New England Patriots: Why New England Will Win Super Bowl 51
By Stephen Ur
The New England Patriots have advanced to Super Bowl LI with a win over Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game. Why will they win the Super Bowl?
The New England Patriots are a three-point favorite to open the line. The line will probably change before then, but either way, New England will win the game and their fifth Vince Lombardi trophy.
Why New England Will Win Super Bowl LI
Defense Wins Championships
This has been proven to be true in quite a few Super Bowl games, including the last three (XLVIII, XLIX, 50). No one gives the New England a chance to stop the Falcons offensive trio. This isn’t even the toughest challenge the Patriots defense will face this season.
Their biggest challenge came against the Steelers. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell make up the best offensive trio in the NFL. In two meetings, the Patriots defense has shut them down. Luckily, injuries have had some help with that.
Malcolm Butler covered Brown in both meetings. He held Brown to a combined 14 catches for 183 yards in both meetings. The defense also held Bell to just 101 total yards, even though he was battling injury in both games.
Atlanta’s offensive trio doesn’t compare to Pittsburgh’s. The Patriots defense will have an easy time slowing the Atlanta offense down.
Running Towards Another Title
The Falcons have not faced a great running back all season long. The best running back they faced was David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals. He was on a lackluster sub-500 team.
The Patriots have a duo of great running backs themselves. LeGarrette Blount led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns. Dion Lewis has also shown that he can make big plays in the backfield or as a receiver.
The Falcons will be no match for the duo at running back. That’s not the only thing the Falcons defense won’t be able to stop.
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Beastly Brady
Super Bowl LI will be the seventh Super Bowl in which Tom Brady will play in. In the six he has played, he is 4-2. This season has been the second best of his career – nothing beats 2007. He has thrown for 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
What’s even more amazing is that he is doing all of this without star tight end Rob Gronkowski. Wide receiver Chris Hogan has become Brady’s favorite target over the last few games. Tight end Martellus Bennett still leads the team in touchdown receptions this season with seven.
No matter who his receivers are, Brady has been able to make plays. He will have no problem doing that against the Falcons defense, either.
Atlanta’s defense showed that their secondary isn’t as good as most think. In their 44-21 blowout win against the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was still able to throw for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
Next: 5 Reasons Why Pats Will Win Super Bowl 51
The Falcons are a good team. They could very easily keep it close in Super Bowl LI. They could also be no match for the Patriots. Either way, at the end of the game, Brady will win his fifth Super Bowl and the Patriots will be crowned Super Bowl LI champions.