With Super Bowl 51 around the corner, it is normal to wonder what the key matchups are in the game. Here, I will break down the best matchups that Super Bowl 51 has to offer. You may see a few coming; others might catch you by surprise.
Julio Jones vs. Malcolm Butler
The matchup everyone has waited for. Best vs. Best. The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Only true Patriot fans knew who Malcolm Butler was two seasons ago when he made the play of his career against the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49. Now, Butler has turned into a top five cornerback in this league. Everyone, on the other hand, knew who Julio Jones was. While Julio is finally getting the attention he deserves, he might be better than we think.
This is Julio Jones’ 4th straight season averaging 100 receiving yards per game. He’s the first player ever to have 4, let alone 4 in a row pic.twitter.com/JldC41qvbd
— ProFootballReference (@pfref) January 26, 2017
The Patriots as a whole have only yielded 100 receiving yards four times this season. I cannot be sure of how much Bill Belichick will have Butler on Jones. Because of how the Patriot defense is designed, Belichick could stick Eric Rowe or Logan Ryan on Jones. Rowe, who is 6’1″ 205 lbs is a bigger cornerback and provides a better “size” matchup. The Falcons will see different looks from the Patriot defense on Sunday and I expect each of the cornerbacks listed to line up across from Jones, while also receiving safety help.
Kyle Shanahan’s offense vs. Matt Patricia’s defense
This is another “Clash of the Titans” matchup to watch for come Sunday. The Atlanta Falcons led the NFL in scoring this season while the Patriots gave up the fewest points in the league. Let’s take a look at who history favors when the best offense and defense in the league go toe to toe:
#1 Scoring Offense: @AtlantaFalcons
#1 Scoring Defense: @Patriots
Here’s what history has to say… #SB51 #GameDayPrime pic.twitter.com/Heutl5lKUw— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 23, 2017
When it comes to history, the defense is the clear favorite. As fans, all we can hope for is to see two teams provide non-stop entertainment for 48 minutes. (Okay fine…throw Lady Gaga in there…60 minutes).
Martellus Bennett vs. De’Vondre Campbell
This matchup is one that is not on many “experts” radar, but one I think worth noting. The New England Patriots are well known for creating matchup problems and finding other teams weaknesses. Usually, they do this through their tight end usage. With Gronk being out, Martellus Bennett becomes the clear number one tight end. He is a matchup nightmare. Since joining the Patriots, he has become a multilevel threat. While most teams would consider him solely an athletic pass-catcher, Belichick and his staff have taught him the importance of blocking. At 6’6″ 270 lbs, he basically is LeBron James who likes to be in the trenches…yikes. Throughout the season, the primary defender against tight ends has been hybrid safety, Keanu Neal. However, Neal is 6’1″ 212 lbs and because of the size mismatch, I imagine the Falcons will give the responsibility to another rookie. Weakside linebacker De’Vandre Campbell is listed at 6’4′ 240 lbs and is a better “size matchup” against Bennett. Although Campbell is 3 inches bigger and 30 pounds heavier, he ran a fast 40-yard dash. (Campbell 4.58; Neal 4.59). Surrendering speed is not something the Falcons are in the business of doing. Look for Campbell to cover Bennett on Sunday.
Patriots Offensive Line vs. Falcons Defensive Line
I have a feeling (I have said that many times today) the Patriots will line up in jumbo and heavy formations and attempt to run the football down the Falcons throats. There are many advantages to doing so. By focusing on running the football the Patriots will: keep that unstoppable offense on the sidelines, use their size advantage on the sleeker, faster defense, and not allow the defense to make plays through the air. The key matchup here is to see who wins the line of scrimmage. If the Falcons stop the Patriots run game, it will allow the pass-rush to feast.
Be sure to pay close attention to some of these matchups this Sunday. They may be key in who wins the Super Bowl and who goes home empty-handed.
TB12 vs. @M_Ryan02. @Patriots vs. @AtlantaFalcons.
It’s on. #SB51 pic.twitter.com/pzIT0pdmOE
— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2017
