Super showdown:
Super Bowl promises to be exciting game
Here’s why the Patriots-Falcons matchup could be a thriller.
There’s no other way to say it: The 2017 NFL playoffs have been a massive disappointment.
The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys gave us a thriller and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs played a close one, but those were the only competitive matchups.
But there’s still hope. Thanks to a compelling Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, there’s a chance for the playoffs to end on a high note. Let’s count the reasons we’re in for an exciting Super Bowl:
1. THE FALCONS OFFENSE HAS BEEN UNSTOPPABLE
It might not be loaded with bluechip weapons, but it has no exploitable weaknesses. Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who is expected to take the San Francisco 49ers coaching job after the Super Bowl, has crafted a perfect system to take advantage of all the team’s skill-position players.
Playing against the Falcons offense has to feel like playing the world’s most difficult game of whack-a-mole. Hammer one mole, and three more pop up. During the regular season, Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes to 13 different receivers. Falcons runners combined for 20 touchdowns on the ground.
These aren’t the same Falcons we’ve seen the past few seasons, when they were a little too focused on wide receiver Julio Jones at times. In the seven games that Jones was held to fewer than 60 yards or sat out with an injury, the Falcons went 7-0 and averaged 36.4 points a game. On any given day, Jones is either the best receiver in the NFL or its best decoy.
2. BILL BELICHICK GETS TWO WEEKS TO PLAN WAYS TO STOP IT
This isn’t the first time the Patri- ots coach is taking on a historically great offense in the big game.
He has been behind two of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, creating game plans to befuddle the “K- Gun” Buffalo Bills in January 1991 and the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams in February 2002. Now he gets his shot at Shanahan’s offense, which has been terrorizing defenses all season.
Belichick is known for taking away his opponent’s biggest strength, but the Falcons are so dynamic, it will be difficult for New England to focus on stopping one weapon. Will Belichick focus on shutting down Jones? What about running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman? Maybe he’ll come up with another genius game plan to stop all three. We’ll see what Belichick has planned Feb. 5.
3. A LOT OF POINTS WILL BE SCORED
Everybody loves a shootout, right? We’re guaranteed to get one in Houston.
Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Ryan are playing at a high level, and neither defense is truly elite. Yes, the Falcons defense has played better of late, but Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Brady will have had two weeks to study a defense that isn’t all that creative.
The Patriots defense led the league in points allowed but isn’t nearly as good as the traditional statistics imply. New England doesn’t have much of a pass rush, so Ryan should have time to sit back and pick apart the Patriots secondary.
First team to 40 wins.
4. THE MVP SUBPLOT: RYAN VS. BRADY
Brady and Ryan are the two leading candidates for the NFL’s MVP award. Ryan probably will win it, which means we’ll get an angry and motivated Brady looking to prove he is still the best quarterback in the NFL.
Of course, Brady will have to perform without his top target, injured tight end Rob Gronkowski, or a consistent run game. If he isn’t perfect, the Patriots will have a difficult time keeping up with Atlanta.
Ryan will be playing on the biggest stage of his career just days after winning the league’s most prestigious award.
There will be immense pressure on both quarterbacks in this game.