Storylines of this year’s Super Bowl

CAN THE NUMBER-ONE DEFENCE STOP THE NUMBER-ONE OFFENCE?

ATLANTA’s offence scored a staggering 33.8 points per game in the regular season. Since then they have piled up 80 points in their two play-off fixtures while New England only gave up 15.6 points per game in the regular season.

WILL THE FALCONS BE ABLE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO TOM BRADY?

THE New York Giants seemed to invent the formula to stop the Patriots quarterback by hurrying and harassing him with four-man defensive fronts. There has been little evidence to suggest that Atlanta have the tools to do the same.

WILL ATLANTA’S INJURY CONCERNS BE A BIG FACTOR?

A LEG injury to centre Alex Mack has Falcons head coach Dan Quinn ‘concerned’. Star wideout Julio Jones has also been battling a toe injury, though he hardly seemed troubled by that when he amassed 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship game.

WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT WILL LADY GAGA MAKE AT HALF-TIME?

THIS year’s Super Bowl half-time act is Lady Gaga, recently seen outside Trump Tower with a ‘love trumps hate’ banner after the businessman was elected president. So, will Gaga see a stage where she is watched by over 100 million Americans as the chance to make a statement?

WILL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL BE HANDING OVER THE SUPER BOWL MVP TROPHY TO BRADY?

SHOULD New England win, Brady will become the most successful Super Bowl quarterback of all time. The chances are he will also be receiving the game’s MVP award. That could be interesting seeing as Goodell and Brady were involved in a court case over ‘deflategate’.