Cris Carter: Atlanta Falcons are Trouble for the New England Patriots
By John Follett
Could the New England Patriots be in trouble against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51? NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter seems to think so.
On the Make Me Smarter football podcast, Carter explained to Nick Wright why the Atlanta Falcons offense may spell trouble for the Patriots.
"“This is not the most dominant Patriots team that I’ve seen. When you look at it, there are holes on their defense. They’re very formidable in the front seven. They take teams out of rushing the football. But their linebackers, not great in pass coverage. And they do give up some yardage,” Carter told Wright."
Carter went on to compare the Atlanta Falcons to the “Greatest Show on Turf” of Super Bowl 36. He acknowledged Bill Belichick’s game plan shut down the Rams’ offense, but not without physical play NFL rules no longer permit.
"“Belichick in that game decided to be very, very physical with the receivers on the outside, which in turn, the rules were changed where you can’t even play that anymore. And they tried to take Marshall Faulk, from being a receiver, out of the backfield. So what they did was, their rush ends, any time Marshall Faulk was to their side, they always contacted him and made sure he didn’t get a free release.”"
What New England did to Faulk back in 2002 is a strategy Carter doesn’t feel will work against the Falcons. He pointed out the Falcons have a heavier arsenal now than the Rams did back in Super Bowl 36. It’s an arsenal that includes Julio Jones and a pair of explosive running backs in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.
This is interesting insight from Carter and music to the collective ears of Falcons Nation. Atlanta fans are giving New England plenty of respect ahead of the big game, but what the former Vikings’ receiver suggests is quite the game-changer. Perhaps the Patriots aren’t in the Falcons’ league, rather than the other way around.
Past performances mean nothing when strictly talking Super Bowls. Remove the Patriots’ Super Bowl history and we’re left with only the current season’s body of work. That said, consider that the Atlanta Falcons went through Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers-led offenses. The New England Patriots haven’t played a top five offense at all this season.
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