Will Super Bowl LI provide an exciting game?
Other than the Packers-Cowboys and Steelers-Chiefs games in the Divisional Round, the NFL playoffs have been full of blowouts, and perhaps nothing depicted that more perfectly than the conference championship games. The Atlanta Falcons dismantled the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, while the New England Patriots rolled over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship.
At leas the Pro Bowl was “competitive”? Welcome to the Yardbarker roundtable, just days away from Super Bowl LI. Given the less-than-exciting games thus far this postseason, we asked our panelists:
Overall, the playoffs have not been incredibly remarkable. What gives you hope Super Bowl LI will not reflect a humdrum postseason? (Or conversely, if you're not expecting much out of Super Bowl LI, why?)
Mike Tunison: Matt Ryan and Tom Brady were the two best quarterbacks over the course of the full season. Aaron Rodgers was probably up there by the time the playoffs started, though his receiving corps was banged up by the NFC Championship. While I can't totally discount the idea that the Pats just find a way to make them unravel, this should at least be an entertaining shootout for most of the game. Most likely it'll be that way for three quarters and then the Pats pull away, but if we're lucky it'll stay close until the end.
Sam Greszes: If nothing else, it's always nice to watch top offenses play, and it'll be very interesting to see how (and if) Brady will be able to keep up with Matt Ryan. Like Packers-Falcons, this game promises to be a high-scoring affair, full of explosive plays. So even if the game isn't competitive, it'll at least be entertaining. Plus, no matter who wins, it'll be a historic victory — either Atlanta's first championship in any sport ever (no, the Braves don't count, who are they, I don't remember any team called the Braves) or Bill Belichick and Brady each setting Super Bowl win records.
David Matthews: I think that this Super Bowl is going to be a lot like the Cardinals-Steelers or even Panthers-Patriots ones: games that look like sure-thing blowouts on paper that end up being extremely exciting. Both teams are too good on offense (with the Falcons having a slight edge) in order to not put up a good number of points. The Super Bowl is almost always exciting for one reason or another, and save a few clunkers, we've been on a really good run the last decade and a half or so. Both teams are really good, and typically when two good teams play, the result is a good game. Sometimes it's that simple.
Demetrius Bell: As long as Bill Belichick and friends don't come up with a brilliant solution to stop the Falcons and their high-powered offense, Super Bowl LI should be exciting because both teams have the potential to really light up the scoreboard. If we do get a shootout, then I envy all of the neutral fans because you're going to have an absolute blast while watching this game. Meanwhile, everybody with a rooting interest is probably going to be keeping a finger on his or her pulse as this game goes on because it's going to be really nervy at times.
Shiloh Carder: My hope... I'm stressing "hope"... is that both offenses will be at top form during this game. You have two clutch quarterbacks leading two of the best offenses in the NFL. However, looking back on the history of these things, the team that brings the No. 1 scoring defense has beaten the No. 1 offense in four of five Super Bowl meetings. The Patriots bring the defense; the Falcons the offense.
In those five Super Bowls, three were absolute blowouts. Two were epic (the Steelers' 35-31 win over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII; the Giants beat the Bills, 20-19, in Super Bowl XXV) but had huge mistakes that the games are most remembered for (Jackie Smith's drop, Scott Norwood's kick). My hope is that Atlanta's historic offense is up to the task. And don't dismiss a confident Atlanta defense that played really well against Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers in the postseason. If so, it should be a whale of a game.
Jamie Neal: We're given the opportunity to watch the NFL's best offense against one of the most consistent defenses in the NFL over the past decade and a half. This game has the chance to go down as one of the most memorable Super Bowls given the fact that Atlanta has a chance to win one and beat the Patriots in doing so, and that Brady and Belichick are seeking their fifth ring together.
This game has so many storylines and so much potential, I'm really hoping it lives up to the hype and doesn't fall flat like almost every other game in the playoffs this year.
Daniel Tran: I’m not expecting wire-to-wire action in this game. Both teams will trade jabs and get a feel for each other for the first half at least, but I can say with great confidence that the game will get tight by the fourth quarter. Four of the last six years, the Super Bowl has been decided by six points or less. With both teams equipped with star quarterbacks and hot defenses, this game will be close to where the commercials won’t be the only good thing about the Super Bowl this year.
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