Falcons' Super Bowl Play Call Makes 'Biggest Do-Over' List

Without any players on the football field again until late July, now is the time of year for media pundits to revisit key moments in NFL history.

This week, CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo went through the biggest moments each NFL franchise would like to forget. DeArdo called the list -- "Every NFL team's biggest do-over of all time."

It doesn't take an NFL historian to know that the biggest do-over for the Atlanta Falcons is from Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. The only question is which moment from that game did DeArdo choose.

He went with Patriots linebacker Don'ta Hightower's sack and forced fumble of quarterback Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter.

"If given the opportunity to do it again, then-Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan would have called a running play with the Falcons ahead, 28-12, and facing a third-and-1 on the Patriots' 36-yard line with 8:31 remaining in Super Bowl LI," DeArdo wrote. "Instead of giving the ball to one of his backs, Shanahan called for a pass play which resulted in Dont'a Hightower forcing a sack/forced fumble of Matt Ryan that was scooped up by Alan Branch.

"The Patriots made it a one-possession game two minutes later, and would go on to pull off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history."

The other top Falcons moment that was likely a candidate for DeArdo's list was another play where then Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan chose to pass instead of run in the fourth quarter of that Super Bowl.

On second-and-11 at the Patriots 23-yard line with 3:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Ryan dropped back to pass and was again sacked. The 12-yard loss pushed the Falcons to the fringe of field goal range while they still led New England by eight.

The Falcons needed just a field goal to likely seal their first Super Bowl victory. But then on third-and-23, Ryan again attempted to pass, and left tackle Jake Matthews committed a holding penalty.

That completely pushed Atlanta out of field goal range. The Falcons punted, and well, as they say, the rest is history.

It's really pick your poison when it comes to which moment is the biggest do-over in Falcons history. Change either sack to even a no gain and Atlanta's chances of holding on to beat New England in Super Bowl LI greatly improves.