By John Sarianides The 2017 Hall of Class was revealed tonight at the NFL Honors. Here my thoughts.  1. LaDainian Tomlinson getting in on the first ballot is not a surprise. Tomlinson is the fifth leading rusher all time and one of the five best offensive players of his generation.  2. I’ve come around to Kurt Warner getting in. The career numbers aren’t going to jump out at you but…

By John Sarianides Super Bowl LI is finally upon us. After two weeks of breaking down the game and talking about it incessantly, it is time to play football. On paper, both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. Even Vegas thinks so. That is why they have installed the Patriots as three point favorites. Both teams are led by their quarterbacks. Matt Ryan has had a terrific season for…

By John Sarianides The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are mirror images of each other in all three phases of the game. Both teams have elite quarterbacks, diverse rushing attacks and play makers at wide receiver and tight end. Defensively, both teams play team oriented defense. It is about proper pursuit angles and team tackling. There are some good players on both defenses but there is no J.J Watt…

By John Sarianides The Atlanta Falcons scored 540 points this season utilizing a diverse passing attack that featured a talented collection of wide receivers lead by Julio Jones. The receivers weren’t the only ones who caught passes from quarterback Matt Ryan. The running back did damage in the passing game as well. Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for 883 yards and five receiving touchdowns this season. Freeman…

By John Sarianides The Patriots will have their hands full with Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley and defensive ends Tyson Jackson, Dwight Freeney and Brooks Reed. All four players are active and disruptive off the edge. Not only can they get pressure on Tom Brady but they can also penetrate and make plays in the back field against the running game. It is imperative that they are accounted for….

By John Sarianides I often hear people say that veterans quarterbacks have seen everything, that you can’t confuse them. I disagree. I think you can confuse any quarterback if you show them enough fronts, coverages and pressure packages. Even smart quarterbacks like Matt Ryan could get confused. That is why I think the Patriots should take a similar defensive approach in this game to the one they took against the…

By John Sarianides Matt Ryan and Tom Brady have played at a high level all season long but that doesn’t mean they are not prone to making mistakes. In order for their respective teams to win this game, the two quarterbacks must do the following things. Matt Ryan 1.Treat It Like Another Game: Matt Ryan needs to treat this like another game. He has to live up to his Matty Ice…

By John Sarianides Super Bowl 51 will be Bill Belichick’s 10th Super Bowl appearance. Falcons coach Dan Quinn is coaching in his third Super Bowl in the last four years. So. Which head coach and staff has the advantage? We think its the Patriots. Here’s why. Head Coaches: Bill Belichick vs. Dan Quinn: Belichick gets the edge here. He will be coaching in his tenth Super Bowl which is insane if…