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New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons: Team Grades for Super Bowl LI

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:13 p.m. ET

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Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots were able to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. What team grades did they receive for the win?

Super Bowl 51 turned out to be an instant classic between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.

Despite the Falcons having a big lead in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were able to overcome the biggest deficit in Super Bowl history for the win. It was really a tale of two halves for the Patriots.

In the first half, the Patriots made a lot of mistakes. On offense, they looked out of sync with poor throws, dropped balls, and poor blocking. Luckily, some adjustments at halftime resulted in the Patriots winning their fifth Super Bowl.

The Falcons had a few chances to put the Patriots away, however, they left the door open. After it looked like Julio Jones sealed the deal with an amazing catch on the sidelines, the Falcons went backward when a field goal would have sealed the deal.

Losing a game like that was certainly a heartbreaker for the Falcons. However, for the Patriots, it turned out to be one of the most memorable games in franchise history. Despite the slow start, things ended up pretty well for the Patriots on their team grades.

With the season officially over, here are the final team grades for the Patriots in Super Bowl 51!

Feb 6, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady speaks during the Super Bowl LI most valuable player press conference flanked by the Lombardi Trophy at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Passing Offense

Like most other areas for the Patriots, it didn’t start out well for the Patriots’ passing offense. There was poor pass protection, poor throws, and dropped balls. This combination of errors resulted in the Patriots having just three points at halftime. While the Patriots have historically started out slow in the first quarter, it did not look good early on.

One of the biggest mistakes of the first half came on a throw by Tom Brady. On the Falcons side of the field, Brady threw an ill-advised pass over that middle that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. It appeared to be a back-breaking play for the Patriots, however, Brady and company responded.

In the win, Brady ended up finishing the Super Bowl with a monster game. On his way to winning his fifth Super Bowl, Brady totaled 466 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. As expected, some of his wide receivers ended up turning in big games as well. Surprisingly, running back James White was the leading receiver for the Patriots. He was able to total a new Super Bowl record with 14 receptions. In addition to White, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell, and Julian Edelman all totaled at least 70 receiving yards. It ended up being a historic game for the Patriots, and the strong showing from their passing offense was one of the reasons why.

Grade: B+

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch ahead of New England Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe (25) in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports

Passing Defense

It wasn’t a perfect game for the Patriots’ passing defense in the win. Going up against the best offense in the NFL, the Falcons were going to have some success through the air. Matt Ryan was the MVP in 2016 for a reason, and completely shutting him down would have been impossible.

Despite going against the best offense in the league, the Patriots’ passing defense did fairly well. Ryan had a good game, as he totaled 284 passing yards and two touchdown passes. While 284 passing yards is a good amount, that is actually containing Ryan if you compare it to what he did for most of the season.

In addition to holding Ryan to under 300 yards passing, the Patriots also limited Julio Jones. On Sunday, Jones was held to just four receptions and 87 receiving yards. It was shocking to see that Jones was only targetted four times in the game by Ryan. This goes to show how the game plan for the Patriots was clearly made to shut down Jones.

No other receiver really stepped up and had a monster game, as Taylor Gabriel was the second-leading receiver with 76 receiving yards. Overall, the Patriots’ passing defense did an excellent job against the best offense in the league.

Grade: B+

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) scores the game-winning touchdown in overtime during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Rushing Offense

It was a pretty solid performance on the ground for the Patriots in Super Bowl 51. They didn’t have huge runs, but they did have a few big ones at the right time. Overall, the team totaled 104 rushing yards and a 4.2 yards per carry average. In the win, LeGarrette Blount was the team’s leading rushing. However, he only averaged 2.8 yards per carry.

Even though Blount wasn’t great on the ground, the Patriots were able to get good production from their other running backs. James White was able to total 29 rushing yards on six carries with two rushing touchdowns. In addition to White, Dion Lewis totaled 27 rushing yards on six carries. The speed of Lewis and White were a bit more effective than Blount’s bruising style.

In the win, even Tom Brady was able to help out on the ground. With a need for a first down, Brady took off and ran for 15 yards. It was his only run of the game, however, it was the longest by any runner on the Patriots.

It would have been nice for the Patriots to have some more success on the ground against the Falcons. However, they were able to run the ball pretty effectively, and it helped keep the Falcons’ defense honest on play-action throws.

Grade: B-

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) carries the ball past New England Patriots outside linebacker Elandon Roberts (52) in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Seals-USA TODAY Sports

Rushing Defense

One of the great strengths of the Patriots all season was their rushing defense. In the regular season, they were ranked third in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed. Also, they were ranked eighth in opponents yards per carry average on the ground. Overall, it was a solid season for the rushing defense.

In the Super Bowl, one of the key matchups was the battle on the ground. With the Falcons having success on the ground during the regular season, it was an interesting battle to monitor. In the Super Bowl, the Falcons’ rushing offense certainly won the battle.

Their leading rusher was, of course, Devonta Freeman. Against the Patriots, Freeman played a very good game, as he totaled 75 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Freeman averaged 6.8 yards per carry, and it was shocking to see the Falcons not give him the ball more often in the game. In addition to Freeman, Tevin Coleman also had a solid game with 29 rushing yards on seven carries.

The Patriots’ run defense has been excellent, however, they were beaten up in the Super Bowl. The Falcons certainly missed their opportunities to bury the Patriots by going away from the running game.

Grade: C-

Feb 6, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick speaks during the Super Bowl LI winning team press conference flanked by the Lombardi Trophy at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching

The Patriots’ coaching staff once again deserves a lot of credit. Despite trailing big at halftime, the Patriots made plenty of adjustments to help the team win. In the first half, the Patriots were moving the ball fairly well. However, they didn’t have much to show for it. Two turnovers certainly hurt the Patriots, as they were in Atlanta territory both times.

In addition to the turnovers in the first half, the Patriots had some issues protecting Brady. In the second half, the pocket was much cleaner, and the Patriots began to thrive. Most notably, the defensive adjustments in the second half really helped the Patriots.

Throughout the game, the Patriots did a pretty good job stopping Julio Jones. In the game, Jones made a few fantastic catches. Even though he made some big plays, the coverage was generally great on Jones. The Patriots’ coaching staff likes to take away an opposing team’s best player. In the Super Bowl, they did just that.

For Belichick, this was his fifth Super Bowl win as a head coach. Even though the first half wasn’t pretty, a lot of credit has to go to the coaches for the comeback win. If not for the adjustments at halftime, the Patriots likely would have been blown out of the Super Bowl.

Grade: A

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