This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Always looking for a local angle, as we all do, The New York Post made a major issue of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning texting Atlanta's Matt Ryan with advice about how to beat the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl.
So what could Manning tell Ryan? Probably about having Julio Jones act like David Tyree and catch a critical pass by pinning the ball against his helmet. Or asking Mohamed Sanu to reprise Mario Manningham's tiptoeing reception along the sideline, launching another winning drive.
Joking aside, there is precedent for Sunday's Super Bowl LI involving New England, and it happened nine years ago in Glendale, Ariz. The Patriots were playing for history that night, trying to become the NFL's first 19-0 team. And they were positioned to do it, until Manning escaped the rush on third down near midfield and hit Tyree for 32 yards, leading to the winning score.
Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana may not have the same level of investment in their shared record of four Super Bowl victories as quarterbacks, but something tells me it will be tough for New England's Tom Brady to overtake them. Brady got a break to win No. 4 against Seattle two years ago when Malcolm Butler made a game-saving interception in the end zone, and receiving more help like that is asking too much.
Want more evidence against the Patriots? Acara, the Hogle Zoo orangutan, is picking the Falcons. Her late father, Eli, picked the Giants both times they beat New England.
The Falcons will score a lot of points Sunday. That's what they do. Atlanta shredded Seattle's defense with 36 points in its first playoff game and could have scored more than 44, if necessary, against Green Bay in the NFC championship game.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for taking away a team's No. 1 offensive weapon, but the Falcons have proved they can exploit other areas of a defense preoccupied with Jones. Atlanta uses tight ends and running backs effectively in the passing game and has a balanced approach that should work against New England.
Defensively, the Falcons worry me. Yet they've shown in the playoffs that they can keep opponents out of the end zone.
Beyond any other analysis, Atlanta needs this championship more than New England does. The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have won enough titles throughout history, compared with one championship for the Atlanta Braves. The Falcons played in the Super Bowl after the 1998 season when former Utah running back Jamal Anderson was the team leader, and they've endured a long struggle to get back there.
Atlanta lost 34-19 to Denver in John Elway's final game, evoking some sentimentality. No such emotion surrounds Brady or Belichick outside of New England, so here's my pick: Falcons 35, Patriots 31.
Twitter: @tribkurt