Five key talking points ahead of Superbowl LI

Sport360 staff 11:33 05/02/2017
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  • Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will be chasing history as they attempt to stop the Atlanta Falcons from claiming their first Super Bowl crown here Sunday.

    More than 100 million homes across the United States and millions more worldwide will tune in for the American football showpiece in Houston, which sees Brady aiming to become the most decorated quarterback of all time.

    Ahead of the match, Sport360 examines where the tie will be won and lost at NRG Stadium.

    Staying afloat in the first quarter

    For both these teams, the first quarter could make all the difference. With how good the offences are, falling too far behind is not an option.

    They’ll likely have to hold serve by scoring on almost every possession, right from the start. The Patriots have scored zero points in their previous six Super Bowl first quarters, whereas the Falcons enter having found the end zone on eight straight opening drives.

    New England can certainly come from behind, as they did in 2015 against Seattle, but perhaps the circumstances will make Bill Belichick opt to receive the ball if they win the toss, as opposed to deferring like they normally do.

    Bill Belichick

    Bill Belichick

    Getting a pass rush on Brady without blitzing

    It’s no secret what the blueprint is to beat Tom Brady: get pressure on him without sending extra rushers. Which Falcons pass rush will show up though?

    In the regular season, Atlanta ranked 27th in the league in pressure rate at 24.9 per cent. In the playoffs, they’ve churned out a 44.9 per cent pressure rate, a mark which would easily have been the best during the season.

    But the Falcons’ up-tick has come with a rise in blitz rate to 36.0 per cent. Tom Brady has always been phenomenal against the blitz and this season he went 61-of-99 for 838 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions for a top-ranking passer rating of 125.7 against extra pressure.

    Tom Brady

    Tom Brady

    Avoiding a Julio explosion

    We’ve heard it ad nauseum these past two weeks: Bill Belichick is notorious for taking away a team’s best weapon. So what does that mean going against a freak of nature like Julio Jones?

    It means Belichick will do everything he can to ensure a gameplan which doesn’t allow Jones to get out of the box with big plays.

    Even if Jones finishes with a glossy stat line with plenty of receptions and yards at the end of the day, the Patriots will live with it if it means avoiding giving up chunks at a time.

    Whether it’s Malcolm Butler or someone else lined up on Jones, it’s almost a certainty the corner will have safety help over the top.

    Julio Jones

    Julio Jones

    Utilising running backs in the passing game

    If these teams can run the ball with success, that’ll of course make a huge difference. But how the running backs are used in the passing game will be just as pivotal.

    Dion Lewis and James White are both options who can create mismatches for New England, while Atlanta’s duo of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman can do the same.

    Tom Brady can use the no-huddle when Lewis is on the field to put the Falcons’ defence in uncomfortable situations, while Matt Ryan can target Freeman or Coleman when a large portion of the Patriots’ defensive focus is fixated on Julio Jones.

    Expect to see a lot of swing, flat, angled and wheel routes.

    Dion Lewis

    Dion Lewis

    Converting in the red zone

    Neither team can settle for field goals, especially when they get a sniff of the end zone. For Atlanta’s offence, as prolific as they’ve been, their red zone touchdown percentage of 63.16 ranked just 10th in the league.

    That’s far from bad, but it should be higher for a historically-dominant attack. One of the major reasons why New England had the best scoring defence this season is they hold up in the red zone, where they allowed a touchdown 50 per cent of the time – tied for the sixth-best mark.

    They’ll let you beat them between the 20s but not in the money area. Where did the Falcons defence rank? 72.13 per cent. As in dead last.

    Julio Jones

    Julio Jones

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