Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl 51: Atlanta Falcons' 3 Greatest Strengths

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:08 p.m. ET

Fansided, Joe Soriano/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

What are the biggest strengths of the Atlanta Falcons heading into their Super Bowl 51 matchup with the New England Patriots?

The Atlanta Falcons have rampaged through the playoffs, blowing out two perennial playoff contenders in the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. Their toughest test yet awaits them in Houston, TX for Super Bowl 51, however.

High expectations are nothing new to the New England Patriots, but the Falcons are more than just an opponent looking to play the spoiler role against the dynasty that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady built. After racking up 11 regular season wins and making Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson look like chumps, the Falcons have an excellent shot at upending the Patriots on Sunday.

The Falcons have reached this point by scoring more points than any other team in the league. During the regular season, they averaged 33.8 points per game, and how ironic is it that the Falcons reached the 30-point threshold a year after cutting ties with washed-up franchise icon Roddy White, who once predicted that points total in 2014.

NFL MVP Matt Ryan has thrown the monkey off his back viciously with two dominant playoff performances, showing the type of “surgical precision” that has been the hallmark of the opposing quarterback’s career.

Ryan is at the heart of the Falcons biggest strength right now, but there are two others that aren’t far behind the signal-caller in terms of importance.

Dec 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) celebrates after throwing a 64-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams during a NFL football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

3. Everything About The Falcons Passing Attack

It’s possible to boil a strength down to just Matt Ryan or Julio Jones, but the truth is that the Atlanta Falcons passing attack is so unstoppable because of the multitude of pieces that fit perfectly into Kyle Shanahan’s gameplan.

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Shanahan is a proponent of fitting a system around players, and Ryan is a quarterback who is willing to spread the ball around to whoever is open. The Falcons offense has exploded in 2016 after an up-and-down 2015 campaign, simply because Ryan finally has more players to throw it to than just Jones. Last year, the likes of Roddy White and Jacob Tamme were key components of the offense, and that simply wasn’t working.

Here in 2016-17, the Falcons have added Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel to their wide receivers corps, along with promising tight end Austin Hooper. The result is a more explosive outfit that boasts speed, and it’s no surprise that the Falcons led the league with 8.2 yards per pass attempt behind the career year from Ryan.

In front of Ryan, the Falcons have assembled an offensive line that is easily among the top five in the NFL. Returning offensive tackles Ryan Schraeder and Jake Matthews picked up where they left off as last season’s breakout stars at the position, and the addition of Alex Mack to the center position has made all the difference. Mack was the missing piece, and he’s been even better than advertised, giving Ryan more than ample time to pick defenses apart.

Everything about the Falcons passing attack screams “elite.” They have the right person in charge of calling the plays in Shanahan, one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Ryan, and five players with at least 400 receiving yards.

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley (44) tries to get past the blocking of New Orleans Saints tackle Zach Strief (64) during the first half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Saints 38-32. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2. Vic Beasley

The Atlanta Falcons defense was 27th in the league with 25.4 points per game allowed, but they should actually get some praise. First of all, they have managed to avoid being an impediment, since they’ve done enough to allow the offense to win games. Secondly, they had to overcome a season-ending injury to star cornerback Desmond Trufant, who might be their best player on defense.

Before the 2016 season started, Trufant was obviously the Falcons top defensive player, but that’s changed after Vic Beasley’s monster campaign. If anyone is deserving of having a “strength” all to themselves, then it is Beasley.

Khalil Mack deserved to be the Defensive Player of the Year, but Beasley was right behind him. The former Clemson star tied for the league lead with 15.5 sacks and six fumbles forced. Players like Robert Alford, Keanu Neal, Dwight Freeney, and Grady Jarrett are important, but it’s clear that Beasley is the best thing about this unit.

Beasley will face a tough challenge as an edge rusher against the New England Patriots resurgent offensive line, which is nearly as impressive as Atlanta’s. However, Beasley has always risen to the occasion, as is the case for anyone averaging nearly one sack per game.

Jan 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) runs the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter in the 2017 NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

1. Best Running Back Duo

Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright knows a thing or two about stifling all-purpose backs, and he said in the lead-up to his team’s loss to the Falcons that Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are the best running back duo he’s ever faced.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Freeman and Coleman form the league’s best running back duo, with all due respect to the likes of the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. What Freeman and Coleman do every week is just remarkable. The Falcons finished fifth in the league in rushing yards, third in rushing touchdowns, and fifth in yards per carry.

However, what these two backs do goes beyond just their numbers on the ground. Freeman caught 54 passes for 462 yards, placing him third on the Falcons in receptions (just five behind Sanu). While Freeman is an integral chain-mover for Ryan, Coleman has used his game-breaking speed to become a huge playmaker in space in the Falcons offense. With 13.6 yards per reception and three receiving touchdowns, Coleman has been at least as much of a big-play threat in the passing game as the Falcons No. 2 wideout, Sanu.

Freeman finished the 2016 season with 1,541 yards from scrimmage, 13 total touchdowns, and just one fumble. Meanwhile, Coleman had 941 yards from scrimmage, 11 touchdowns, and just one fumble of his own. Ryan gets plenty of credit for making big plays and taking care of the football, but you could argue that the Falcons elite running backs have been just as good at this.