Super Bowl 51 kicks off this Sunday, February 5th in Houston, Texas. The game will start at 6:30 PM and will be hosted at NRG Stadium, normal home to the Houston Texans. However, they won’t be participating. Instead, the red hot New England Patriots—who knocked the Texans out in the Divisional Round—will be looking to further the definition of a modern NFL dynasty. They’ll be up against the surging Atlanta Falcons, a squad that features a likely NFL MVP in quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta’s 31-year-old signal-caller has thrown 18 touchdowns and not a single interception over his last six games while pacing the league’s top offense.
It’s sure to be an exciting game, so prepare for it by checking out a preview that includes the 2017 Super Bowl start time, odds, injury report and more. Read on for everything you need to know ahead of Super Bowl LI.
| Date | Location | Time | TV | AFC | NFC | Spread | Total |
| Feb. 5 | NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas | 6:30 p.m. ET | Sport Live TV App | New England | Atlanta | NE -3 | 58.5 |
The Falcons may not have the history that New England boasts—the Pats are going for their fifth ring in nine appearances—but the team is hungry and looking for its first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Atlanta has only come close once before, winning the NFC during the 1998 campaign but falling short in Super Bowl XXXIII—back when Ryan was just 14 years old.
As usual, the Patriots will be relying on their legendary quarterback to carry a precise offensive attack. Tom Brady has traditionally fared extremely well versus the Falcons and comes into this game with career numbers of nine touchdowns against one interception (with a total quarterback rating of 115.7) against the Falcons. However, this New England team is built to win on the back of a strong defensive unit. The Patriots are the league’s top-ranked defense and have the chance to continue the trend of defense beating out offense with the Super Bowl on the line. Since the NFL-AFL merger back in 1970, the league’s top offensive and defensive squads have met five times. In just one of those matchups has the offensive team come out on top, and that was back during the 1989 season—when Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers hung eight touchdowns on John Elway’s hapless Denver Broncos in a 55-10 Super Bowl XXIV blowout.
Vegas certainly knows the history, which is a big reason the current odds on the game have the Patriots favored by three points. However, the books expect New England to win in an offensive shootout, as the betting total is currently sitting at 58.5 points—which would be the highest total in Super Bowl history if it remains above 56.5 at kickoff.
When looking at the numbers, it is easy to see why oddsmakers project a lot of scores. Atlanta has the top-ranked offense this year, putting 34.44 points per game on the board. While the Patriots defense ranks number one as well—giving up only 15.72 points per game—they also had the good fortune to have played the easiest schedule in the league. New England had a field day against bad quarterbacks throughout the 2016 campaign, going up against guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jared Goff, Trevor Siemian, Bryce Petty, Brock Osweiler and Matt Moore. None of them jump off the page as elite players, and even the best signal-callers that the Patriots beat—arguably Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton—weren’t top-tier guys this season.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ aerial attack is going to give New England’s defense fits, as they average 302.22 yards per game passing. The Pats have given up a mere 239.06 yards per game, but they weren’t challenged as much as many other defense. Atlanta’s underrated rushing attack—spearheaded by a two-headed monster in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman—will also keep Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia burning the midnight oil as he plans to stop them leading up to the game. However, he’ll have to trust his third-ranked rush defense (which gives up fewer than 89 yards per game) can execute against Atlanta’s dangerous ground game that has hung over 120 yards per game on opponents.
Injury Report for Super Bowl 51
Injuries could play a big part of Super Bowl LI, with key players being out on both sides of the ball. Here’s a look at who might and who will be missing and how it might impact the contest.
For New England, there are a slew of players listed as questionable to appear in the Super Bowl. As of February 3rd, tight end Martellus Bennett and wideout Malcolm Mitchell are reportedly dealing with knee injuries. Receiver Chris Hogan landed on the report with a thigh problem that has been bothering him throughout the playoffs. For defense, linebacker Dont’a Hightower has a shoulder issue, defensive tackle Alan Branch is dealing with a toe and defensive tackle Vincent Valentine’s back is flaring up. Safety Nate Ebner left the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion and is still not cleared to return.
As for injured reserve players, superstar tight End Rob Gronkwoski has been out since early December because of his back and will not be making an appearance for the Pats. Jonathan Freeny has been on IR most of the campaign with a shoulder injury and also isn’t eligible to play.
The Falcons final injury report lists Julio Jones as a limited participant in practice with a toe problem, but he will almost assuredly be participating in the Super Bowl barring a major setback. Center Alex Mack was also listed with a fibula, but should suit up on Sunday. Dwight Freeney, the veteran defensive end, was taken off the injury report and is expected to participate. As for injured reserves, Atlanta will be missing defensive end Adrian Clayborn, safety Kemal Ishmael, cornerback Desmond Trufant, tight end Jacob Tamme, defensive end Derrick Shelby, linebacker Sean Witherspoon and wideout Devin Fuller.
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