PHOENIX - The sideshow is over, which means Marshawn Lynch can go back to not talking and this realization can become obvious again: The Seattle Seahawks are still the best defensive team in football. Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey .And as we saw in last years Super Bowl, defence still usually wins.Weve got a lot of big-name guys, but you would never know because they work like theyre just average players, Seattle linebacker Bruce Irvin said.They never let the starting get to their head and I think thats the biggest difference. Guys always come to work ready to work. I think that separates us from a lot of teams that we practice our tails off. We bust our butts during the week so when Sunday comes its much easier.Therein lays the challenge in Seattles attempt on Sunday to become the first team in a decade to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles facing New England. For as important a role as Lynch might end up playing, whether Seattle is lifting a second straight Lombardi Trophy will be dictated by its defence.The outcome is certainly deeper than just how Seattle plays defensively. Has Seattle fully recovered emotionally from the NFC title game and its remarkable comeback against Green Bay just to get to the Super Bowl?Can Russell Wilson be an effective passer against a New England secondary that with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner is far better than the one Wilson faced as a rookie? And where is Lynchs head after a week where he was the centre of attention?The difference is Seattles defence has shown its capable of overcoming those problems to win games.The only evidence needed is what the Seahawks did in the NFC championship game. Three times in the first half the Packers took possession inside the Seattle 35 and came away with only nine points. That defence allowed the Seahawks to hang around long enough to post its late rally.There is a reason Seattle is being mentioned in the same category as the Purple People Eaters, the Steel Curtain, and the Monsters of the Midway.They have accomplished statistical feats that havent been seen in nearly 30 years. The best scoring defence. The best at stopping the pass. The best overall.All they need is another Super Bowl title to add credence to their status.People hate us because, you know, when you talk a lot of smack, people usually hate you, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said. But when you talk a lot of smack and you back it up, they hate you even more.So how does Seattle earn a second title with its defence? By not giving up big plays. They allowed only 39 plays of 20 or more yards the entire regular season and just 17 of those in the final eight games.And thats not the strength of the Patriots. New England ranked 26th in the league in offensive plays of 20 or more yards.Make the Patriots move in small chunks. Get to Tom Brady just enough to throw off his timing. Make sure LeGarrette Blount and the New England run game doesnt get started. And keep Rob Gronkowski from taking over the game.Sounds like a lot. But if successful, Seattle will be put in position to do what no team has done before because of the way its been constructed.They are talented. They are still young. And they have most of their core players together through at least the 2017 season with financial flexibility. Some of that extra money will be consumed by a new contract for Wilson, but there will still be room to supplement what Seattle has already created.Thats what makes the potential for Sunday so unique. There has never been a team to win three straight Super Bowls and that will be all the talk for Pete Carroll and his crew going into next season:Seahawks 23, Patriots 19___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Lance McCullers Jersey . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Hector Rondon Jersey . -- Keith Aulie has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning. Authentic Robinson Chirinos FlexBase Jersey, Cool Base Robinson Chirinos Baseball Astros Jerseys . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. NEW YORK -- Making a pair of thrifty deals to fill holes on their roster, the New York Yankees agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract with second baseman Brian Roberts and a $7 million, two-year deal with left-hander Matt Thornton. The deals are contingent on the players passing physicals, a person familiar with the agreements told The Associated Press on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contracts were not final. Roberts is among the options at second base to replace Robinson Cano, who left the Yankees for a $240 million, 10-year contract with Seattle. Kelly Johnson, signed to a $3 million deal, is another possibility. An All-Star in 2005 and 2007, the 36-year-old Roberts had spent his entire 13-year major league career with Baltimore. He has not played a full season since 2009 because of injuries. Roberts signed a $48 million, five-year contract before the 2009 season, then hit .283 with 16 homers, 79 RBIs and a big league-high 56 doubles. His injury problems started the following year, when he missed most of spring training with a herniated disk in his back, then strained an abdominal muscle in the fourth game of the season while stealing second base against Toronto. Roberts came down with pneumonia and didnt return until July 23. Then he missed the final six games of the season because of a concussion sustained when he knocked himself on the batting helmet with his bat after striking out in the ninth inning at Tampa Bay that Sept. 27. Roberts had another concussion while sliding intoo first base against Boston on May 16, 2011, and didnt return until June 12 the following year. Nolan Ryan Jersey. He appeared in just 17 games due to season-ending hip surgery in August, and had another operation for a sports hernia in December. His total of 77 games last season was his highest in four years, and he hit .249 with eight homers and 39 RBIs. Roberts strained his right hamstring while stealing second base in Baltimores third game of the season April 4 and was sidelined until June 30. The 37-year-old Thornton replaces Boone Logan, who left for a $16.5 million, three-year contract with Colorado. A 10-year big league veteran, Thornton was 0-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 60 relief appearances this year for the Chicago White Sox and Boston, which acquired him in July for minor league outfielder Brandon Jacobs. Thornton made $5.5 million in each of the last two seasons, and the Red Sox declined a $6 million option, which included a $1 million buyout. His agreement with the Yankees was first reported by the YES Network. When the agreements are completed, along with a pending three-year deal with outfielder Carlos Beltran, the Yankees projected luxury tax payroll for 2014 will rise to $177.7 million for 15 players. Thats about the maximum if the team wants to remain under the $189 million threshold, which includes $11 million to $12 million for benefits. New York would gain flexibility if Alex Rodriguez is suspended for most of the season, relieving the team of a large percentage of his $25 million salary. ' ' '