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Super Bowl 51: Falcons vs. Patriots Matchup Set

By Cody Williams

Sep 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws a pass in the first half against the New England Patriots at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws a pass in the first half against the New England Patriots at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’ll be the Atlanta Falcons taking on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51 from Houston.

Through 17 weeks in the regular season and three weeks of the 2017 NFL Playoffs, only one game remains. After two blowouts in the Conference Championships on Sunday, it’ll be the Atlanta Falcons representing the NFC and the New England Patriots representing the AFC in Super Bowl 51 from NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons started off the day in the NFC Championship as he and his team dismantled the Green Bay Packers from start to finish. They scored on their opening drive and then found the end zone five more times throughout the day. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that the Falcons defense played arguably their best game of the season, holding Aaron Rodgers and a red-hot Green Bay team to a meager 21 points—some of that coming in garbage time.

However, that wasn’t the only drubbing on the docket for Sunday as the AFC Championship was also one-sided. The New England Patriots silenced any doubters about their defense or team as a whole. They set the tone early, watched Le’Veon Bell go out with an injury for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and just piled it on them behind Tom Brady and company.

This all leads to Houston in two weeks on Feb. 5 for Super Bowl 51. Though it’s not the Packers-Patriots matchup that the NFL surely hoped for in regards to ratings, it is a game that should be highly entertaining.

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While Bill Belichick and the Patriots have an edge whenever given two weeks to prepare, no one has had a true answer to Kyle Shanahan’s offense this season. It’ll be both a test of wills and potentially a shootout in Super Bowl 51. Now that the matchup is set, I certainly can’t wish the next two weeks away soon enough.

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