Atlanta Falcons lose bad to Patriots in Super Bowl 51 rematch
By Randy Gurzi
In a high-profiled Super Bowl 51 rematch, the Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed by the New England Patriots in a lopsided 23-7 loss
This one was ugly from the start, and not just because of the dense fog that made it hard to see the players on the field. The Atlanta Falcons never looked like they were ready to compete with the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 51. After giving up the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, the Falcons continually said they weren’t focused on getting revenge in this one, and it showed.
Defensively they struggled to stop quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who jumped out to a 17-0 lead by halftime. They added to that lead and eventually had gone up 23-7 before Atlanta got their first points, on a garbage time touchdown pass to wide receiver Julio Jones — his first of the season.
On offense, they sunk to a new low. Quarterback Matt Ryan missed several open receivers and they continued to once again go away from running back Devonta Freeman despite him running 72 yards on just 12 carries.
Other issues included dumb penalties popping up at the wrong time. Early in the game while trailing 7-0, the Falcons took advantage of a rare Brady mistake when cornerback Robert Alford grabbed an interception in the end zone. It was reversed thanks to a roughing the passer call on defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn. While that was just one play, it was telling as to how the game would unfold for the Falcons.
Other missed opportunities included a blocked field goal that could have started them out with a 3-0 lead, and a later miss by the usually-reliable Matt Bryant.
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The explosive offense is gone in Atlanta (which many believe is the fault of offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian), as the team has now fallen to 3-3. They aren’t done yet, but the emotions aren’t high either as they are now losers of three straight. Hopefully they can get some offense figured out before their next game against the New York Jets.