Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl 51: 5 Ways Patriots vs Falcons Could Play Out

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:47 p.m. ET

Fansided, Cody Williams/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

In Super Bowl 51, you have to be ready for every scenario that could play out between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.

Super Bowl 51 has the makings of a modern classic on Sunday, Feb. 5 from NRG Stadium. Whenever you pit two offenses of the caliber of the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, in addition to two head coaches of the highest caliber with Bill Belichick and Dan Quinn, against one another, the results are sure to be riveting on the field.

However, the results are also increasingly hard to predict when you consider the explosiveness of the offenses and the rollercoaster ride the defenses of the Patriots and Falcons have been on all season. There’s a level of volatility to Super Bowl 51 that can’t be ignored. Everyone has a guess as to how everything plays out, but no one can say with any kind of certainty.

So rather than trying to do the impossible, let’s just look at the whole scope—or at least the majority of the scope—of how Super Bowl 51 could play out. We’ll look at five different scenarios for how the Big Game goes down on Sunday in Houston, starting with the New England defense coming out and dominating.

Jan 14, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Alan Branch (97) and teammates on the field against the Houston Texans in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Scenario A: The Patriots Defense Has All The Answers Game

One of the predominant narratives to follow leading up to Sunday has been the leg injury for Falcons center Alex Mack. Dealing with a chip fracture, the big man plans to play through the ailment and says he believes that it won’t hinder his performance. However, we’ve seen players say similar things before and that wind up not being the case. Thus, we start off with a scenario where that’s not the case for Mack and the Falcons suffer.

In the Patriots’ front four, there isn’t much argument that Alan Branch is the most consistent force. Unfortunately for the Falcons, he’ll largely be matched up with Mack in the trenches. If the center is any type of banged up and hindered by his injury, that’s bad news for everything the Atlanta offense does. That takes away their ability to run up the middle to a degree while also taking away the time that Ryan would like in the pocket to let his receivers get into their routes. That spells big trouble for Atlanta and means great news for the Patriots.

Likelihood

Given the injury to Mack and the unpredictability of how the veteran interior lineman will hold up, it’s truthfully hard to say just how likely this scenario is. However, the injury being a factor at all means that there is a definite possibility of things going down in this manner and the Patriots rolling to a Super Bowl title on the merits of their defense.

Jan 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) scores a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter in the 2017 NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Scenario B: The Falcons Offense Lands an Early Haymaker Game

In Scenario A, the Patriots are essentially able to land body blows all game that severely limit what the Falcons offense is capable of. While that’s foreseeable considering the Mack injury and the combination of talent and discipline that the Patriots have on defense, it’s also possible that the Falcons offense is simply good enough to land an early knockout that leaves the Patriots reeling for the rest of the evening.

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With 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan at the helm and a host of weapons around him, the Falcons offense can truly find paydirt from anywhere on the field. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman can both break loose as runners and receivers for a big play, as can any of the trio comprised of Julio Jones, Taylor Gabriel, and Mohamed Sanu in the receiving corps. As the Green Bay Packers can attest to, it only takes one big play for Atlanta to strike big. And if they’re able to do that right out of the gate and then control the ball and game from there, that could be enough to keep New England at bay.

Likelihood

This scenario might be as likely as the coin toss falling in favor of the Falcons. If Atlanta gets the ball first, they have the potential to get out to a start like this. Though the Patriots are fully capable of putting up points with the Falcons, the last thing that any team can playing Atlanta can afford is to fall behind. At that point, you might as well tuck the opponent in and tell them goodnight. That’s how the chips would fall in Scenario B.

Jan 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; American entertainer Samuel L. Jackson walks the sidelines prior to the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Scenario C: The WTF? Game

Imagine that the game in Houston kicks off and all seems normal. The defenses are playing well, but the offenses are hitting their grooves as the game progresses. Everything seems to be going quite normally at NRG Stadium in the Super Bowl. Then, out of nowhere, the unthinkable happens. A rogue flock of actual falcons begin to use their talons to rip through the roof of NRG Stadium. That’s only the beginning, though.

Seeing this start to happen, the Patriots fans who took their mascot far too literally begin to try and grab their muskets and pitchforks to try and thwart the attack of the angry birds. However, they soon realize how ineffective their weapons are and, as the flock increases the ferocity of their attack once they feel threatened, they begin to claw at the Patriots fans and systematically take them out one-by-one.

Trying to end the violence, Samuel L. Jackson, 2 Chainz, and Mark Wahlberg then run out to the 50-yard line with a microphone and deliver an Oscar-worthy speech to the angered birds about the need for piece in the Super Bowl. Moved by their speech, the Falcons end their attack, pick the trio of celebrities up in their talons, and carry them off to their nest to anoint them as their new leaders henceforth.

Likelihood

Though I can’t be 100 percent sure, the safe bet would be to say that this scenario isn’t going to happen during Super Bowl 51.

Jan 14, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) celebrates with teammates Julian Edelman (11) and LeGarrette Blount (29) after scoring a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the first quarter in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler III-USA TODAY Sports

Scenario D: The Shootout Game

Of course we aren’t going to talk about a game with two of the best offenses in football going head-to-head without mentioning the possibility of a shootout. At this point, the Falcons offense led by MVP quarterback Matt Ryan almost needs no introduction. They led the league in points per game with a monstrous 33.8 per. Not far behind, though, were the Patriots at 27.4 points per game, a mark ranking them third in the regular season.

Though the Patriots led the league in scoring defense and though the Falcons defense has stepped up in the postseason, the offense is the heart of both teams in Super Bowl 51. If one unit lays a dud, that team is going to walk away disappointed in Houston. However, this scenario paints the picture where they both show up in a big way. Simply put, the defense is simply not a factor in this scenario as Ryan and Brady both submit master-class efforts and put up big numbers on the scoreboards.

Likelihood

Considering the offensive minds at work on the sidelines and the talent that will be taking the ball, this is certainly a possibility. However, this type of game is less likely than the other realistic scenarios discussed. While you can’t discredit what each offense has managed to accomplish this season, there is simply too much defensive talent dispersed throughout each unit and the defensive minds on each sideline are just as strong. Mark Scenario D down as possible, but ultimately unlikely.

Jan 22, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the 2017 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Scenario E: The Chess Match Game

When talking about all of the talented players in this game and the matchups on the field, what’s been left behind a bit is the game that will be played between the two sidelines. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Falcons head coach Dan Quinn are two of the best in the business and are both masters of making adjustments, landing counter-punches and simply responding. Subsequently, there’s a scenario in Super Bowl 51 where the game is simply nothing but just that.

There’s no question that both New England and Atlanta are going to unleash wrinkles of both their offenses and defenses that we haven’t seen before. That’s the type of thing that happens on the biggest stage that the NFL has to offer. What we could potentially be in store for, though, is a game where both coaches are somehow prepared for those new aspects and are able to adjust accordingly. In this scenario, you’d then be looking a lower-scoring game than many are expecting and, ultimately, at somewhat of a chess match where strategy is key and one move that catches the other head coach off guard swings the Super Bowl.

Likelihood

As is the case with every scenario that doesn’t involve natural disasters and celebrities mentioned, seeing this chess match unfold in Houston isn’t far-fetched by any stretch. Any time that you have two coaches as smart and malleable as Belichick and Quinn, that type of game is in the cards. Subsequently, don’t be shocked if this final scenario is what transpires on Sunday.