Falcons: Looking back on Grady Jarrett’s Super Bowl performance

Just what every Atlanta Falcons fan wants to do right? Go back and think more about one of the worst days in every Falcons’ fans life and the worst day in the Falcons’ 66 year history.

However, there are some things that should be talked about more from Super Bowl 51, even if Atlanta lost the game, and one of those things is just how dominant Grady Jarrett was.

The Falcons’ defensive tackle put on an all-time performance in Super Bowl history

Everyone knows that the Falcons have a star player in Grady Jarrett, he has been one of the best defensive tackles over the six or so seasons.

They always say that the best players show up in the biggest moments, and Grady certainly did just that in 2017.

The Falcons’ defense that year was pretty underwhelming, as they usually are, and there is no doubt they were an offensive-driven team with Matt Ryan winning MVP and Julio Jones putting up monster numbers in Kyle Shanahan’s incredible offense.

Atlanta just needed to have a serviceable defense that year, and for the most part, they were just that. They were led by Grady Jarrett and he put on a show for the whole world to see.

We all know the Falcons ended up losing that game in a brutal fashion but if they had won, Grady could have ended up as the Super Bowl MVP.

Jarrett had 46 pass-rushing snaps in the Super Bowl and was able to sack Tom Brady three times—two of which came in the span of three plays.

He tied three other players—Kony Ealy, Darnell Dockett, and the great Reggie White—for the most sacks in a Super Bowl.

According to Pro Football Focus, the New England Patriots had the 11th best offensive line in the league that year, and Grady primarily matched up against Shaq Mason who was one of the best players at his position that year. That makes it that much more impressive.

When you think back to that Super Bowl, many probably forgot that two of his sacks came in the fourth quarter, which was also during the Falcon’s collapse. In other words, Grady did his job during the most critical point in the game, but bad play by the other defenders and poor situational play calling on offense ended up costing Atlanta the game.

To add to his sack total he was also able to blow up a screen pass for negative yards and made another stop that held the Patriots to no gain.

It was and is still heartbreaking that the Falcons lost that Super Bowl, not only because of the fact that it would have been their first-ever championship, but because it overshadows a few players who were simply dominant during the biggest game in the history of the Atlanta Falcons.