Parity. Through my early adulthood, this was an ugly word in the world of pro football. While the vision of former NFL Commi sioner Paul Tagliabue, it often seemed like code for "mediocrity." A bunch of teams, evenly matched, not too bad, not too good, vying for the Lombardi Trophy -- with the hottest team (not the best team) taking home the silver lady all too often. The 2012 come to mind. So do the 2011 . The 2010 were a wild-card team. And why don't we throw in the 2007 while we're at it? We can keep going. Those 2006 , who , weren't as good as that year's . The 2005 were a sixth seed. Obviously these clubs deserved to win. They played who was in front of them and handled their busine s. It's not the ' fault that both Denver and New England didn't play their best in the postseason -- or that . Much like it wasn't the -led ' fault that in the 2010 playoffs. Of course, parity means that it's unlikely we'll see the -- or any other team -- suffer through 12 straight years of double-digit lo ses. Thank goodne s. Every team has a chance in this day and age, and that's a good thing. Yet, forgive me if I am excited that the NFC's best is facing the AFC's best on the big stage for the second year in a row. I'm all for quality. Quick question for you: Tim Wright Jim-Kelly Clervoyant (@JimKellyC) Wait, but he's playing the -- -- on Sunday, right? : So who is MVP of SB49? Non quarterback? Future Eagle Byron Maxwell #DutchDestroyer (@_Philly_Talk) Dude, free agency is over a month away. (Offseason? There is no "off"-season in the NFL.) You'll see my pick for MVP below. (Yeah, it's a little off the grid, too.) Would love to hear your take (about that, and the long-held prognostication): is the place. Now, let's get to it! Elliot Harrison went 2-0 on , giving him a record of 180-85-1 so far this Ryder Ryan Jersey season. How will he fare on Sunday? His pick is below. Plenty of matchups intrigue in this game, but the one I keep hearing about the most -- vs. -- might have little in the way of relevance. I sincerely doubt that those two will get locked up one-on-one very much. If they do, advantage . That said, there are several potential battles in XLIX that promise to go beyond intrigue and straight into determining outcome. To name a few crucial ones ... **a)** The New England front seven's ability to slow enough (i.e., fewer than 85 yards) to force to move the ball with his legs and receivers. **b)** How often is forced by the ' pa s rush/coverage to throw short -- and inherently, face third down after third down. **c)** Who spies Wilson on pa sing downs? , who is a heckuva an athlete, seems like a prime candidate. And if he can fulfill this duty, we might be looking at an evening where Wilson must win by throwing from the pocket. **d)** The ' interior defensive line vs. fatigue, a better opponent and . 's return to good health in late November was a huge boon for Seattle's defense, but the lo ses of and up front have affected the run D. Now the 'Hawks must rely on (age 30) and (34) with seriously limited depth behind them. **e)** How much separation and manage to get on the ' secondary. At some point, much like in the , they are going to have to make plays. can remove one of them from the game. Kearse won't be able to push off on like he has against smaller corners (SEE: ). And actually had himself a day in . Yep, those are the matchups I'm watching. Usually, you will hear much rhetoric about how turnovers are the key factor. This is football: Obviously TOs loom larger than . Well, forget that. OK, what I mean to say is merely that, while turnover diff influences many a title game, these two clubs don't produce many takeaways, and they don't give the ball away, either (whether it's deflated or inflated). New England was middle-of-the-pack in takeaways, the 21st. And both were in the top three in the league in terms of fewest giveaways. Brady has thrown two picks over the middle this postseason while trying to force the ball to Gronk. I fully expect the to bracket the mismatch nightmare with a linebacker underneath and safety over the top -- yes, sometimes Chancellor. But if Gronk starts going off, why wouldn't the put on him, leave on the left side and make the Pats' wideouts beat them? Whatever the case, I just don't see Gronkowski being the star of this game. Put me down for Collins, who will pick Wilson on a play when the QB doesn't see him dropping into the lane, add a sack and make several stops in ground support. Another year, ... New England wins XLIX over Seattle. Which is what . It should be a beaut. Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter . Jason Kendall Jersey