HOUSTON — The 1999 Rams scored an NFL-high 526 points, an average of 32.9 points per game, well-deserving of the moniker the “Greatest Show on Turf.’’
Seventeen years later, the Falcons scored an NFL-best 540 points, an average of 33.8 points per game. They do not take a fancy nickname into Sunday’s Super Bowl LI against the Patriots, but in some ways they are similar to the high-flying Rams of yesteryear.
“I remember the team, they were fun to watch,’’ Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan said. “I saw Kurt [Warner] and I remember how great of a player he was, the surrounding cast they had, Marshall Faulk, just unbelievable players, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt on the outside, so many guys that could make plays. As for the comparison, it’s certainly nice to be compared with them, because they were so productive. But we don’t think about it too much.’’
Ryan and the Falcons hope to duplicate what the Rams did and win a Super Bowl after a high-scoring season.
Seven Super Bowls into brilliant parallel careers with the Patriots, some are wondering when coach Bill Belichick and his quarterback Tom Brady will retire.
Patriots veteran special teams captain Matthew Slater, in his ninth season in New England, offered this perspective: “Maybe they go out together, I don’t know. I really can’t answer that question. I figure Coach [Belichick] will coach until he’s about 95 and Tom will play until he’s about 55.”
Considering Belichick is 64 and Brady is 39, that is not good news for New England’s AFC East rivals.
Something has to give Sunday.
The Patriots have not trailed in a game since Thanksgiving. The Falcons have scored a touchdown on their opening offensive series in eight consecutive games.
“It has been important for us,’’ Ryan said of scoring quickly and early. “We have done a great job, really, of starting fast and scoring points. I think it’s eight-plus games or so with a touchdown on the first drive. So, I think it speaks to Kyle [Shanahan, offensive coordinator] doing a great job of putting together some early plays and plans for us, and then it comes down to guys just going out there and executing, trusting our plan, trusting our preparation and going out and playing well from the start.”
In order to cut down on counterfeit Super Bowl tickets, NFL and law enforcement officials can determine the authenticity of a ticket by checking the heat-sensitive logos. The Super Bowl logos are printed with thermochromic ink and the image will fade when heat is applied and return when the ticket is removed from the heat source.
“Every year we see fans arrive at the stadium on game day only to be turned away at the gate having bought counterfeit tickets,” NFL senior counsel Michael Buchwald said this past week. “The quality of counterfeit tickets can be quite sophisticated, but no matter how real the tickets may look, a fake ticket will not get you into the game on Sunday. That’s why we strongly discourage fans from buying tickets from any suspicious sources.”
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