15 bold predictions for Super Bowl 51
By John Buhler
14. Matt Ryan will get sacked at least three times
Getting after the quarterback will be imperative for both defensive strategies. Though he is the more mobile of the two, Ryan will be brought down for a loss at least three times. Will Brady get sacked on Sunday? Absolutely, but Ryan holds on to the ball a tad longer than Brady and three sacks will be the result.
That being said, seeing Ryan get sacked three times does not indicate that Atlanta will have a terrible day offensively. Frankly, it won’t indicate that the offensive line is having a bad day in pass protection in all honesty.
What it means is that Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will devise a game plan that will make Ryan hold on to the ball a bit long than he would like. He could send pressure up the middle to compromise the pocket with front-seven pieces like Alan Branch, Chris Long and Rob Ninkovich.
In short, Patricia will use a barrage of pressure to try to bait Ryan into making errant throws into closing windows. Rather than turn the ball over, Ryan will take a few of these sacks to retain possession. He’s incredibly durable as a passer, so he’ll be fine playing in a muddier pocket than normal this season.