Guide to the New England Patriots
Another @SuperBowl season for New England…
The @Patriots Top 10 Plays of 2016! https://t.co/bmKLJe2Jlm
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2017
The New England Patriots have many things going for them entering Super Bowl LI. History is on New England’s side in many different ways.
Tom Brady definitely has the edge in experience. pic.twitter.com/mzirDaHVaH
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 24, 2017
- No Super Bowl champion has ever allowed more than 400 points during the regular season, and the Falcons allowed 406 this season.
- The Patriots allowed fewer points than any other team in the league this season. Teams allowing the least amount during the season are 13-5.
- The Falcons scored more points this season than any other team in the league. Teams that led the league in scoring are only 10-11 in the Super Bowl all-time.
- Tom Brady has faced the Atlanta Falcons four times over the course of his career, sporting a 4-0 record while having a 115.7 passer rating against them.
- This match up will be the first time Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will face the Bill Belichick lead Patriots. Since 2010 head coaches going against Belichick for the first time in their careers are 3-22.
The New England Patriots were 14-2 this season, all while Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the season (Pats went 3-1 without him), and Rob Gronkowski only played in eight games. Brady appears to have a chip on his shoulder this year, as he battled with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell all offseason to avoid suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal. In his 12 games this season, Brady threw 28 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Oh and in case you haven’t heard, he has done this Super Bowl thing before, and has a few records to show for it:
- Passing attempts – 247
- Passing yards – 1,605
- Completions – 164
- Passing touchdowns – 13
- Consecutive completions – 16
- appearances – 7
- Wins by a quarterback – 4 (tied)
- Super Bowl MVP awards – 3 (tied)
Of course, there is more to the Patriots offense then just ‘Tom Terrific’. Running back LeGarrette Blount rushed for 1,161 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns this season. Running back James White was also a major contributor, but his value lies in the passing game, as he was second on the team in receptions (60 for 551 yards), while scoring five times. While Blount and White’s numbers looked the best on paper, it’s back Dion Lewis who has the most interesting stat coming into this game:
.@DionLewisRB: Major ???? to the @Patriots success. pic.twitter.com/FCzEiurXbK
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2017
One of the more surprising aspects of this years Patriots defense has been their defense. It hasn’t necessarily been one player that has been the standout, impact player either, it’s been a team effort. The Pats defense allowed fewer points than any other team in the league while giving up the 8th fewest yards all season, an impressive feat considering most of their opponents were playing from behind.
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