# Super Bowl 51: Patriots vs Falcons **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 5, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093 "2017-02-05T20:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/141 "2017-02-06T18:26:30Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > But then they also mention that its Trumps favourite team (is it?). Probably, Trump is personal friends with both the team’s head coach and quarterback, two of the most important parts of the team. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/142 "2017-02-06T18:47:46Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > This was one of the few football games I’ve ever watched where I didn’t disagree with the refs over a single call or no-call. They did a superb job. Anyone complaining about the refs is just a whiner. Especially since the repeated defensive holding calls that kept the Patriots drive alive ended in an interception and Falcons touchdown. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/143 "2017-02-06T20:49:14Z")
Several of my friends and I were discussing the game last night while the score was still 28-3 midway into the third quarter, and yet everybody was saying things like “If the Falcons pull this off” or “Provided the Falcons actually win…”, things like that. Then one guy said “Listen to us! Tom Brady has got to be the only quarterback in history where if his team is four touchdowns behind with seventeen minutes to go it’s still considered an exciting game.” True that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/144 "2017-02-06T21:58:52Z")
I wouldn’t say that this was the best Superbowl ever. I’d give that title to Steelers-Cardinals. But this was still a damn good one. Both teams played a solid four quarters of high-quality football. It’s just that the Pats had all four of their good quarters in the last fifteen minutes of the game. And I can’t understand why Atlanta was out of time-outs when the Pats started their comeback. They entered the half with a strong lead. When you have a strong lead, you want to run the clock as much as possible. Why burn through time-outs, when you _want_ the clock to keep running? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/145 "2017-02-06T22:32:37Z")
Last fall Brady did a short commercial for Shields MRI that featured his four Super Bowl rings. It can be seen [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-ZX-C5Op5A). An additional scene was filmed which could be added to the original in the event of a Patriot win. It features a fifth ring and a gig at Roger Goodell and was played in the New England market immediately after the Patriots victory last night. It can be seen [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phY0-urez5M). Pretty ballsy, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/146 "2017-02-06T22:36:26Z")
I think the Falcons must’ve used up their timeouts by challenging calls by the officials and not having the calls go their way, thus losing a timeout for each challenge. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/147 "2017-02-06T22:41:41Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > I think the Falcons must’ve used up their timeouts by challenging calls by the officials and not having the calls go their way, thus losing a timeout for each challenge. I only remember one time out being the result of that, and that was the third time out. The first two I remember being in the midst of the game, with the play clock running down to almost zero and them needing time to get the play in place. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/148 "2017-02-06T23:05:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I only remember one time out being the result of that, and that was the third time out. The first two I remember being in the midst of the game, with the play clock running down to almost zero and them needing time to get the play in place. In fairness, that sounds like proper use of timeouts when you’re up by multiple touchdowns. As in, take the play clock way down to eat up the clock, but if you cut it too close go ahead and call timeout to make sure you get the right play called to try and extend drives. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/149 "2017-02-06T23:13:11Z")
The challenge the Falcons tried in the second half was stupid. It was quite clearly a good call on the field. And it wiped out their last remaining time out, at a point when it began to be possible that they might need that. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/150 "2017-02-06T23:26:39Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > In fairness, that sounds like proper use of timeouts when you’re up by multiple touchdowns. As in, take the play clock way down to eat up the clock, but if you cut it too close go ahead and call timeout to make sure you get the right play called to try and extend drives. I definitely have no problem with that. My time management issue was more where they were running plays at a point where I felt they should have been taking time off the clock as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/151 "2017-02-06T23:50:59Z")
I don’t think this was in the top echelon of super bowls as far as excitement is concerned, because there wasn’t really any back and forth. That is, there was a bunch of back, and then a bunch of forth, but only one momentum change. Think of how much more exciting it would have been if Atlanta had won the toss in OT, or if instead of the Pats scoring 25 unanswered to tie it, they had started out down 18, then pulled close, then Atlanta scores again, then the pats have to score and stop and score. To me, it was a weirdly unexciting game for a game with a massive comeback, because it was really only exciting for the first few minutes and then the last 5 minutes or so. Even some moments that turned out to be game changers (such as the key penalty) weren’t obviously super-relevant at the time because at the time the Atlanta lead still seemed comfortable. (Granted, I’m only an occasional NFL fan with no opinion of Atlanta and a general dislike of the Pats, so take that all with a grain of salt… certainly a stunning comeback, and at the very least moves Brady from the short list for GOAT to the short short list.) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/152 "2017-02-06T23:57:54Z")
They used the first timeout early in the 3rd quarter on defense, in the Pats 2nd drive, because they didn’t like the play they had in. They were up by 18 at the time. 2nd timeout was late in the 3rd quarter on offense. Not really sure why they used it - they had plenty of time to lineup, but I guess Ryan wanted to talk to the coaches. He did stand by the ref and wait until the play clock was down to 1 before calling it, so he used as much clock as he could. They were up by 19 at that point. 3rd timeout was the challenge, up by 8, slightly over 2 minutes left in the 4th. > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The challenge the Falcons tried in the second half was stupid. It was quite clearly a good call on the field. And it wiped out their last remaining time out, at a point when it began to be possible that they might need that. The Edelman catch? That he bobbled, then barely made? That was hardly “clear” at full speed. Especially since the Pats rushed to the line so they had to throw the flag before the coaches in the booth had a chance to look at it. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/153 "2017-02-07T00:45:25Z")
Brady was asking people this morning to let him know if they saw his missing jersey pop up on eBay, but [the investigation now involves](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2017/02/06/tom-brady-jersey-stolen-missing-super-bowl-2017-new-england/97567726/) the Houston PD Major Offenses Division, the Texas Rangers (ordered in by the lieutenant governor), and NFL Security, so I guess it’s escalated quite a bit beyond that. Whoever took it out of his bag is probably wishing they hadn’t right about now. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/154 "2017-02-07T00:56:10Z")
I bet Gisele took it so she could wash it, it was all stained and smelly. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/155 "2017-02-07T01:01:19Z")
> [@robby](#): > > MIT mechanical engineering professor John Leonard says that based on his study of the Deflategate data: **“I am convinced that no deflation occurred and that the Patriots are innocent. It never happened.”** [Cite](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/sports/football/nfl-ignores-ball-deflation-science-at-new-england-patriots-expense.html?_r=0). > > Prof. Leonard teaches a course called “Measurement and Instrumentation” and posted a lecture about Deflategate that can be viewed [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwxXsEltyas). Per the _New York Times_ article linked to above: “It is utterly convincing.” If it weren’t for those damn text messages, I’d probably have a different opinion. But I can’t shake the feeling SOMETHING ethically shady happened. But that’s wandering off topic. Besides, Brady doesn’t have to be guilty of anything for rivals to tease him about it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/156 "2017-02-07T01:05:39Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Wow, I turned if off in the middle of the third quarter knowing the Pat’s got wiped bad. > Wow. Me too. What a shock this morning. Well, you have to give it to the Patriots. They worked hard for that win. I wish I’d been watching this with a crowd, that would have been more fun and I’d have probably been able to stay awake. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/157 "2017-02-07T01:57:43Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Me too. What a shock this morning. > > Well, you have to give it to the Patriots. They worked hard for that win. > > I wish I’d been watching this with a crowd, that would have been more fun and I’d have probably been able to stay awake. Good post/user name combo. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/158 "2017-02-07T02:08:39Z")
Maybe I misheard the news commentator it but I thought he said the Falcons won the coin toss but struggled to overcome a 25 point lead. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/159 "2017-02-07T06:31:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I thought he said the Falcons won the coin toss but struggled to overcome a 25 point lead. Partly right: they struggled, and the lead was overcome. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093/160 "2017-02-07T09:31:23Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Maybe I misheard the news commentator it but I thought he said the Falcons won the coin toss but struggled to overcome a 25 point lead. Ha! Nice burn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-51-patriots-vs-falcons/779093.md?page=9)