Patriots bury Falcons in Super Bowl 51 rematch
On Sunday night at Foxborough, the Atlanta Falcons were defeated by the New England Patriots. What did we learn from Super Bowl rematch?
This is starting to become somewhat of a tradition. Prior to 2014, the teams that had squared off in the Super Bowl the previous year would face each other the following season just five times in 47 years. When the New England Patriots hosted the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, it marked the third Super Bowl rematch in the last four seasons.
For the record, the defending champion had done quite well in this setting – winning five of the previous seven clashes. That includes a year ago, when the Denver Broncos handled the Carolina Panthers seven months after defeating them in Super Bowl 50.
Now make it six out of eight. The Pats jumped out to a 17-0 lead at intermission and cruised to a 23-7 victory. And don’t look now but that New England defense may be getting its act together.
Highlights Posted Live as They Happen
Three Stars
1.Tom Brady
He was steady and not spectacular and that was good enough to knock off a struggling Falcons’ team. Brady completed 21 of his 29 throws for 249 yards and touchdown passes to Brandin Cooks and James White.
2. Brandin Cooks
The one-time first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints continued to be a big-time acquisition for the defending Super Bowl champs. Cooks finished with four receptions, good for 65 yards and a score in the win over the Falcons.
3. Dion Lewis
Although he didn’t score a touchdown, we started to see some of that star quality that makes him a dangerous part of the offense. Lewis ran 13 times for 76 yards, part of the club’s 162 yards on the ground in the 23-7 win.
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Odds
The defending Super Bowl champions were a 3-point favorite to knock off the Falcons for the second time in 10 months. It would be interesting to see how many people were intrigued by the massive over/under (55).
Next Week
The Atlanta Falcons hit the road for the second straight Sunday and will face an AFC East opponent for the fourth consecutive game as Dan Quinn’s club travels to MetLife Stadium to meet the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champions are home for the fifth time in eight games as they host Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers.