Sports Talk

Two quarterbacks in the MVP conversation clash in this year’s Super Bowl. Then there’s the number one scoring defense against the top ranked offense and one team that has consistently been here since 2000 against a team that is new on the scene.

Patriots versus Falcons in one last game.

On one side, there is Tom Brady – the 39-year-old sure thing first ballot Hall of Famer who has played with a vengeance since coming back from his four-game suspension – playing in his record seventh Super Bowl and seeking his fifth ring.

Matt Ryan, who seems to be the front runner for the MVP award, is playing in his first Super Bowl after putting up career numbers and leading the Falcons to the number one scoring offense this year.

In case you didn’t know, Julio Jones is a beast of a receiver. He definitely helped Ryan put up those MVP-esque numbers, with 83 catches, more than 1,400 yards receiving and six touchdowns of his own.

In his three postseason games this year, he has made 22 catches for 343 yards and four scores, including nine catches and 180 yards and two touchdowns in a blowout win over the Packers last week. He is a matchup nightmare.

Julian Edelman, for the Patriots, has had a consistently good year yet again, making 98 catches for over 1,100 yards and three scores. Chris Hogan came out of nowhere against the Steelers in the conference championship to put up the exact same stat line Jones had versus the Packers.

And then there’s the rushing attack for both teams, which may get overshadowed by the great passing game. LeGarrette Blount of New England rushed over 1,100 yards while also leading the league in touchdowns with 18. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for 1,600 rushing yards and 19 scores for the Falcons.

As fir the coaches, on one sideline there will be Bill Belichick, arguably one of the best head coaches of all time. On the other side will be second-year head coach Dan Quinn. Belichick has the top defense in the NFL (15.6 points allowed per game), while the Falcons are toward the bottom of the list (25.4 points per game allowed).

The Falcons are a very good team, and maybe in any other year against another team could win it. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t be mad if Ryan wins the MVP award over Brady after the year he had. But what it really comes down to is the fact that the Patriots have the BEST quarterback of all time on their side, playing lights out football with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. My game prediction: 31-24, New England. Brady WILL get his fifth ring.  

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous post Penalties costly for Spartans
Next post Former Spartan returns to Glenbrook as NEC asst. coach