New England at Seattle
When: 6:30 PM ET, Sunday, February 1, 2015
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Patriots -1. O/U: 47.5
PREDICTION: Seahawks 24, Patriots 23
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Oddsmakers currently have the Seahawks listed as 1-point favorites versus the Patriots, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.

Seattle surrendered a total of 39 points in winning its final six regular-season contests, but Wilson showed poise beyond his years in the overtime victory against Green Bay, overcoming four interceptions to lead a pair of touchdown drives in the final four minutes to erase a 16-point halftime deficit. Wilson also is dangerous on the run, rushing for 849 yards and six scores to keep teams from becoming too preoccupied with Lynch, who amassed 157 yards and a score versus the Packers and has 48 rushing TDs in his four seasons with the Seahawks. Wilson’s top targets are Doug Baldwin (66 receptions) and Jermaine Kearse, who has one TD reception in each of the two postseason wins – including the overtime game-winner in the NFC title game. Seattle has key concerns in the secondary with All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman nursing an elbow injury and hard-hitting safety Earl Thomas dealing with an ailing shoulder.

The Seahawks were a 28-22 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Packers. They failed to cover the -8.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (50) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 14-4 SU,10-7-1 ATS
Current Streak: won 8 straight games.
Seattle is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing New England
Seattle is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing New England

New England has rolled up 80 points in its two postseason victories and prevailed in contrasting styles, erasing a pair of 14-point deficits behind 367 yards and three touchdowns from Brady to outlast Baltimore 35-31 despite a postseason record-low 14 yards rushing. Running back LeGarrette Blount, signed in November after he was cut loose by Pittsburgh, did the heavy lifting in the 45-7 drubbing of Indianapolis by rumbling for 148 yards and three touchdowns and the 250-pounder could be primed for a heavy workload against Seattle. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Brady has reliable weapons at his disposal with Julian Edelman (92 receptions) and Brandon LaFell (74 catches) complementing Gronkowski, who has 54 TD receptions in 65 career regular-season games. The Patriots’ secondary doesn’t receive the notoriety of that of Seattle, but it also features a pair of stellar cornerbacks in All-Pro Darrelle Revis and ex-Seahawk Brandon Browner.

New England won its last outing, a 45-7 result against the Colts on January 18. The Patriots covered in that game as a -7-point favorite, while the 52 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

Team record: 14-4 SU,10-8 ATS
New England is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New England’s last 8 games
New England is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Seattle
New England is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Seattle

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He never anticipated it would happen this fast.

Heading into Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Broncos, the Colts owner said Tuesday that Hollywood couldn’t have created a better script than Manning vs. Andrew Luck.

”It was my hope and dream that this sort of situation would occur. I feel blessed that it has,” Irsay said during a 30-minute news conference in Indianapolis. ”Peyton remains a really dear friend to me. We have communicated through the months. I think it’s going to be a great game and having these two great quarterbacks go against each other at this point in their careers is really exciting.”

The winner earns a ticket to the AFC Championship game. The loser heads home to contemplate what must be fixed before Round 4 of this quarterback duel takes place sometime next season.

Irsay said he and then-team president Bill Polian started discussing how and when to transition from Manning to his eventual successor in 2010. Irsay said they determined at that time that most prominent quarterbacks started declining at about age 38. Manning will turn 39 in March, and Irsay noted that Manning could defy the odds because he’s still playing at such a high level.

Those talks became more important a year later when Manning missed the entire season because of a nerve injury that weakened his right arm. Without their star quarterback, the usually strong Colts stumbled to a 2-14 mark.

Irsay was forced to decide whether to keep a potentially proficient but injured and soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback with a high salary-cap number or rebuild immediately. His answer came on the final day of the 2011 season.

”It was (Maurice Jones-Drew) that gave it to us, he reached out on that 4-yard gain and got the first down in Jacksonville and that changed our destiny,” Irsay said, referring to the play that assured Indy of having the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2012.

Two months later, Irsay made an emotional announcement that Manning and the Colts were parting ways. Even then, Irsay insisted he wanted Manning to get another shot at a Super Bowl title while the revamped Colts would attempt to put themselves back into contention.

A month later, Indy kicked off the rebuilding process by taking Luck with the top pick, and it didn’t take long for the former Colts star and the new Colts star to embark on a collision course.

Manning led the Broncos to three straight AFC West titles and last year’s Super Bowl.

Luck, meanwhile, won 33 regular-season games, reached the playoffs in each of his first three NFL seasons and captured the last two AFC South titles. In a wild-card round win last year against Kansas City, Luck engineered the second-greatest comeback in playoff history. And last weekend’s wild-card win over Cincinnati set up Sunday’s rematch with Manning’s Broncos, who won 31-24 in the season opener.

”It’s been special,” Irsay said of the Luck era. ”Obviously the Kansas City game last year was historic. Again (in Sunday’s win), 376 yards with drops and some of the throws he made, it’s incredible. That’s what we saw when he was coming out (of college).”

Manning has played well, too. He won a league record fifth MVP last season after shattering Tom Brady’s single-season record for touchdown passes (55), and he has the Broncos (12-4) back in the Super Bowl hunt.

While some contend Manning is starting to play like a 38-year-old quarterback and that his playoff history has been sub-par, Irsay doesn’t buy it.

”Peyton plays at such a high level and plays so great that people put expectations that are unrealistic because I really think whether you get one, two, three championships, a lot more is involved,” said Irsay, who reiterated he would have liked to have hoisted more than one Lombardi Trophy with Manning. ”I think he’s one of the greatest players ever to play the game at his position. He’s going to be in that conversation when you talk about it.”

He’d just rather see Luck and the Colts take this round.

”I thought we played better on Sunday and when I say that, I mean that I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet,” Irsay said. ”With the task at hand where we’re going, we’re going to have to take it to that next level. There’s no question about it.”

NOTES: The Colts put right guard Hugh Thornton on injured reserve Tuesday with a shoulder injury. Thornton was injured in the second-to-last game of the season at Dallas and hasn’t played since. Lance Louis will likely replace Thornton in the lineup for the third straight week. … Indy signed running back Michael Hill to the active roster to take Thornton’s spot.

—

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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An undrafted free agent in 2009, Ellerbe is coming off his best season, one in which he recorded career highs of 92 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

A source said the Cleveland Browns are definitely prepared to try to sign Kruger. However, they will confront intense competition from the Indianapolis Colts, who will attempt to persuade Kruger to rejoin Chuck Pagano, the former Ravens defensive coordinator and current Colts head coach.

According to a source, the Colts have targeted Kruger as the replacement for Dwight Freeney, the franchise’s career sack leader who also hits the market next week. Kruger, a 2009 second-round pick, collected a career-high nine sacks this past season.

Freeney told ESPN he has not yet decided on a list of teams to visit.

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“It wasn’t necessarily about the money. It was, at that point, about earning that respect and feeling like I was respected around here,” Flacco said Monday just minutes after signing the contract that includes $52 million in guaranteed money.

“The fact that they have made me that definitely makes me feel good about how I played and how they feel about me.”

Flacco led the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, earning MVP honors by throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

The Ravens and Flacco’s agent had been in talks for more than a year, but the agreement was reached Friday, just three days before Baltimore was set to use the franchise tag to keep him from being an unrestricted free agent.

“Joe’s a Raven in his style of play, the way he works and prepares, and the way he lives his life. He’s a significant reason we’ve been to the playoffs five years in a row, played in three AFC championship games, and now, we are the Super Bowl champs with Joe as MVP,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said in the statement announcing the extension.

Flacco said he learned about the deal while at his uncle’s house for family pizza night. He doesn’t have any big plans for the money.

“I’m not going to do anything crazy,” Flacco said. “All the celebration I can take is going out and enjoying a nice little time with the people that are close to me and looking at each other saying, ‘Man, can you believe where we are?'”

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The Baltimore Sun reported talks went fine between Flacco’s agent, Joe Litna, and Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty. Talks are expected to continue as both sides try to hammer out a deal before the March 4 deadline that teams have to use their franchise tag. If no deal is reached, Flacco is expected to be tagged.

Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he is optimistic that the team will get a long-term deal done with the quarterback. Flacco is not under contract for the coming season. The franchise tag, which would take the 28-year-old Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.

Newsome said Feb. 7 that the sides were close to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.

Flacco, who made less than $7 million last season, is expected to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Drew Brees, at an average of $20 million per season, and Peyton Manning, who made $18 million last season, currently top the pay scale for quarterbacks.

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The two sides are meeting Friday in Indianapolis at the scouting combine. Asomugha, 31, is scheduled to make $15 million, $4 million of which is guaranteed.

A three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders from 2003-10, Asomugha has been a major disappointment with the Eagles since signing a five-year, $60 million contract in 2011.

Philadelphia thought it was assembling an all-star team that would compete for the Super Bowl, but the Eagles finished 8-8 in 2011 and 4-12 last season, leading to the firing of longtime coach Andy Reid.

In addition to Asomugha, new coach Chip Kelly has a decision to make on cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

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The Ravens and Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, had been trading telephone calls in recent days to try to schedule the face-to-face negotiating session. Both sides will try to hammer out a deal before the March 4 deadline that teams have to use their franchise tag. If no deal is reached, Flacco is expected to be tagged.

Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he is optimistic that the team will get a long-term deal done with the quarterback. Flacco is not under contract for the coming season. The franchise tag, which would take the 28-year-old Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.

Newsome said Feb. 7 that the sides were close to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.

Flacco, who made less than $7 million last season, is expected to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Drew Brees, at an average of $20 million per season, and Peyton Manning, who made $18 million last season, currently top the pay scale for quarterbacks.

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The Falcons have been exerting tremendous pressure on Gonzalez to make one more Super Bowl run, and sources said he’s wavering from his intention to retire for the first time. While he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, Gonzalez said at his locker after Atlanta’s season ended in the NFC Championship Game that if he were to return he would be interested in playing only for the Falcons.

While the Falcons would certainly like to have a commitment from Gonzalez before free agency begins March 12, sources say no deadlines have been established.

Gonzalez is tempted because he knows — barring major injuries to key players — the Falcons have the talent to go deep into the postseason, and there has been no evidence to suggest his own performance has declined.

A 13-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 38 on Feb. 27, Gonzalez holds NFL records for touchdown receptions (107) and reception yards (14,268) by a tight end. He had 93 catches for 930 yards and 8 touchdowns last season.

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Gonzalez said late in the season he was 95 percent sure he would retire. He even moved that figure up to 97 percent after the Falcons won a playoff game against Seattle. After losing the NFC Championship Game to San Francisco, Gonzalez said he still intended to retire.

Dimitroff, who has been lobbying hard for Gonzalez to return for an 18th season, thinks Gonzalez’s chances of being back are a lot better than the veteran is letting on.

“Tony has done so much for us on and off the field, and I don’t believe, not stating that he would be lying to anyone, but I don’t believe the 95 percent,” Dimitroff said on “Pro Football Talk” on NBC Sports Network. “I want to believe it’s a lot closer to 50-50, to be honest with you, and we’ve had discussions.

“Obviously (Falcons coach) Mike Smith has had discussions with him. We’re all in a good place. Ultimately it’s up to Tony to decide if he wants to come back and potentially catch 100 balls again. I think it’s one of those situations that Tony was so effective for us down the stretch, and I can’t imagine that his appetite wasn’t sort of whet from his contributions in the playoffs.”

During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Dimitroff said there was no firm timetable for Gonzalez to make a decision.

“We don’t have a deadline at all,” Dimitroff said. “But let’s face it that it’s important for us to know sooner rather than later because we have to move forward on all our decision-making.”

A 13-time Pro Bowler who will turn 38 years old on Feb. 27, Gonzalez holds NFL records for touchdown receptions (107) and reception yards (14,268) by a tight end. He had 93 catches for 930 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

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Agent Joe Linta, when asked in an interview with CNBC whether Flacco should be the highest-paid quarterback, simply responded, “Yes.”

Flacco, 28, is younger than Peyton Manning ($18 million) and Drew Brees ($20 million), and, as of Sunday, has as many Super Bowl titles as each of them. Linta said those are the numbers that matter.

“When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what is the player’s body of work presently,” Linta told CNBC. “And what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five or six years.

“Joe wins on both accounts.”

Flacco passed for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Ravens’ four-game postseason run, which ended Sunday with a 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Flacco was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2008 draft and this season became the only quarterback to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons.

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