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Will Roger Goodell hand the Lombardi Trophy to the Atlanta Falcons or New England Patriots? Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

Who wins Super Bowl LI: The Falcons or Patriots?

By YB Staff | Last updated 2/3/17

It's almost time. After two weeks of ad nauseum Super Bowl coverage, Super Bowl LI finally kicks off Sunday. We all know the history of these two franchises — the dynastic New England Patriots helmed by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady vs. the perennial also-ran Atlanta Falcons, led by Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and an explosive running game.

Welcome to the final Super Bowl LI Yardbarker roundtable. We've asked several questions about Sunday's big game over the past week, but now it's prediction time:

Who is your pick to win Super Bowl LI and why?

Mike Tunison: Patriots. They're playing too well on both sides of the ball, and I count on Bill Belichick to have a better game plan than Kyle Shanahan. While Atlanta's offense is very good, it will have to be otherworldly to win. The defense isn't reliable enough to get stops when it needs to while the Pats are more likely to force that one killer mistake out of Matt Ryan.

Sam Greszes: The Falcons. Julio Jones is a matchup nightmare, and Matt Ryan has convinced the nation that he deserves to be the MVP. There are too many weapons on the Falcons' offense for the Patriots to stop, and although Brady will most likely be able to keep up until the half, I expect the Falcons to pull away later in the game and end up winning by multiple scores. The Patriots' offense isn't good enough to keep up with the Falcons, and their defense isn't good enough to stop them.

Devonta Freeman helps open up Julio Jones and the passing game for the Atlanta Falcons. USA TODAY Sports

David Matthews: I'm going with the Patriots because Eli Manning isn't going to be playing at any point. The Patriots are a very good team with an underrated defense. They will have their hands full with the Falcons' offense but are bound to do some Patriots things and get some Patriots breaks. I won't mind seeing Roger Goodell hand over the Lombardi Trophy with extremely pursed lips. That said, I fully expect Julio Jones to do everything in his capacity to prevent that before ultimately coming up short.

Demetrius Bell: Of course my heart is leaning toward the Falcons winning this game, but my brain is also leaning toward the Falcons as well and it's mostly because of Atlanta's defense showing signs of improvement as the season has gone on. If the defense that started the season was going up against this Patriots team right now, I'd pick the Patriots. But for now, I have faith that they can get at least a few defensive stops here or there against New England's excellent offense. That might be all Atlanta's offense needs to get the victory.

Shiloh Carder: It's almost like picking the Alabama-Clemson game all over again. On one side, you have the established, great coach going for yet another championship to further cement the program's legacy. On the other, the team is certainly great enough to win this game, but we really aren't sure what we may get from it. You want to pick that team but are scared to go against that dynasty it's up against.

Everything, to me, points to New England winning. Heck, the Patriots will be wearing their white jerseys, and you know that the team wearing white has won 11 of the last 12 Super Bowls. Tom Brady is 4-0 against the Falcons. The favorite is 32-18 in the Super Bowl. And there's their defense.

I have New England winning 28-24. Both offenses have success, but I think this game patterns itself to the Pats' Super Bowl win over Seattle.

Jan 22, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and head coach Bill Belichick after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

Jamie Neal: Atlanta is going to walk away with a win. Brady and Co. are going to be prepared, but they are running into a team that is clicking on all cylinders offensively.

The Falcons are playing their brand of football regardless of their opponent and have shown an ability to stay in every game they play.

The Pats are the best at in-game adjustments and giving Belichick and his staff two weeks to prepare for a team is almost unfair, but I don't think the Patriots' defense is going to be able to shut down the best WR in the game in Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, who should win the league's MVP this year.

Falcons 27 - Patriots 17.

Daniel Tran: Remember when the New York Giants' defense came in hot to the Super Bowl by bringing the heat to opposing quarterbacks? The Atlanta Falcons have that same feel this year.

The Falcons have gotten five sacks in two playoff games (tied for second among teams that have played two playoff games) and have had no trouble pressuring the quarterback this year (third in defensive hurries). The Patriots have allowed 11 hits on Tom Brady this playoff season, so he could be in for a rough night if the Falcon pass rush heats up.

Add in a hot Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, and Atlanta has a recipe to win the Super Bowl. Falcons take it, 28-24.

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