Open Thread: Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons

Today, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots pursue their fifth Super Bowl championship, this one at the expense of Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons, led by Matt Ryan had the top offense in the National Football League this season whether you measured by points scored or more advanced metrics like Football Outsiders' Defense-Adjust Value Over Average. However, if you only factored in the games started by Brady, the Patriots offense was actually the best in football.

The Falcons defense has great talent, speed, and youth. They are capable of swinging the game with big plays, but thanks in part to their youth they are not a terribly consistent unit and it would not be suprising if the Patriots offense was able to take advantage. The matchup between the Falcons offense and the Patriots defense is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this game as Kyle Shanahan and Matt Patricia are two of the most forward-thinking coordinators in the game today. They will certainly test each other in a variety of ways.

Who do you think will win? Who do you hope will win? Let us know in the comments.