Super Bowl LI will feature the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, two high-powered offenses projected to have the highest-scoring Super Bowl ever.
Not so fast, says Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. He believes that the Patriots defense may be a bit stronger than people give them credit for. In fact, he says it’s the strongest they’ve seen.
“It’s the best defense that we’ve seen in the NFL this year,” Shanahan told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. The numbers show it. And watch the film and you see exactly why their numbers are the way they are. They are extremely tough to score against. That’s why they’re No. 1 in the NFL. I believe only one game this year someone scored 30 points.
“They have very good players all around: players that are interchangeable that can be pass-rushers, that can be linebackers, that can be corners, that can be safeties,” he said. “And they have an extremely good scheme. So, it’s by far the biggest challenge we’ve had this year.’’
Shanahan’s offense averaged a league-best 33.8 points per game this year. Everyone knows how strong the Patriots’ offense is, so the true key to the game may be how well Atlanta’s defense can stand against New England.
Super Bowl LI is set to kick off Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
• Tommy Chalk can be reached at tchalk@washingtontimes.com.
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