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

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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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