Welcome to the biggest game of the year, NFL fans.
After 17 regular season Sunday’s and three weeks of postseason action, the two best teams in the sport emerged to for Super Bowl LI: New England and Atlanta.
The Patriots are led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. New England went 14-2 in the regular season before knocking off the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers to capture the AFC Championship.
The Falcons are led by quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones. Atlanta went 11-5 in the regular season before knocking off the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers to capture the NFC Championship.
Super Bowl LI: A-to-Z
Consider this a one-stop shop guide to picking Super Bowl LI (and the over/under) correctly:
New England Patriots (-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Over/under: 58
Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, 6:30 p.m. EST
Two weeks to prepare. I keep coming back to that every time I want to lean toward picking the Falcons. Atlanta is more than game here. With a MVP-caliber quarterback, the best wide receiver in the sport, an array of secondary weapons and an opportunistic defense, the Falcons can play with the Patriots. But two weeks is enough time for Bill Belichick to create a plan to slow down Atlanta’s attack–just like he used to do to Peyton Manning’s Colts and the Greatest Show on Turf Rams.
THE PICK: Take the Patriots (-3) and the over. With Tom Brady’s right arm and Bill Belichick’s mind, New England will capture a fifth Super Bowl ring to add on to the best dynasty in sports history.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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