NFL roundup: Falcons, Patriots will battle it out in Super Bowl LI
By Brad Weiss
On Championship Sunday, two NFL teams dominated on both sides of the ball, as the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons will head to Super Bowl LI.
The Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers kicked off Championship Sunday, as the two teams met in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers came into the game red-hot, as they had won their previous eight games. However, this has been the year of the Falcon, and Matt Ryan and company destroyed the Packers from the start. Ryan accounted for five touchdowns in the team’s 44-21 victory, as he showed the world why he is the front-runner to win the NFL MVP this season.
In game two, the New England Patriots took on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and like the NFC Championship Game, the AFC Championship Game was not much of a contest. Tom Brady had another dominant performance, leading the Patriots to their seventh Super Bowl under his leadership. Wide receiver Chris Hogan racked up a franchise playoff-high 180 yards, while catching two of Brady’s three touchdowns. When it was all said and done, the Pats easily cruised to a 36-17 victory, leaving no question as to who was the best team in the AFC this year.
On February 5, 2017, the Falcons and Patriots will meet in Super Bowl LI, and there are plenty of storylines to go with the matchup. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is looking for his first Super Bowl win, which would cement his spot as one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. Brady is looking for his fifth Super Bowl title, which would break his tie with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, making him the winningest quarterback in Super Bowl history. It should be an incredible matchup inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Speaking of the Patriots, it looks like they would be willing to trade backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo if the price is right. Garoppolo will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2017, and his stock could not be higher than it is right now. The NFL is lacking depth at the quarterback position, and Garoppolo proved in 2016 that he can win games as a starter. Current starter Tom Brady does not look like he plans on retiring any time soon, and the Pats will likely strike while the iron is hot.
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Finally, the team that won the Super Bowl last year failed to make the playoffs this season, and they may be looking to add a quarterback of their own. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo appears headed out of Dallas thanks to the emergence of rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott, and the Denver Broncos may be a destination for the Pro Bowler. Current Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware feels that Romo would be a perfect fit for the team, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders stated that he would benefit from playing with him as well.