High school journalism is a strange beast. Due to the nature of the publishing cycle and the turnaround of printing the school paper, I am actually writing this article before Super Bowl LI has even been contested. However, by the time the newspaper is actually released and you are reading this article, the touchdowns will have been touched down, the blood, sweat, and tears will have dried, the balls will have been re-inflated, the champagne will have lost its fizz, and the name of the victor will be neatly engraved upon the famous trophy.
Odd, isn’t it?
For me. the NFL season is still in full swing as I eagerly anticipate the marquee matchup between “Touchdown Tommy” of the New England Patriots (Tom Brady) and possible MVP Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. So these, bizarrely, are my now past predictions for yesterday’s game.
Brady has a solid record this season despite missing the first four games of the season due to last year’s farcical “Deflate Gate” scandal. At the point of writing this Brady, had scored a combined regular and post season total of 33 touchdowns and thrown 341 completions for a total of 4,226 yards. Ryan, on the other hand, has had a phenomenal season in which he has broken numerous scoring records and is odds on favorite to be named the league MVP. Ryan has amassed a combined regular and post season total of 45 touchdowns and thrown 426 completions for 5,674 yards.
Both quarterbacks, were instrumental in their teams Conference Championship slaughtering of their closest rivals. Ryan scored four touchdowns with no interceptions as the Falcons devoured the “Cheese Heads” of the Green Bay Packers 44 to 21 and Brady contributed three touchdowns with no interceptions as the Patriots ironically stole the hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers 36 to 17. I predict that Brady’s experience will show here and that, despite Ryan’s phenomenal season stats, Brady will handle the pressure better and win this important head to head.
However, neither of these teams are solely dependent upon one man. The Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Julio Jones dominated this season with 83 receptions for six touchdowns and 1409 receiving yards. Jones’ quality was underlined with a domineering performance against the Packers and a breathtaking catch in which he was flipped by two of the Packers’ defense while receiving the ball in mid-air and still managed to keep hold of the ball despite hitting the ground with neckbreaking force. The Falcons running game can also not be underestimated with Running Back Devonta Freeman amassing 1079 yards on 227 carries for eleven touchdowns. In terms of defense, Deion Jones and Vic Beasley lead the team with 108 tackles and three interceptions for Jones and a massive 15.5 sacks for Beasley.
New England, despite the focus on Brady, also have a plethora of quality throughout the squad. WR Julian Edelman has made a staggering 98 receptions for 1106 yards and three touchdowns, whereas Tight End Martellus Bennett has also had a quality season with 55 receptions for 701 yards and a team leading seven touchdowns. LaGarrette Blount is the biggest threat to the Falcons with 18 touchdowns and 1161 rushing yards on 299 attempts going into the Super Bowl. The Pats defense is also formidable with Ryan Logan and Trey Flowers leading the team with 74 solo tackles and seven sacks respectively. Despite both teams being strong on both sides of the ball, I think that both offenses will have big games and I hope we are in for a high scoring shootout.
Ultimately, the Super Bowl could be decided by experience. Prior to kick off, Bill Belichick was lined up for potentially his fifth Super Bowl title with the Patriots and his fifth achieved with Brady. This achievement would make him arguably the best coach of the Super Bowl era and will cement him and Brady a place in the NFL history books as one of the greatest Quarterback and Head Coach dynasties in the game. His tactical savvy combined with his ability to manage and select personnel, makes him a formidable opponent. When push comes to shove, he is also “allegedly” not afraid to get his hands dirty with some shady tactics and manipulation of the dark arts of sporting contest. On the other side of the coin, Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons will be contesting his first Super Bowl as a Head Coach. The former Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator helped guide them to two Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014 before snagging the top job at the helm of the Falcons in 2015. However, his lack of experience as Head Coach under the strenuous spotlight and pressure of the NFL’s show ase could tell in deciding the final result.
According to ESPN, the key matchup of the game could be the contest between WR Julio Jones and Corner Back Malcolm Butler. Although I expect Jones to have another big game for the Falcons, I think that in the end the tactics of Belichick and the arm of Brady will win the day. But with this eagerly anticipated Super Bowl being contested by the top two teams in the nation, there will be key match ups for both teams and the final result will be a close call either way.
At this point I have no idea who won. But you do.
The chips have been eaten, the guacamole has gone brown, and the party is over for us until next season. But if you are fans, players, or coaches of the Patriots or the Falcons, then the party is either over as well or only just beginning.