sherman, along with Seattle’s secondary cornerback Byron Maxwell, and safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, known as the Legion of Boom, have led Seattle to number one in the league for passing yards allowed.

On the other hand, the Patriots’ play on the field has been largely overshadowed by  “Deflategate.” The NFL has determined that 11 of 12 of the Patriots’ footballs used in the AFC championship game were found to be under deflated by about two pounds per square inch. This has caused huge outrage because many believe they did this on purpose.

This wouldn’t be the first time trouble discredited a Patriots win. In 2008, the Patriots had been caught videotaping practices and walkthroughs of a few teams. As a result, head coach Bill Belichick was fined and they lost a draft pick.

It’s no secret that the Patriots are good. This is Tom Brady’s sixth Super Bowl, which is the most of any quarterback ever.  After defeating the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC championship, they appear more than ready to win another Super Bowl.

Although the Patriots defense has greatly improved, they will still rely on Brady and tight end Rob Gronskowski to win this game. If the Seahawks can stop Tom Brady, they can win, but if they can’t get to Brady then the Patriots will be victorious.

Seattle is a two and a half point favorite in the game, but it’s very hard to call this one.

The Super Bowl is not just a football game anymore. Many around the world watch the game for things such as the halftime performance. This year, Katy Perry will do the singing. This came as a huge surprise due to the facts that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated early in the year that he would like the halftime performer to pay to perform. Katy Perry was very publicly against this. However, she has done many interviews after taking the job saying she did not pay for the Super Bowl. Perry has already announced rocker and actor Lenny Kravitz will join her on stage. Rumors also tell us that there might be live animals in the performance so the audience may actually hear a “Roar.”

Super Bowl commercials are a huge part of the experience. Commercials are slated for companies like KIA, GoDaddy, Doritos, Carnival Cruise line, BMW, Bud Light, Victoria’s Secret, and Sprint, among many others.

All of these factors go into making the Super Bowl the most watched television event every year.