Super Bowl Preview: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons

The time is now, the place is Houston. Super Bowl LI will be played at 6:30 EST from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas between the best teams each conference has to offer. The NFL season all leads up to this game. The Patriots and the Falcons both arguably have the best teams in the league and deserve more than anyone to be playing in this year’s Super Bowl. Here’s a preview of what to expect and look out for during this year’s big game.

We’ll start with the Atlanta Falcons. This team has an absolutely absurd amount of weapons at their disposal. Throughout the season, it seemed like it was near impossible to stop this offense (unless you get away with a BS no-call on what should’ve been pass interference). Between the Most Valuable Player/Offensive Player of the Year/FedEX “Air” Player of the Year in Matt Ryan and Assistant Coach of the Year in Kyle Shanahan, it is easy to see that the Falcons are synonymous with excellence. A quick list of other offensive players on the Falcons include: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Devonta Freeman, and Corey Coleman. The first three are receivers, with Jones being the primary target and arguably being the best wideout to play the game this year. In fact, Jones even had a game this year where he had 200 yards receiving, which is absolutely insane. When teams start to cover Jones, Sanu becomes an explosive target and then they have the speedster, Taylor Gabriel, to change the pace in the receiving game. The Falcons can get it done on the ground as well, with the dual-threat combo of Freeman and Coleman, both of which have power, speed, agility, and a decent pair of hands. If one gets tired, the fresh guy takes his place, against a defense that’s already gotten tuckered out. Take these weapons and combine it with a triggerman such as Matt Ryan, the offense becomes unstoppable, as the Falcons have the number one offense in the NFL.

The defense on the other hand is a completely different story. This defense is good situationally. When the defense is fresh and their offense has taken the lead, the Falcons defense is fantastic. Lead by Vic Beasley, this year’s leader in total sacks, the Falcons genuinely do have a pretty good pass rush. However, this defense isn’t much compared to other defenses of teams that have won the Super Bowl in past years. Take last year’s Super Bowl for instance. Vic Beasley, although great, isn’t going to be able to do what Von Miller and Derek Wolfe did to Cam Newton last year. The Falcons secondary isn’t much to write home about either. They’re competent, but that’s really all I can say about that unit. They haven’t played much under pressure this season, and when they have, it’s because their game evolved into a shootout, which just means that they weren’t doing their job in the first place. Speaking of doing your job…

If the Atlanta Falcons are synonymous with excellence, then the New England Patriots are synonymous with perfection. Even though the Patriots don’t have the same amount of talent as the Falcons do, they bring the most out of every single player in every single game. Compare the wide receivers for example. Julio Jones vs. Julian Edelman? Anyone would take Jones. Chris Hogan vs. Mohamed Sanu? Most would take Sanu. Danny Amendola vs. Taylor Gabriel? That one’s a bit of a toss-up, but Ammendola used to just be a punt returner. Despite this apparent lack of talent, the Pat’s receivers are some of the toughest in the league. All of them are scrappy guys who aren’t afraid to take hits or make a play, backed by a guy most consider to be the greatest football player of all time in Tom Brady. It is my belief that the quarterback of a team has the ability to unlock all of the potential within his receivers. Matt Ryan does this, but Brady takes everyone’s potential on the field and multiplies it one thousand times. Take the story of Wes Welker for example. Once a punt returner, and solely that, he became one of the best wideouts in the league under Tom Brady, scoring 34 touchdowns during his stead with the Patriots. Brady takes his competitive edge and brings the rest of his team to an elite, seemingly unmatched level. Take Brady and his receivers, combine it with the three-headed monster of a ground game between Blount, Lewis, and White, all while having what is quietly the number one scoring defense in the NFL, and you’re dealing with an unstoppable force of nature. Add all of this to the fact that the team is under the control of the man many consider to be the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belichick. The Tom Brady Revenge Tour has one more stop to go. The Pats have one more challenge to face: the Atlanta Falcons.

When it comes down to it, this should be an extremely close game. Both offenses are high-powered and both head coaches have seen the Super Bowl before. The Patriots have more experience in the big game than the Falcons and a better defense, but as any football fan knows, anything can happen when the ball gets snapped. I hope it’s a good one, and I hope everyone has a great time watching the game Sunday. Stay safe, and may the best team win.

Also, be sure to check out our Staff prediction for the game.

Written by Rick Wronski