Thought I’d make a new thread since a lot of people will be watching the Super Bowl who weren’t watching the playoffs thus far.
Tom Brady and the Patriots are after their 5th superbowl ring in the Bellichick era, whereas the Falcons have been there once in 1998 but never won it. The Patriots are a three point favorite even though the Falcons have been more dominant in their playoff run.
Game is scheduled to begin in a few hours, at 6:30 eastern.
I also started a Superbowl Commercials Thread in cafe society since that usually generates as much discussion as the game itself.
I kinda want Brady to get number 5 and hope that he retires. Age creeps up on a man. One day, an athlete like Brady’s able to evade the blindside shot from a 295-pound defensive end who can bench press twice his own weight. Then one day, he gets flattened and has back pain the rest of his life.
Using the point totals and various games since week 8 as metrics, I’d probably give the edge to the Patriots, who might win 28-24 or 30-27 or something like that. I think the Falcons are actually a more athletic and more talented team and if they can scheme and execute early in the game and jump out to a lead, maybe they can make it difficult for the Pats to catch up. I think the Pats’ edge is in coaching and having players who execute complex schemes to near perfection. And as Cris Carter said: the Pats actually do have great athletes who are deceptively athletic and talented. But a dropped pass here and a mistake there, and who knows what happens. It’s definitely a winnable game for Atlanta. But it takes guts to bet against the Belichick / Brady greatness.
So, the Pats don’t have a rushing game and right now the Falcons are getting it all on the ground. If the Falcons can move the chains a few times on the ground I like their chances.