To Tom Brady and the New England Patriots this was simply an extension of February’s Super Bowl.
For the Atlanta Falcons, it was another dose of football pain.
By the end of New England’s clinical 23-7 romp through the fog on Sunday, it was clear that the Patriots have straightened out what ailed them earlier this season and that the Falcons are a shadow of the team that built a 25-point third-quarter lead in that championship game, only to fall apart and lose the first overtime contest in Super Bowl history.
Photo: Stew Milne-USA Today
Brady led that historic comeback and he guided an offense that dominated the clock when the score was relatively close. Plus, unlike in the previous meeting, he had a strong defense complementing him.
A unit that ranked dead last in the NFL through six weeks nearly pitched a shutout against the league’s No. 5 offense.
“They had some big stops in the red area, the fourth-down plays were huge,” Brady said about the defense. “It was great complementary football and everyone did a great job contributing.”
Brady threw two touchdown passes as the Patriots toyed with the Falcons in the foggy Super Bowl rematch that was not particularly super.
New England scored the final 31 points to win the NFL championship in February. Placards and shirts reading 28-3 were ever-present in and around Gillette Stadium as the Patriots (5-2) scored the first 23 points in this prime-time mismatch. The Falcons (3-3) were outplayed throughout this one.
“There were plays out there, we didn’t make them,” center Alex Mack said. “If it’s third down, if it’s red zone — all those little things add up — and to play a good team, like the Patriots are, you’ve gotta make them.”
While Atlanta looked tentative, if not intimidated, Brady and his offense surgically tore apart the Falcons, mixing runs and passes.
Then there was that defense.
“This was a reminder that when we play the game the right way, we can do good things on defense,” Duron Harmon said.
“Every game takes a little different turn and I think we did a great job staying balanced,” Brady added after the Patriots gained 162 yards on the ground and 241 through the air.
“It was a great win,” he said.
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