6 Biggest Surprises from Super Bowl LI

By Mike Silva

All-in-all, Super Bowl LI was arguably the most exciting, gut-wrenching, nerve-racking, memorable big games of all time.

Aside from the actual game's drama, the side stories and impact on overall legacies only add to making the case for this being the greatest Super Bowl ever:

• Brady's redemption tour for the #Deflategate bullshit.

• Brady and Belichick's quest for the immortal and evasive title number five.

• Atlanta's path to winning their first ever Super Bowl championship.

• Brady playing for his mother, who's been battling cancer.

• The classis unstoppable force meeting the immovable object; the league's top scoring offense facing the league's top scoring defense.

Instant classic, as they say. While the game was surprising overall, these are the thing that were least expected.

1. The Falcons pass rush

Going into the game, this was looking to be the weakest defense Tom Brady would play in all his Super Bowls. That's not knocking the Falcons, they just aren't the Legion of Boom or the Giants' perennially great front four.

A few minutes into the game, it appeared this would be the toughest Brady would ever face.

Not only did Atlanta masterfully keep the Pats offense in check with their physical man-to-man defense, the pass rush was incredible.

Brady got to take about a half breath after every snap before a sea of red flooded the pocket. What's more, a lot of it came in the interior, where the Falcons lacked the most depth.

Whether it was Grady Jarrett or old-man Dwight Freeney, Atlanta gave Tommy Boy no time to pass. Until they tired out at the end, that is.

2. Where's Dion Lewis?

What confused me the most was the lack of Dion Lewis usage in the New England gameplan.

The squirmy running back made a habit of making defenders look foolish with his evasive running abilities. So why not use him against the Falcons?

Lewis ended the game with 6 rushes for 27 yards and a single catch for 2 yards.

You can't take away from the defense's ability to eliminate a player's impact, which Atlanta did effectively. But at the same time, he was used so infrequently, it didn't matter.

Lewis was in on 17 snaps, one being the weird trick play kneel run to end regulation and the other was a missed wide receiver pass by Edelman.

Where was Lewis?

3. Rookies outperforming veterans... at first

Some of the games biggest players were either rookies or sophomores.

For Atlanta, that meant Deion Jones and Grady Jarret on defense.

For New England, it was Malcolm Mitchell and Trey Flowers. 

Of course, the stars of the game had a couple years of experience, but how can you explain the Edelman/Hogan/Bennett combo, teaming up to drop so many big plays?

Now, that of course turned around in the 4th quarter and OT (let's not forget the Pats' version of the Tyree catch), but it was pretty jarring to see so many big drops.

4. Brady's pick 6

No one is perfect, not even Tom Brady.

The fact that Brady threw a pick-6 wasn't shocking in and of itself, especially when you consider how much duress he sustained all game.

What was shocking was his decision to throw the ball in that situation. 

3rd and 6 deep in Falcons territory can end in either a first down (not likely as the play broke down) or you eat the ball and kick a field goal, 14-3.

You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT, turn the ball over. Brady threw what was easily the worst pass of his career. He tossed it right into Robert Alford's hands for the pick-6. 21-0.

That was a 10-point play, if you think about. Uncharacteristic for Brady.

5. Edelman's catch

For once, the Pats were on the winning end of a lucky, gamechanging catch.

What happened defied logic and physics, and while you have to credit Edelman for his focus, luck played a huge part in the catch.

Just before the two-minute warning, Brady throws a contested pass into a cluster of red jerseys.

The ball is tipped, hits Alford's leg (sweet justice!), safety Ricardo Allen's leg, Jules' hands, then bounces up out of his hands as he double clutches and comes down with the pass. Catch. Reviewed. Confirmed.

No one will forget this catch. Ever.

6. The Falcons situational playcalling

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is getting destroyed for his late game playcalling, and rightfully so.

You can't surrender what got you to the championship game by avoiding aggressive playcalling. People are afraid of the word "conservative" because it's connotation is it means "soft." That said, there's a huge difference in saying "we're not going to be conservative" and "we're not going to play smart."

After wide receiver Julio Jones' freakishly stunning sideline catch seemingly put the exstuinguished the Patriots' comeback, the playcalling came into major question.

Atlanta wisely ran on first down. They lost 3 yards, but at this point, the clock is your biggest opponent. Just kill it.

So what do the Falcons do? They choose to pass the rest of the drive. Not just quick, safer passes either. We're talking long-forming, 7-step drop plays.

What happened? A sack and a hold pushed Atlanta out of field goal range.

The ensuing punt pinned Brady at the 9, but even with 91 yards and a two standing in the way of overtime, 3 and a half minutes is a century for the GOAT.

5 Unsung Heroes from Super Bowl LI

By Mike Silva

What. A. Game.

I don't need to get into details about the game. I'm sure 90% of all your water cooler conversations at work today revolved around the unforgettable Super Bowl LI. 

If you were under a rock or you blacked out from celebrating an Atlanta win midway through the 3rd quarter and just emerged from a drunker stupor, here's the quick recap:

• Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones continues his run of excellent defensive play by stripping New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount in the second quarter. Falcons go on to score and take the lead, 7-0.

• After more futility from the Pats offense, Atlanta gets the ball and scores again, 14-0.

• Tom Brady marches New England down near the redzone, hoping to cut the deficit to one score or 11 points at the most. Disaster strikes. An uncharacteristic pick-6 puts the game at 21-0.

• Pats drive down and eek out a field goal going into the half down 21-3.

• Back-to-back punts leave the Falcons with another scoring drive, putting the game seemingly out of reach at 28-3.

• Brady gives the Pats their first touchdown drive after both a 4th down conversion and a 15-yard scramble. After a missed PAT, Pats still down 28-9.

• After only managing a field goal, the game is at least in two-possession range. Pats linebacker Donta Hightower blindsides Matt Ryan and forces a huge turnover deep in Falcons territory.

• Brady hits Danny Amendola for a touchdown. James White brings back flashes of Houston's last Super Bowl in 2004 with a direct snap rush up the gut. 28-20.

• Falcons drive down the field and stall. Questionable play calls end the drive with a punt to the Pats.

• Lucky catches finally make their way in helping instead of hurting the Pats fate. Julian Edelman reels in a tipped pass around the two-minute mark to setup what would lead to a scoring drive. A TD run up the middle by White followed by a screen pass for two to Amendola, tie ballgame.

• The first overtime Super Bowl ever. Coin toss. Pats ball. At this point, was there any doubt? 

• 2nd and goal from the one. Brady tosses the ball back to White. White cuts outside, bangs into a couple of Falcons defenders, dives for the endzone and brakes the plane, almost levitating as he sails into the paint. 34-28. Patriots pull off the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever.

So what made this possible? Of course, the MVP of the game (Brady) turned around what looked to be his worst professional outing ever. Edelman and Hightower made probably the two biggest plays of the game. But who else made a difference?

1. James White

Go back and watch the highlights. This NFL entry is about 20 minutes long but it really abridges the game nicely.

Every single time the Pats were backed against the wall, who bailed them out? James White.

Not only did he break a record with his 14 catches, tallying 110 receiving yards, he also added two rushing scores (including the game winner), caught the Pats first TD of the game, and Kevin Faulked into the endzone for the pivotal two-point conversion that made this a one possession game.

Brady felt like White was the MVP, as did Blount. Maybe he'll get Brady's MVP truck, like Malcolm Butler did two years ago.

2. Danny Amendola

Dola was another big player when it mattered. He caught the TD that prefaced the Faulk-like direct snap 2PAT that brought this to a one score game.

He caught the two-point attempt that tied the game (even though it would've been a free play since Atlanta jumped offsides).

Probably his biggest contribution, and one that gets overlooked, is the 4th down catch he hauled in to extend the Pats first TD drive. If he drops that, Falcons take over on New England's 40, up 28-3 with about 23 minutes left to play. Game over in all likelihood.

Don't forget about his big catch in OT either. It was more about the throw by Tom, but it was important nonetheless.

3. Trey Flowers

The preseason is just the preseason, but ever since August, defensive end Trey Flowers has been impressing everyone who's kept a close eye on the Pats.

His 2.5 sacks led the team for the game, momentum he began developing throughout the entire postseason.

No play was bigger than his 2nd down sack of Matt Ryan late in the fourth quarter, which led the domino effect of knocking Atlanta out of game-clinching field goal range.

You'd have to think Flowers becomes a mainstay on the team with Jabaal Sheard's impending free agency upon us.

4. Malcolm Mitchell

The young guys really came to play in the big game.

While the stats aren't awe-inspiring (6 catches, 70 yards), rookie wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was a rock when the team needed him most.

In the 4th quarter, Mitchell's trusty hands were called upon often by Brady. In the game-tying drive, Mitchell even catches a pass after he fell to the floor!

What makes this even better is Mitchell's background. He's written a children's book, was a 4th round pick in this year's draft, and somehow only missed a month of gametime after a nasty dislocated elbow in a meaningless preseason game.

5. Grady Jarrett

I didn't want to snub the Falcons entirely here. In all honesty, they outplayed the Pats and were maybe the better team.

There are too many players to give credit to, but none more than defensive lineman Grady Jarrett. 

Jarrett came into the game with 4.5 career sacks and added 3 in the big game alone. His interior pressure on Brady brought many Pats fans nightmare flashbacks to Super Bowls past.

Had Jarrett not been in Brady's face all game, this is likely a blowout the other way.