Mack’s attack huge for Falcons
Centre plays despite injury
Atlanta Falcons centre Alex Mack gets the yearly gut-itout Super Bowl award.
There’s always a player or two on the field in the final game of the season who wouldn’t be suiting up under normal circumstances, and this year it was Mack doing so with a fractured fibula.
No matter, though, as the Pro Bowl offensive lineman was in his usual spot snapping footballs to Ryan, and the Falcons’ rushing attack was one of the reasons they were able to jump out to a big lead.
Mack was limited throughout the week in practice, but one report said the 31-year-old simply told the Falcons’ decision-makers, “I’m playing — period.”
START SLOW, FINISH STRONG
It’s amazing to think the New England Patriots have not scored a single point in the first quarter of any Super Bowl during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.
Another slow start Sunday allowed the Atlanta Falcons to work out the cobwebs early — Matt Ryan’s eight-game streak of scoring on his first possession was snapped — before the floodgates opened in the second quarter thanks to costly mistakes by the Patriots.
The stunned Pats hadn’t trailed since Week 12, and they looked like a team not used to playing from behind, too.
O-SEE YA
With the Super Bowl now over, the Falcons’ offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan can officially be given the title he’s unofficially had for at least a couple weeks: San Francisco 49ers head coach.
That leaves the Falcons searching for an offensive co-ordinator. Atlanta quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur is seen as one potential successor, but rumours have him either joining Shanahan by the Bay or taking the vacant Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator job.
If that happens, Atlanta could turn to former Philadelphia Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly.
SMITH RETURNING?
If troubled Oakland Raiders pass-rusher Aldon Smith can keep his nose clean for the next few weeks, he’ll likely be allowed to return to the NFL.
The 27-year-old has racked up 47.5 sacks in only 59 career games, but he hasn’t been able to stay out of trouble since being selected seventh overall by the Niners in the 2011 draft.
The final straw came in November 2015 when he was suspended for one calendar year for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy after an incident in which he was charged with hit and run, DUI and vandalism.
Smith met with commissioner Roger Goodell in December, but his reinstatement bid was put off until March. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that ban ends next month.