New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons: Team Grades for Super Bowl LI
By Nick Ziegler
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-