Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
The Patriots
4 TO WATCH CB Eric Rowe Rowe is their third corner, a pivotal spot against a dangerous passing attack. He was fortunate that the Steelers dropped so many passes in the AFC championship game. DE Trey Flowers The Patriots don’t have much of a pass rush, but Flowers is a real threat. He stepped in for the traded Chandler Jones. He didn’t have a sack in the first half of the season but exploded for seven in the second. K Stephen Gostkowski Typically reliable, he missed three extra points during the regular season and a fourth in the AFC title game. He tends to slice it right. RB James White LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis are better known, but White could make an impact as a receiver out of the backfield. Probable starters in bold OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART POS. NO. PLAYER WR DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART POS. NO. PLAYER DE SPECIAL TEAMS POS. NO. PLAYER K P/H LS KR PR 11 19 14 88 82 61 71 69 60 75 62 Joe Thuney 69 Shaq Mason 77 68 12 10 7 29 38 27 28 33 46 James Develin 15 Chris Hogan 80 Danny Amendola 18 Matthew Slater 95 92 97 99 90 98 93 58 51 52 54 53 50 21 22 31 23 30 37 32 43 36 26 25 24 Julian Edelman Malcolm Mitchell Michael Floyd Martellus Bennett Matt Lengel Marcus Cannon Cameron Fleming Shaq Mason David Andrews Ted Karras Nate Solder LaAdrian Waddle Tom Brady Jimmy Garoppolo Jacoby Brissett LeGarrette Blount Brandon Bolden D.J. Foster James White Dion Lewis Chris Long Geneo Grissom Alan Branch Vincent Valentine Malcom Brown Trey Flowers Jabaal Sheard Shea McClellin Barkevious Mingo Elandon Roberts Dont’a Hightower Kyle Van Noy Rob Ninkovich Malcolm Butler Justin Coleman Jonathan Jones Patrick Chung Duron Harmon Jordan Richards Devin McCourty Nate Ebner Brandon King Logan Ryan Eric Rowe Cyrus Jones 3 Stephen Gostkowski 6 Ryan Allen 49 Joe Cardona 24 Cyrus Jones 80 Danny Amendola INJURIES Questionable: Bennett (knee), Branch (toe), Ebner (concussion), Hightower (shoulder), Hogan (thigh), Mitchell (knee), Valentine (back). The Falcons have a money kicker in Matt Bryant who consistently delivers under pressure. He has the club’s all-time scoring record with 892 points. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, usually surefooted, has had a rough season. The Patriots have a Pro Bowl special-teamer in Matt Slater. Punters Matt Bosher of the Falcons and Ryan Allen of the Patriots are decent, but with those quarterbacks, they have not had to work much this season. Even by his lofty standards, Tom Brady was exceptional this season with 28 touchdowns and two interceptions. Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan have accounted for 79 percent of Brady’s passing yards in the playoffs and have been dominant, even with Rob Gronkowski out. Hogan is a surprisingly effective deep threat, and Edelman has that short-space shiftiness. The Falcons defense shows its cards and challenges teams to beat them. Unless they incorporate some wrinkles, Brady will shred them. LeGarrette Blount is a pounder who led the league this season with 18 rushing touchdowns. He was a bit less effective later in the season, and we might see more of the speedy Dion Lewis, especially because the Falcons front four likes to get upfield quickly. That can create running lanes for smaller, faster backs, as opposed to plodding punishers. This is the 10th Super Bowl for Bill Belichick, meaning nearly one out of every five of the NFL’s biggest games have included him. He is much more involved in the Patriots defense, even turning his back to the field and working with that group when the offense is out there. The Falcons love Dan Quinn, who has really engaged with his players. He was defensive coordinator for the Seahawks’ two most recent Super Bowl teams, including the last-minute loss to the Patriots two years ago.