Samantha Axon, Sports Editor
@SAxonCourant
After sixteen regular season games and two postseason games, the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons will face off in the Super Bowl LI held in Houston, Texas tomorrow. The Falcons are making their second-ever Super Bowl appearance, the first of which ended in a 34-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in 1998. On the other hand, the Patriots are participating in their ninth Super Bowl, their seventh under head coach Bill Belichick, and are looking for their fifth win.
This year, the Falcons concluded the regular season with an 11-5 record, with losses against the Tampa Bay
Photo from Atlanta Sports Fan
Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs. The Falcons were often underrated throughout the season due to an 8-8 record last season, a relatively easy regular season schedule, and due to their placement in the historically-less-than-competitive NFC South. Atlanta had notable wins this season against the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers, all of which were offensive powerhouses. The Falcons showed their strength the most in the postseason, securing wins against the Packers and Seattle Seahawks by multiple touchdowns each.
On the other hand, the New England Patriots concluded their regular season with a 14-2 record, leading the AFC East, and getting their nineteenth division championship, which gives them the record for most divisional wins. The Patriots only fell to the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks this season, both of which were away games. Key wins against historically strong teams such as the Steelers and Broncos, in which they won (27-6) and (16-3), respectively. The Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs after securing the top seed, giving them a direct path to the Super Bowl.
The Falcons’ main strengths are most often found in their offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan is the third best quarterback in the league in terms of total passing yards during the regular season, while New England’s quarterback Tom Brady ranks fourth in total passing yards. Overall, Ryan was ranked the best quarterback during the regular season, which should give him confidence that he has performed better than veteran quarterbacks such as Brady, Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), and Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers). This season, Ryan has also been aided by wide receiver Julio Jones, who averaged 10.6 points per game. During the postseason, Jones has averaged 16.5 yards per run, and has scored 3 receiving touchdowns, in comparison to a total of 6 receiving touchdowns in the regular season. If the team can utilize Ryan and Jones’ athleticism and with sufficient protection by the O-line to let Ryan move in the pocket, the Falcons will be unstoppable.
Photo from USA Today
New England has the clear advantage of having a veteran quarterback Tom Brady, who has won four out of the six Super Bowls that he has played in. In those four wins, he was voted MVP three times. But with tight end Rob Gronkowski out for the season, the Patriots’ defense stepped up and became a more powerful weapon than in the past. New England currently holds the fourth best total defense in the NFL, and in the past, the team that eventually comes out on top in the Super Bowl had a top-ranking defense. The Patriots’ defense also allows the fewest average rushing yards per game, with opponents only running an average 88.6 yards a game. If Brady continues to play at his current level and the defense continues to step up even without the help of Gronk, then the Patriots can easily come away with the win.
Prediction: In the end, both teams are very strong and hold similar rankings in terms of offensive and defensive abilities. While the Pats are the stronger team with more experience under their belt, they faced a much easier schedule to get to the Super Bowl compared to the Falcons. New England had a first round bye, a game against the Miami Dolphins, and then a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers (who had played especially poorly the week before against the Kansas City Chiefs). Atlanta was set to face off against the Seahawks and Packers in order to advance to the final game. The Falcons were able to beat two teams that were favorites to be in the Super Bowl, but were able to beat both teams by at least two touchdowns. With a significantly more difficult schedule during the regular and postseason, as well as a hunger to win the game that they have only ever experienced once before, the Falcons will ultimately top New England.
