SUPER BOWL 51
Saturday, February 4, 2017
NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS
OFFENSE
Total yards (avg.)
Regular season: 386.2
269.2
117.0
Passing
Rushing
Postseason: 404.0
326.5
77.5
First downs
Regular season: 351
39
109
203
Rushing Passing Penalty
Postseason: 46
3
14
East Oregonian
ATLANTA
Patriots’ top D faces
Falcons’ top O
FALCONS
OFFENSE
Total yards (avg.)
Regular season: 415.8
295.3
120.5
Passing
Rushing
A
season that began with Tom Brady serving a four-game suspension will end with him in the
Super Bowl, where his New England Patriots take on Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
While much of the attention will be focused on Brady vs. Ryan, the key matchup could be
Atlanta’s score-at-will offense, which produced the most points during the regular season,
against the unheralded defense of New England, which allowed the fewest.
New England ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed per game at 15.6. Brady, a three-time
Super Bowl MVP, and the Patriots own a pretty effective offense of their own.
MVP favorite Ryan directed a unit that topped the league in scoring (33.8) and ranked second
in yards (415.8).
Neither team hurts itself with turnovers, which is why signs point to this being a high-scoring game.
Postseason: 457.5
357.5
41
13
S. Gostkowski
3 • K
SCORING (PPG)
Regular season
26.7 Points for
15.6 Points allowed
DEFENSE
Yards allowed (avg.)
Regular season: 371.2
266.7
104.5
Passing
Rushing
SPECIAL
TEAMS
Postseason: 326.5
247.0
79.5
R. Allen
6 • P
D. Amendola
80 • PR
Postseason: 338.0
238.0
100.0
C. Jones
24 • KR
SCORING (PPG)
Regular season
OFFENSE
33.8 Points for
24.5 Points allowed
Postseason
35.0 Points for
L. Blount
29 • RB
16.5 Points allowed
T. Brady
12 • QB
Postseason
40.0 Points for
20.5 Points allowed
M. Bennett
88 • TE
J. White
28 • RB
PLAY SELECTION (PCT.)
Regular season
Postseason
PASS RUSH
PASS RUSH
53.3
59.7
46.7
32
Penalty
Postseason: 58
4
NRG Stadium, Houston • Sunday • 6:30 p.m. EST (FOX)
PROJECTED
STARTERS
100.0
First downs
Regular season: 379
108
239
Rushing
Passing
29
DEFENSE
Yards allowed (avg.)
Regular season: 326.5
237.9
88.6
Passing
Rushing
Page 3B
PLAY SELECTION (PCT.)
Regular season
Postseason
40.3
C. Hogan
15 • WR
M. Cannon
61 • RT
D. Andrews
60 • C
S. Mason
69 • RG
J. Thuney
62 • LG
PASS RUSH
J. Edelman
11 • WR
N. Solder
77 • LT
48.8
PASS RUSH
51.2
39.1
60.9
B. Reed
50 • DE
COACHES CORNER
J. Babineaux
95 • DT
Bill Belichick
Tied with Chuck Noll for
most Super Bowl titles
with four, and his 25
career postseason wins
are an NFL mark. Along
with his exceptional staff,
he will devise strategies
that can rob Atlanta of its
most dangerous options.
V. Beasley
44 • LB
J. Collins
32 • CB
DEFENSE
T. Jackson
94 • DE
G. Jarrett
97 • DT
Dan Quinn
D. Campbell
59 • LB
D. Jones
45 • LB
COACHES CORNER
A novice at this as a
head coach, but won
a Super Bowl as
Seattle’s defensive
coordinator in the
2013 season.
He resembles
his mentor, Pete
Carroll, in demeanor
and willingness to
push the envelope.
Must make sure
offensive coordinator
Kyle Shanahan attacks
from the outset.
R. Alford
23 • CB
WHEN PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL
Newcomer Chris Hogan could wind up being a fifth or sixth option for
Tom Brady behind Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, rookie Malcolm Mitchell,
R. Allen
K. Neal
Reg. season
Postseason
and RBs James White and Dion Lewis. Brady has developed a strong
37 • S
22 • S
W L PCT
W L PCT
relationship with Rob Gronkowski’s backup, Martellus Bennett. Atlanta has no
237 115 .673
25 10 .714
chance if it doesn’t get pressure on Tom Terrific. Should Brady have time to throw,
a relatively inexperienced secondary could be in for a long day. Adding to New England’s
WINNINGEST HEAD COACHES
offensive prowess are RBs White and Lewis, mostly as receivers, and LeGarrette Blount,
IN POSTSEASON HISTORY (Super Bowl titles)
who scored 18 TDs rushing this season while running for 1,161 yards.
Belichick
25 (4)
Tom Landry
20 (2)
Don Shula
19 (2)
PROJECTED
Joe Gibbs
17 (3)
SPECIAL
STARTERS
16
(4)
Chuck Noll
TEAMS
Career record: 262-125 .677
M. Bryant
3 • K
Grinding out the
ground game
Power runner LeGarrette
who does his
Blount
best work near
end zone. Led
the NFL with
18 touchdowns
rushing and had
his second
1,000-plus yard
rushing season.
OFFENSE
44
78
3.3
A. Mack
51 • C
C. Chester
65 • RG
A. Levitre
67 • LG
18
FIELD GOALS
Stephen
YARDS Gostkowski
1-19
M. Brown
90 • DT
S. McClellin
58 • LB
D. Hightower
54 • LB
Regular
season
Battle tested
Edelman
BRADY’S STATS
Pass yds: 3,554 (reg.) • 671 (postseason)
TDs: 28 (reg.) • 5 (postseason)
Loss
Go-to guys
WR
RB
TE
Favorite QB
targets
98
60
55
RECEPTIONS
287
384
SOURCE: National Football League
RB
WR
WR
54
59
83
REGULAR SEASON
BRADY
RYAN
Pct Comp Att Yard line Att Comp Pct
63.9
52
60.3
88
68.4
69.2
162
39
75
OPP 19-1
108
70
64.8
146 OPP 49-20 168
123
57 OWN 1-20 73
55 75.3
234 OWN 21-50 260
73.2
178
Tom Brady
Matt Ryan
Brady is going for a
record fifth Super
Bowl crown by a
quarterback. Unless
Falcons can pressure
him, he could tear
apart the defense.
Had his best season,
making All-Pro,
leading NFL in passer
rating (117.1); tossed
38 TDs. Threw for
seven TDs and ran
for one in the playoffs.
68.5
22
86
3.9
15
1
Matt
Bryant
40-49
50+
Made
Missed
Regular
season
Aerial assault
Jones
RYAN’S STATS
Pass yds: 4,944 (reg.) • 730 (post.)
TDs: 38 (reg.) • 7 (post.)
Win
WEEK
Passes by field position
Post
118
520
4.8
55
8
30-39
D. McCourty
32 • S
Devonta Mohamed Julio
Jones
Freeman
Sanu
Tevin
Coleman
20-29
DEFENSE
Regular season
TDS YARDS
*1 *Served four-game
*2 suspension
*3
*4
406
5
376
6
222
7
315
8
9 BYE
316
10
280
11
286
12
269
13
14
406
188
15
214
16
276
17
WC
DIV
CONF
Julian James Martellus
Edelman White Bennett
PCT
FIELD GOALS
They led the NFL in points (540) by a wide margin, thanks to a
career year from QB Matt Ryan, who along with WR Julio Jones
are All-Pros. If that combination comes close to its production during the
season and, in particular, the nine connections for 180 yards and two TDs in the NFC championship
against Green Bay, the Falcons will be difficult to stop. If the Patriots can contain Jones, Atlanta
wideouts Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel must come through in a big way. The Falcons
don’t have a lot of weapons at tight end, which means RBs Devonta Freeman
and Tevin Coleman will be keys in the passing game, too.
Made
Missed
Win
28 227
ATT
87 1,079 YDS
3.1 4.8
AVG
14
75
LONG
1
11
TD
L. Ryan
26 • RCB
WHEN FALCONS HAVE THE BALL
P. Chung
23 • S
50+
RUSHING
Regular season
1-19
R. Ninkovich
50 • LB
30-39
40-49
2 0 1.000
YARDS
M. Butler
21 • LCB
20-29
WEEK
Post
T. Flowers
98 • RDE
A. Branch
97 • DT
W L
19 13 .594
The combination of Devonta Freeman
and Tevin Coleman was the most lethal
backfield tandem in the NFL during
the regular season. Both backs have
the unique ability to produce great
numbers on the ground in addition
to their top-shelf receiving skills.
J. Jones
11 • WR
J. Matthews
70 • LT
C. Long
95 • LDE
1
Postseason
W L PCT
Dynamic duo
18
Postseason
24
R. Schraeder
73 • RT
Reg. season
Devonta
Freeman
P. DiMarco
42 • FB
M. Ryan
2 • QB
24 • RB
M. Sanu
12 • WR
E. Weems
14 • PR/KR
A. Hooper
81 • TE
PROJECTED
STARTERS D. Freeman
RUSHING
Regular season
ATT YDS AVG LONG TD
299 1,161 3.9
M. Bosher
5 • P
Career record: 21-13 .618
TDS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 BYE
12
13
14
15
16
17
WC
DIV
CONF
Loss
YARDS
334
396
240
503
267
335
273
288
344
267
269
297
237
286
277
331
338
392
AP