Atlanta Falcons

Five things I want to see happen at Super Bowl LI

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:15 p.m. ET

Fansided, Andrew Hammond/Fansided

Super Bowl LI is only hours away, and our Andrew Hammond talks about five things he wants to see throughout Super Sunday.If you know me and some of the things I’ve written for FanSided this season, you know I like to think outside of the box. In some ways I like to look at the proverbial box and throw it away. Well, I’m here to do that once again and this time I’m doing it with Super Bowl LI. On Sunday, there are five things I want to see happen that would make the game worth watching for me. 1. I want a good old fashioned shootoutIn Super Bowls, the shootout is the sparkling unicorn that we all want to to see but rarely ever get to witness. In the 50 previous Super Bowls only five of those games could you call a “shootout”. With Atlanta and New England, you’ve got two teams that ranked 1st and 3rd in total offense during the regular season. In the playoffs, both teams have continued that trend with New England averaging 40 points a game and Atlanta scoring 35 points per game. No need for these teams to be gun shy at this point, I want to see these two teams slug it out. They’ve got the fire power, why not display it. 2. Start the fireworks from the beginningSuper Bowls are like firework shows, you’re gonna get a few explosions along the way. Some may be bigger than others in some years but still, they’re fireworks. Both teams have big play capability with Julio Jones and Dion Lewis so it’s possible we may get that. Super Bowls usually take time to warm up but the last few have give us some early craziness. In 2014, Denver’s first snap in the ballgame resulted in a safety and from there they never recovered. Add in Carolina’s fumbles in last seasons game and it’s a clear sign that once the fireworks start, they won’t stop till the very end. 3. Vic Beasley against the Patriots offensive lineAgainst New York and Seattle, the legendary quarterback was tested as both front sevens got to the quarterback with various types of blitzes and pressures and in two of those three games, the Patriots lost. Super Bowl LI presents a fascinating challenge, the Falcons defense isn’t as good as those front sevens but they do have Vic Beasley who’s put together one of the best seasons in a while. Beasley had a league leading 15.5 sacks and forced six fumbles, if he can penetrate the Patriots line consistently I’ll be interested to see how New England adjusts throughout the game. 4. The kicking game During the 2016-17 NFL season, we saw more kickers miss kicks on a weekly basis to the point where it became comedy. Only four teams finished the season with a field goal percentage of higher than 90 percent, one of those teams was the Atlanta Falcons. New England struggled in comparison kicking to just an 84 percent clip. While that may not mean much, in a game that most people expect to be close it could very well come down to each of the kickers. The kicking game will be something to watch throughout. Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick Of All-Time5. Atlanta raising the Vince Lombardi trophy Every era in American sports has it’s torch passing. While the this may not be the traditional torch passing of one era to another, this Atlanta Falcons team is part of a new batch of NFL teams that will be contenders for the next five to seven seasons. For Atlanta, you’ve got a team that’s got the league’s MVP (more than likely) in Matt Ryan and the leagues best receiver. Along with a rising star in head coach Dan Quinn, this is Atlanta’s year. While a Patriots victory may add to their historical reign atop the NFL mountain, an Atlanta victory in the Super Bowl would be quite refreshing for an NFL that’s been long overdue in seeing the next generation having success. Atlanta beating New England opens the door to that next phase in NFL history. More from FanSidedSuper Bowl 51 inactives: Michael Floyd won’t play13m agoDonald Trump picks Patriots to win Super Bowl 51 (Video)34m agoSuper Bowl 51: Migos delivers pregame speech to Falcons (Video)46m agoJulio Jones’ Super Bowl cleats are straight fire (Photo)53m agoMelissa McCarthy lampoons Sean Spicer on SNL (Video)58m agoThis article originally appeared on