The matchup that will decide the Super Bowl

If the Patriots win the Super Bowl over the Seahawks, it's likely that their dynamic duo of interior pass rushers had something to do with it.

Milton Williams and Christian Barmore have as much of a right as anyone to play the "disrespect" card ahead of Sunday's matchup with Seattle. Anyone predicting a Seahawks blowout (if you're on social media or pay attention to predictions, there are a lot of them) or overlooking the Patriots entirely is effectively predicting this pair to be a non-factor. That has been a rarity this season.

The Pats are 13-2 this season with both Williams and Barmore on the active roster, and at least one of them generated at least four total pressures in 10 of those 15 games (via Pro Football Focus). In those 10 contests, the Pats went 9-1. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation when it comes to the Patriots' record, considering quarterback Drake Maye's MVP-caliber season and Mike Vrabel's significant impact as head coach. But the Patriots' defensive prowess when they have both interior rushers on the field can't be denied.

The guys they'll have to get through on Seattle's interior offensive line are no slouches, either. Left guard Grey Zabel has developed from first-round pick into one of the better players at his position, while center Jalen Sundell has emerged as a solid starting center from the 2024 undrafted free agent pool. Right guard Anthony Bradford (six total pressures allowed in the NFC Championship Game) may be the weak link for the Pats to attack.

Seattle will have its hands full handling Williams and Barmore up front, as every opponent has throughout the season. They've been a true "pick your poison" duo, as double-teaming one typically opens up plays for the other. And if they overcommit to making sure neither can disrupt the offense, that could clear the runway for the rest of the defense.

"We talked about that when I first got here, our defense is going as far as we take them," Williams said of himself and Barmore. "We can cause a lot of problems up front, knowing that they've got to double one of us, and somebody's got a 1-on-1. You're 1-on-1, make sure you've got to win, it's non-negotiable. You've got to get it done, no matter who you're lined up on.

"But it also helps our team to free up other guys get 1-on-1s on the outside or keep our linebackers clean trying to come down the field, safeties coming down. We're taking up four blockers, somebody's free. So, the ball comes to, you just make a play when it comes to you."

Williams isn't wrong. In the four games this season that he and Barmore combined for three or fewer total pressures, edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson led the team in pressures, and he had at least four in three of those games.

The Patriots also have a challenge in front of them to slow down Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's largely zone-based running scheme, especially early in the game, as the 'Hawks look to get out to an early lead and seize control. The Pats ranked 12th in EPA per play on runs between the tackles (via Next Gen Stats).

"On film, they look like a team that is playing with a lot of heart right now. They're really good football players, to start with. From top to bottom," Zabel said Monday of the Patriots. "And the way they're playing, I think it's gonna be a really good challenge in the run game. They've been doing an unbelievable job of stopping the run."

Ultimately, the Seahawks will have to hope they can win with their ground game, because they could be in trouble if they have to depend on quarterback Sam Darnold to protect the ball under pressure. Among 33 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks under pressure this season, Darnold did post the seventh-best passer rating at 79.5 (Drake Maye was third at 92.7). But he was also tied for the most interceptions (8), had the most passes batted at the line (8), and posted PFF's sixth-worst fumble grade. Darnold can get rid of the ball under pressure, but it's a question of where it's going and who gets their hands on it.

Key for the Patriots will be to force third-and-long, with Williams and Barmore literally at the center of that. Because the Seahawks ranked 31st in the NFL this season with a 16.8% conversion rate on third-and-long, while the Pats allowed the lowest conversion rate in the league at 15.4%. Stopping the run is always important on defense, but considering these particular matchups, it takes on added importance for the guys in white and nautical blue.

If the Seahawks can block both Williams and Barmore, and generally limit the damage up front while keeping Darnold upright and clean, they'll have a great chance to control the game and end up with the win. If Williams and Barmore wreak havoc, it's going to be a challenge for Darnold to move the ball. And it very well could decide the Super Bowl. Regardless of what happens, Williams isn't lacking for confidence.

"We're gonna have our work cut out for us on Sunday," he said, "but like I say every week, I like our chances."