Breaking down the point spread and total for Super Bowl LI

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 2/3/2017

The New England Patriots stand as a three-point favorite for Super Bowl LI. Facts surrounding that line… If that holds up, it’ll be the eighth three-point spread in Super Bowl history. There have been five seven-point spreads. No other Super Bowl spreads are close to as common. Teams favored by exactly three points are 4-3. With […]

9-30-2001: Foxboro: Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady was all smiles on the sidelines as the clock winds down on New England’s win over the Colts.

What was happening in the world when Tom Brady made his first NFL start

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 2/2/2017

On Sunday, Tom Brady will start his 269th career NFL game while becoming the first player ever to participate in seven Super Bowls. A lot has happened in the 15 years and four months that have passed since Brady made his first NFL start — fittingly against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. […]

Boston vs. Atlanta: Which Super Bowl city is cooler?

0 comments by Brad Gagnon

On Sunday, professional football teams will represent Boston (generally) and Atlanta in a battle for NFL superiority. The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons will play to bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy as the winners of Super Bowl 51. But what if the cities were forced to represent themselves? What if the Super Bowl championship was […]

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 01: Keanu Neal #22 of the Atlanta Falcons addresses the media during the Super Bowl LI press conference on February 1, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Rookies who could play major roles in Super Bowl LI

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 2/1/2017

Super Bowl LI is rich with young players, especially on the Atlanta Falcons. Here’s a look at eight rookies who could make a huge impact when the Falcons and New England Patriots meet Sunday in Houston. 1. Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal Age: 21 The first-round pick has taken on the Kam Chancellor role in […]

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 27: Vic Beasley Jr. #44 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Georgia Dome on November 27, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Meet the Atlanta Falcons’ impossibly young defensive core

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/27/2017

Most of the nation is still unfamiliar with the Atlanta Falcons defense, which is young and inexperienced and didn’t put up spectacular numbers in 2016. But those numbers have improved greatly as the season as worn on, thanks to major improvements from a slew of extremely green but budding stars. An introduction (sorted by age)… […]

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 18: Devonta Freeman #24 runs off the field with Tevin Coleman #26 of the Atlanta Falcons after scoring during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome on December 18, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Can Atlanta’s running back duo take over the Super Bowl?

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/26/2017

We know this: The New England Patriots are remarkably good at taking away their opponent’s top weapon. In their last seven playoff games, the Pats have held the opposing team’s top receiver to an average of three catches for 37 yards per game, giving up only two touchdowns to those seven wideouts. And most of […]

in the NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome on January 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Who faces the most pressure in Super Bowl LI?

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/25/2017

In Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots will be looking to put the cherry on top of a dynastic run, while the Atlanta Falcons will be looking for their first-ever Lombardi Trophy. That creates an interesting dynamite in terms of which team needs this more. Why the Patriots will feel pressure On one hand, […]

ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 22: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field after being defeated by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome on January 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons defeated the Packers 44-21. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

This Weekend in NFL Stupid: Conference Championship Edition

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/23/2017

If you live to see the conference championship, you’re not a stupid team. But that doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots are immune to dumb football. A recap of stupid from the penultimate NFL Sunday of the year… Down 17-0 in the second quarter, against the highest-scoring […]

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 29: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots is congratulated by Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons after their 30-23 win at Georgia Dome on September 29, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

First look at Super Bowl LI

0 comments by Brad Gagnon

We’re set for the 51st Super Bowl. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are in search of their fifth Lombardi Trophy, while Matt Ryan and Dan Quinn look to put the cherry on top of a perfect breakout season by giving the Atlanta Falcons their first-ever championship. 10 things you need to […]

ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 15: during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

NFL quarterback power rankings: Conference championship edition

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/19/2017

Throughout the 2016 NFL regular season, we’ve been ranking the league’s top 10 quarterbacks. For the conference title games, let’s focus on the four starters still alive. 1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers has a ridiculous 36-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio dating back to Week 7, and he’s putting up the best numbers of his career in […]

GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 30: Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots shake hands following the NFL game at Lambeau Field on November 30, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Patriots 26-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Ranking the four potential Super Bowl LI matchups

0 comments by Brad Gagnon

Which would be the best Super Bowl LI matchups among the remaining teams in the NFL Playoffs? Which would be the worst? Four teams remain in the NFL Playoffs as we move from the divisional round to the conference title games this weekend. That presents four possible matchups for Super Bowl LI in Houston. Here’s how we rank […]

FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 3: Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots shakes hands with Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers after their game at Gillette Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The NFL’s final four, by the numbers

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/18/2017

This weekend’s Conference Championship games will feature four of the best quarterbacks in the game — the league’s top three MVP candidates in Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, as well as three surefire Hall of Famers in Rodgers, Brady and Ben Roethlisberger — and three of the most celebrated and successful franchises in […]

FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 03: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots following the game at Gillette Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

AFC Championship Preview: (3) Pittsburgh Steelers at (1) New England Patriots

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/17/2017

It just feels like the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have met more often than they actually have in the NFL Playoffs, probably because they’re both almost always in contention. This will mark the ninth time in 14 years in which either Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl, […]

at Lambeau Field on December 8, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

NFC Championship Preview: (4) Green Bay Packers at (2) Atlanta Falcons

0 comments by Brad Gagnon

The NFL’s top two MVP candidates will go head to head Sunday in Atlanta, with a trip to Super Bowl LI on the line. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had one of the best statistical seasons in NFL history, finishing with the NFL’s highest qualified yards-per-attempt average (9.3) this century and the fifth-highest qualified passer […]

KANSAS CITY, MP – JANUARY 15: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

This Weekend in NFL Stupid, feat. Andy Reid and Alex Smith

0 comments by Brad Gagnon on 1/16/2017

You’d think that teams playing in the NFL Divisional Playoffs would be less likely to do stupid things. That’s not entirely true. Playoff teams provided plenty of material for This Weekend in NFL Stupid, starting with déjà vu in Kansas City. The Chiefs thought there was a fifth quarter… again Andy Reid and the Kansas […]

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