As much as I can't stand the Patriots, I....

[ktuck911]

... gotta respect the heck out of them.. Relentless.... Their offense plays a full 4 quarters... just relentlessly gets after it... Dink, dunk you to death then the big gash plays, which really didn't happen yesterday, but, geesh they get after it...

That's football folks... You play the entire game... I tip my cap to them...

Atlanta, in my opinion, after that 1/2 performance, are just out of their league. They were in the driver's seat to cease the moment and simply folded...

 

[huskypantz]

The ATL defense was exhausted, once the Pats won the coin toss in OT it was game-set-match. Poor game management by the ATL coaching staff and a tired defense/loss of momentum = unbelievable comeback.

 

[gtcam]

Once the refs started to call all those secondary holds - that was a tide turner
All through the first half the folks I were with (mostly Giants fans) were amazed what the Falcons secondary was getting away with
give Brady an inch and he will make it a mile

 

[BugsyCT]

One telling thing that was happening, even when the Falcons built that 28-3 lead, was that the Pats were still significantly leading in time of possession. Once the comeback got rolling, the Falcons' D had to be gassed.
Pats scored the last 5 times they touched the ball and converted two 2-pt conversions. Once they won the OT coin toss it was over.

 

[cryjeremiah]

If Atlanta runs the ball 75% of the time in the second half, they win easily. Running down the clock was their best strategy and they failed miserably. Especially after that unreal Julio catch, run it 3 times and an extra 2 minutes off the clock and you are likely in FG range. Oh, and maybe don't run it behind your broken-legged center. Props to Alex Mack, by the way, not knocking his heart. As a staff you just have to know better.

Yes, Atlanta gave it away, but I don't know how many teams other than this Patriots dynasty pull it off. They are unreal. You can't give them an inch.

Also, great to see how excited and emotional Howie Long was to see his son win a SB. It's impressive to hear him talk with obvious amazement about the man his son has become. I hope I get to respect my son the way he obviously respects his son Chris.

 

[coachcap]

Once the refs started to call all those secondary holds - that was a tide turner
All through the first half the folks I were with (mostly Giants fans) were amazed what the Falcons secondary was getting away with
give Brady an inch and he will make it a mile

Agree about the secondary holds, but what was the Atlanta hierarchy thinking when the Falcons only needed a field goal to ice the game deep in Pats territory. Run the damned ball & force the Pats to exhaust their timeouts. Then kick the field goal. But, NO. Matt Ryan gets sacked. Then a holding penalty takes the Falcons out of field goal range. Damned stupid football.

 

[BugsyCT]

Another incredible stat - in the Pats' 7 SB appearances in the Brady/Belichick era, this 6-point OT win was the largest margin of victory. A few plays here & there in each game, and they could be 7-0 or 0-7 in all those SBs. But credit to them - championship teams make the plays when it matters, that's why they have 5 rings.

 

[Dove]

Sad falcon...

 

[UC313]

Did anyone notice Arthur Blank (stare) on the field during the third quarter? He completely jinxed his team. Keep your billionaire butt in your booth until the final whistle blows!

 

[2Infinity]

Did anyone notice Arthur Blank (stare) on the field during the third quarter? He completely jinxed his team. Keep your billionaire butt in your booth until the final whistle blows!

Good point. Really the last thing a young team like that needed was the added pressure of seeing their owner roaming the sidelines, anticipating a victory, with so much time left.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Out coached and out quarterbacked.

When Ryan received the ill advised pass play from the sidelines after the Julio catch, his first thought should be that he needed to get rid of the ball no matter what. Sack was unacceptable at that point....especially after his last sack/fumble. If he doesn't take the sack there, I think they run on 3rd down...which means no holding call. Then kick the field goal.

Passing was an idiotic play call, but Ryan could have stepped up and made a better play there. But...he went to BC...what do you expect.

 

[traitor71]

They were up 25 points and proceeded to only run it 4 times from that point on. I know NE held the ball on offense, but that is just coaching malpractice on the part of Atlanta.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If Atlanta runs the ball 75% of the time in the second half, they win easily. Running down the clock was their best strategy and they failed miserably. Especially after that unreal Julio catch, run it 3 times and an extra 2 minutes off the clock and you are likely in FG range. Oh, and maybe don't run it behind your broken-legged center. Props to Alex Mack, by the way, not knocking his heart. As a staff you just have to know better.

Yes, Atlanta gave it away, but I don't know how many teams other than this Patriots dynasty pull it off. They are unreal. You can't give them an inch.

Also, great to see how excited and emotional Howie Long was to see his son win a SB. It's impressive to hear him talk with obvious amazement about the man his son has become. I hope I get to respect my son the way he obviously respects his son Chris.

I saw a stat on Twitter, after Atlanta scored to go up 28-3 they ran the ball FOUR TIMES for the rest of the game.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The Atlanta Coach Staff are obviously graduates of the Bob Diaco School of Clock Management........they all graduated with honors.

Like the OP, I hate the Patriots, but I respect the hell out of them. Brady settled the "Greatest Ever" debate a few years ago in my mind. If you have that guy down, you have to keep him down. Just a horribly coached game by Atlanta.

49ers ownership must be worried. They waited the entirety of the playoffs to hire the guy who orchestrated that final series.

 

[huskypantz]

Did anyone notice Arthur Blank (stare) on the field during the third quarter? He completely jinxed his team. Keep your billionaire butt in your booth until the final whistle blows!

He looked distraught approaching OT.

 

[huskypantz]

Sad falcon...

Well your subscription to justcuteanimals.com is paying off in spades today.

 

[ktuck911]

Out coached and out quarterbacked.

When Ryan received the ill advised pass play from the sidelines after the Julio catch, his first thought should be that he needed to get rid of the ball no matter what. Sack was unacceptable at that point....especially after his last sack/fumble. If he doesn't take the sack there, I think they run on 3rd down...which means no holding call. Then kick the field goal.

Passing was an idiotic play call, but Ryan could have stepped up and made a better play there. But...he went to BC...what do you expect.

I wouldn't say outcoached.. definitely out quarterbacked.... Matty Ice??? Ahhhh... Me thinks not... U up 28-3 late in the 3rd quarter you are the League MVP, you are the leader of the football team... YOU LEAD YOUR TEAM TO VICTORY... No mercy on the Pats at that point... You ATTACK! Matt Ryan is more like... Can the ice crap... You just can't lose that game.. I don't care how worn down the D was you put the game in your hands and your best offensive player's hands... Get the ball to Julio Jones and keep movin them chains... in the 3rd quarter up 28-3... Then when your up 4 scores with say 5:00 to go you take off the gas pedal (maybe)....

 

[ktuck911]

He looked distraught approaching OT.

So did his wife... He's wondering how the hell do we lose this game up 2 scores late in the game???

Be happy with your MVP trophy Matty Ice... At least you got yours...

Again, NE is a great team, but you just can't lose that football game.. not with an O like Atlanta's ....

 

[Hamms30]

As soon as that sack fumble happened, I had one of those "it's gonna happen, isn't it?" moments. Especially because there was absolutely NO reason to be throwing the ball in that spot. I can't remember if it was 6:30 to play or closer to 8 minutes.. but you are up 16 with your foot on their neck and your run game has been getting the job done when needed and you decide to throw? Same thing after the onside kick.. with the penalty you are starting at the other teams 40. Why are you throwing and risking the sacks and holding penalties?? You kinda feel for the Falcons, but man.. what an awful last couple series they put together. Put up 28 pts in the first half and lay a goose for the second half?

Congrats to the Patriots. Had to dig down for that one. And more importantly.. after that Edelman catch, I'm glad I'll never have to listen to a Pats fan whine about the helmet catch being the luckiest play ever again.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I wouldn't say outcoached.. definitely out quarterbacked.... Matty Ice??? Ahhhh... Me thinks not... U up 28-3 late in the 3rd quarter you are the League MVP, you are the leader of the football team... YOU LEAD YOUR TEAM TO VICTORY... No mercy on the Pats at that point... You ATTACK! Matt Ryan is more like... Can the ice crap... You just can't lose that game.. I don't care how worn down the D was you put the game in your hands and your best offensive player's hands... Get the ball to Julio Jones and keep movin them chains... in the 3rd quarter up 28-3... Then when your up 4 scores with say 5:00 to go you take off the gas pedal (maybe)....

While he was more Matty Mice than Matty Ice, I still think the coaches deserve most of the blame. He just never bailed them out by making a play. He almost did with the Julio catch, but then he sealed their fate with what sack.

 

[huskypantz]

While he was more Matty Mice than Matty Ice, I still think the coaches deserve most of the blame. He just never bailed them out by making a play. He almost did with the Julio catch, but then he sealed their fate with what sack.

The coaches did the Falcons players no favors, that's for sure. That said, the sack is a great example of something that Brady just doesn't let happen. It's why he's the best.

 

[Redding Husky]

I saw a stat on Twitter, after Atlanta scored to go up 28-3 they ran the ball FOUR TIMES for the rest of the game.

In the second half, they ran it nine times for 18 yards. They were getting stuffed at the line.

 

[Redding Husky]

Congrats to Terry Bradshaw who kept saying Brady was the GOAT. Bradshaw had four Super Bowls of his own. That can't be easy for an extremely successful athlete to admit things like that. Very classy.

 

[BlueDogs]

Congrats to Terry Bradshaw who kept saying Brady was the GOAT. Bradshaw had four Super Bowls of his own. That can't be easy for an extremely successful athlete to admit things like that. Very classy.

Bradshaw is a class act. He's a guy who lives the game more than himself. He was genuinely happy for Brady.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

In the second half, they ran it nine times for 18 yards. They were getting stuffed at the line.

I really didn't have an issue with the play calling except for the calls after the Julio catch. Yeah...maybe run on 3rd and 1 when Ryan got stripped. But, I didn't mind the aggressiveness. But, when they passed with 4 minutes left, that wasn't aggressive...it was stupid.