FOXBORO -- Three of Seattle's starting four defensive backs are 6-foot-3 or taller.
That presents a much-different look for any offense in the NFL. And this Sunday, it will be no different, as the Patriots travel to the West Coast to take on the Seahawks.
"These guys are long, they're big," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Wednesday. "They're extremely long, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 corners. You just don't see those very often. And to see them on one team, they're just hard to get away from. They're big, they're physical. They take up a lot of space. A lot of guys are just not used to working against that size player, 220-pound corners. There's not a lot of them out there. I think that's a challenge, because it's a little bit unique. They're also good tacklers, good run-force players."
Safety Kam Chancellor and cornerback Richard Sherman are both 6-foot-3, while cornerback Brandon Browner is 6-foot-4.
Belichick believes they use that size to their advantage, and don't run the most complicated defensive schemes in the world. because they stick to what they do so well, he also believes that Tom Brady's no-huddle offense won't change the Seahawks' defensive schemes too much.
"For the quarterback, it's hard, because it's no different than playing against a taller middle linebacker, a guy like Urlacher or somebody like that in there at 6-4, 6-5 in the middle of the field," said Belichick. "Their range and their height just makes those throws in the middle a little tougher. Well, when you're throwing the ball outside on a 6-2,-6-4 corner, it's a little different deal, getting it over on him . . . It's just a much bigger guy."