By John Sarianides
Super Bowl LI might go down as one of the three greatest Super Bowl games of all time. It was an instant classic. The Patriots overcame a 25 point deficit to stun the Atlanta Falcons.
Here are ten thoughts on the game.
1. Tom Brady is not only the greatest quarterback of all time, he is the greatest football player of all time. I love Jerry Rice but it is time for Jerry to move over.
2. The Patriots showed tremendous resolve in overcoming a 25 point deficit and beating the Falcons. It is a testament to their team culture, belief in each other and their experience.
3. Kyle Shanahan cost the Falcons a Super Bowl with his play calling. I know that might seem harsh but its the truth! How do you not run the football on a 3rd and 1 up by 16 points? I will never understand that!
4. Dan Quinn’s arrogance also cost the Falcons the game. This nonsense that we are always aggressive doesn’t fly. You should never lose a game when you have a two touchdown lead with less than eight minutes left in the game. That is inexcusable! This loss falls on Quinn, Shanahan and the rest of the coaching staff.
5. James White had a performance for the ages. If Tom Brady didn’t once again out do himself, White would have been the Super Bowl MVP. Then again, Brady was the one getting him the ball so.
6. Hat tip to Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia who made some great in game adjustments. The Patriots started twisting more and bringing more pressure in the second half. They got to Ryan and threw him off of his spot.
7. It is easy to say the Patriots were too conservative in the first half but they couldn’t protect Brady and I think Josh McDaniels was a little gun shy about throwing the football.
8. The half hour, half time definitely benefited the Patriots. Bill Belichick and his staff made some great adjustments and it showed, especially on offense and the way the offensive line played.
9. Atlanta’s defense ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. They were on the field way too much. The Patriots ran 93 plays to the Falcons 46 plays. New England owned the time of possession. The Patriots had the ball 40:31 while the Falcons had 23:27. Ouch!
10. The Patriots have been installed as a 7-1 favorite to repeat next year. Why not? The landscape in the AFC shouldn’t change too much this off-season so there is no reason to believe they can’t be back in the Super Bowl next year.