Monday Morning Digest: Falcons Rise to Meet Patriots in Super Bowl 51

So, who had Patriots vs. Falcons as their preseason Super Bowl pick? 

We aren't seeing a lot of hands out there.

Let's break things down. Who picked the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl?

(Roughly two-thirds of the people on Earth raise their hands.)

OK. Who picked the Falcons?

(Several Arthur Blank family members and a couple of fishermen on the Chattahoochee River wearing faded Jessie Tuggle jerseys raise their hands.)

Ah, there's the problem.

The NFL is serving up something old and something new for Super Bowl 51. Digest has you covered with player spotlights, previews, reviews, news from around the league and everything else you need to start the long, two-week journey to the Super Bowl!

Matt Ryan Needs a Lot of Help (and Some Good Advice) to Beat Tom Brady

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The setting is a church basement. A group of men in their 30s and 40s sit on folding chairs arranged in a circle, drinking stale coffee from Styrofoam cups. It’s the monthly meeting of the Tom Brady Super Bowl support group.

A newcomer has arrived to tell his story.

MATT RYAN: Hi, guys. My name is Matt, and I will be facing Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.

OTHER QUARTERBACKS: Hi, Matt!

RYAN: Yeah, so, I am not too worried. I am coming off an MVP-caliber season and a huge win against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. So I was just hoping to get some pointers on how to beat Brady in the Super Bowl.

ELI MANNING: Aww shucks, fella. It’s not that hard. Just sic your pass-rushers on him and hope one of your receivers makes a miraculous catch with his helmet or his jockstrap or something.

RUSSELL WILSON: That’s easy for you to say, Other Brother. I had one of the best defenses in history and a late-game miracle catch to work with and my team still lost.

DONOVAN MCNABB: Maybe if you had just handed off at the goal line.

WILSON: Maybe if you didn’t puke up your pregame dinner.

MCNABB: Hey! That’s not how it happened!

RYAN: Well, guys, my defense isn’t all that great, so I will have to outscore him.

KURT WARNER: You are hoping to win a shootout? Bad idea. I led the Greatest Show on Turf and still couldn’t make that happen.

JAKE DELHOMME: Seriously. It’s almost impossible. He’ll just lead some last-minute comeback against you.

RYAN: I’m sorry, who are you?

DELHOMME: I’m Jake Delhomme. I brought the Panthers within a field goal of winning Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history. 

WARNER: Brady and the Patriots can beat you a dozen different ways. Look at how they handled the Steelers. And unlike you and your teammates, the Patriots are so accustomed to postseason football that the Super Bowl is almost like a home game for them.

WILSON: There’s a lot about the Super Bowl that teams only learn about with experience: intense scrutiny, fatigue, ego management, expectation management. Kurt and I had Super Bowl victories under our belts, and Brady still took us down.

MCNABB: The Super Bowl spotlight can take the most unified franchise and tear it apart. It’s something the Patriots never have to worry about, because it's another day at the office for them.

RYAN: Wow. So I must worry about Brady picking my young defense apart, distractions and the simple fact that Brady has been winning Super Bowls since I was 16 years old. Anything else?

WARNER: They will take away your best weapons, like they did to the Steelers and Antonio Brown on Sunday.

WILSON: They will get inside your coaches’ heads and cause them to make uncharacteristic mistakes. Did you see the way the Steelers were settling for field goals and punting near midfield?

DELHOMME: History will essentially forget you if you fail.

MCNABB: And getting back is the hardest thing in the world.

MANNING: You have one thing going for you, Matt. You have no baggage. You have only faced Brady twice in your career. You lost both times, but you played OK. There’s no history bearing down on you, and national expectations are low: The line opened with the Patriots as three-point favorites but is bound to drift further away from you. You are in the position I was in both times I beat the Patriots: the guy few expect to win, whose team can tune out the noise. Stay loose and play your own game.

RYAN: So the best thing I have going for me is not having a lot going for me?

OTHER QUARTERBACKS: That and Julio Jones.

Player Spotlight: Chris Hogan, Wide Receiver, Patriots

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What He Did

Chris Hogan set a Patriots playoff record with 180 yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions in the Patriots' 36-17 AFC championship victory over the Steelers.

Hogan's biggest play of the evening was a touchdown on a flea-flicker. But the Patriots rarely had to resort to trickery to get Hogan open. The Steelers appeared to forget to cover him for entire drives.

Hogan got behind the Steelers defense for a 16-yard touchdown. He beat James Harrison—not known for his ability to cover slot receivers—up the seam for a 27-yard catch.

He was so lonely while waiting for what became a 34-yard reception along the sideline that it looked like he was waiting for a bus.

What It Means

Hogan averaged 17.9 yards per reception on 38 catches in the regular season. He is not exactly a secret weapon.

Hogan is, however, a fine example of how the Patriots can feature their role players to exploit a matchup they want. His game Sunday was a triumph of the Patriots' scheme, depth and diversity of talent over the raw force of the Steelers defense.

Hogan could be the breakout star of the Super Bowl in two weeks. He could also go back to catching one or two passes per game while someone else takes on a featured role. Opponents never know who they must game-plan for against the Patriots, besides Tom Brady of course.

Player Spotlight: Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Falcons

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What He Did

Julio Jones caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons' 44-21 drubbing of the Packers. The highlights included a 73-yard catch-and-run that started with Jones coming free despite flagrant holding by defensive back LaDarius Gunter and continued with a devastating stiff arm of Damarious Randall.

Jones also converted three third downs on an afternoon when the Falcons were 10-of-13 on third-down conversions.

What It Means

Jones hadn't had a 100-yard game since Week 13 against the Chiefs. A toe injury sidelined him for two games late in the season and limited him against the Seahawks last weekend.

With Jones at less than 100 percent, the Falcons offense has overwhelmed opponents with a balanced, multifaceted attack: Taylor Gabriel as the big-play threat, Mohamed Sanu doing a dozen little things as the possession receiver, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman sharing the rushing load and beating linebackers in man coverage for receptions, and so on.

As effective as the Falcons were without Jones, they were not going to win the Super Bowl with a bunch of Gabriel screens and Sanu Wildcat plays. Jones provided the matchup advantage the Falcons needed against the Seahawks and gave them the firepower to overwhelm the Packers.

In two weeks, he will be the X-factor who gives the Falcons a fighting chance.

Player Spotlight: Malcolm Butler, Cornerback, Patriots

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What He Did

Malcolm Butler matched up against Antonio Brown for much of the AFC Championship Game and shut him down when it mattered.

Brown caught just three passes for 26 yards on five targets in the first half, with Butler nearly intercepting a pass. Brown eventually caught seven passes, but most of the damage came when the game was out of hand and/or Brown was facing other defenders.

Pro Football Focus determined that Butler allowed just two catches for 24 yards on four targets against Brown.

What It Means

Butler vs. Julio Jones is the matchup to obsess over for the next two weeks.

Butler did not stop Brown single-handedly, mind you. He often had safety help deep. Linebackers like Shea McClellin dropped into coverage underneath Brown and Butler, clogging up the passing lanes.

Butler won't get the same amount of help against the Falcons, whose other receivers, tight ends and running backs command extra defensive attention that Cobi Hamilton, David Johnson and the other guys Ben Roethlisberger was forced to throw to do not.

Butler has proved to be good enough to contain receivers of Jones' caliber, however, if not completely neutralize them. And of course, he knows a thing or two about Super Bowl heroics.

Player Spotlight: The Young Guns of the Falcons Defense

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What They Did

The Falcons defense steadily improved throughout the season, which should not be surprising. Nine of Atlanta's defensive starters Sunday were 26 years old or younger. Five of its starters were first- or second-round picks since 2012. All of that young talent was bound to blossom under the proper conditions, including good coaching and (this is crucial) an offense that always provides a little margin for error.

The Falcons defense came of age against the Packers. Ricardo Allen (pictured) intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass before halftime to set up a Falcons touchdown. Ra'Shede Hageman clogged the middle of the field and swatted Rodgers' feet from under him for a sack. Jalen Collins stripped the ball from Aaron Ripkowski, taking away a Packers scoring opportunity. Deion Jones recorded five solo tackles and provided underneath coverage and some up-the-middle pass rush on blitzes.

What It Means

No one will mistake the Falcons defense for the 1970s Steel Curtain anytime soon. But the Falcons began getting more big plays from their defense late in the season, and that trend continued into the playoffs. 

The divisional-round victory over the Seahawks featured interceptions by Jones, a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and rising star at middle linebacker, and Allen, a converted cornerback-turned-alert, play-diagnosing and ball-hawking safety. Both are future perennial Pro Bowlers.

Add Collins, pass-rusher Vic Beasley (quiet Sunday, but excellent overall), rookie linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (who had a huge game against the Seahawks) and others, and the Falcons are improving at every defensive level.

With the offense looking unstoppable all season, the Falcons don't need shutdown performances from their defense. If the youngsters can provide a turnover here and a sack there, even the Patriots will be unable to keep up with them in a shootout.

Digestible Nuggets

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This week's Nuggets take a look ahead at what the Packers and Steelers need to do to get over the hump.

Steelers Offense

Martavis Bryant's return from suspension will go a long way toward making the Steelers offense about more than the Three B's. When Le'Veon Bell got hurt and the Patriots neutralized Antonio Brown (pictured), it was painful to watch the Steelers try to win with Sammie Coates and Eli Rogers.

The team faces contract decisions on Bell (a potential free agent) and Brown (overdue for a contract extension). Look for Bell to get the franchise tag and Brown to get a long lecture about his new relationship with Facebook before the Steelers give him any new money.

Steelers Defense

This unit will improve as Artie Burns and Sean Davis develop in the secondary. The Steelers also need to figure out why they can no longer develop impact edge-rushers after years of heavy draft investments at the position.

Steelers Special Teams

It's time to put some thought into the long-neglected kicking units. Brown should not be the top punt returner anymore, the coverage units are weak, and Chris Boswell got the bad vibes rolling with a missed extra point Sunday.

Packers Offense

The Packers need a real running back. Ty Montgomery is a nice all-purpose player, and it's fun to root for Aaron Ripkowski. But the Packers offense needs to be able to downshift from "Aaron Rodgers' Miracle Machine" to "Normal NFL Offense" at the goal line, in short-yardage situations and when Rodgers is out of power-ups.

Eddie Lacy could return to be that running back, but the Packers would be better off searching a deep draft for someone without a history of weight and injury issues.

Packers Defense

Julius Peppers is a free agent who may retire. Nick Perry is a free agent who will command big bucks on the open market. Clay Matthews turns 31 in May and is coming off an unproductive, injury-plagued year. The Packers need an infusion of young pass-rushing talent.

They could also use some conventional inside linebackers and two-gap defensive linemen. Just as on offense, they lapse into self-parody too often by trying to run a 2-4-5 or 2-3-6 defense against opponents lined up to pound the ball down their throats.

Conference Championship Awards Digest

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Unsung Hero of the Week

With all eyes on Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu caught five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown, took a direct snap seven yards on a red-zone trick play and recovered a pair of onside kicks.

1950s Highlight of the Week

LeGarrette Blount's 18-yard tractor pull, dragging most of the Steelers defense with him toward the end zone, looked like something from the days of leather helmets. Other teams would try to feature Blount (pictured) and wind up frustrated by his inconsistency and lack of versatility. On the Patriots, he's just one more darn thing to worry about.

Clean Game of the Week

There were just five penalties called in the Steelers-Patriots game. No penalties were called in the first half. You would have thought penalty-free football would have made the game more exciting, but it didn't.

Smooth Recovery of the Week

Jalen Collins' fumble recovery at the goal line—which was ruled a touchback, even though Collins appeared to retrieve the ball at the 1-yard line and then roll into the end zone—was similar to an NBA "continuation" shooting foul or a catcher framing a low-and-away pitch as strike three with a flick of his wrist. If the Packers had kept it close, Collins' recovery might have been controversial.

Bad Decisions of the Week

The Steelers settled for a field goal to make the score 17-9 after driving to the 5-yard line in the second quarter, then punted from the Patriots' 39-yard line while trailing 20-9 in the third quarter. These are ideal strategies to guarantee a loss to a superior opponent on the road.

Arm Punt of the Week

Aaron Rodgers overthrew a bomb to Jordy Nelson on 3rd-and-21 just before halftime. Ricardo Allen intercepted the ball 55 yards downfield. A segment of the social-networking intelligentsia gave Rodgers credit for throwing an "arm punt."

Hahaha. Yeah, quarterbacks and coaches love turning the ball over on third down and hearing how it was as good as a punt. Mention it to any of them and they will look at you like you just escaped from Arkham Asylum in a clown car. Unless it's Jeff Fisher, who may keep you in mind as his next offensive coordinator.

Fashion Statement of the Week

Tom Brady wore a sideline parka big enough to smuggle two Gronkowski brothers onto the field.

Brady, like the kings of olden times who started fashion trends by forgetting to button their vests and the like, can do no sartorial wrong. Look for sporting goods stores across New England to sell out of XXXXXXL coats by Tuesday morning.

Carousel Digest

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Assuming Kyle Shanahan joins the 49ers staff the day after the Super Bowl, all of the seats on the head coaching carousel are now full. But there was plenty of intrigue this week as teams addressed other management and coaching openings. Here is a not-so-serious review of the week's major developments.

Colts fire GM Ryan Grigson.

Colts personalities like former receiver Reggie Wayne and punter Pat McAfee reacted like French peasants on the first Bastille Day.

ESPN.com's Adam Schefter reported the Colts hired psychologists to help improve the relationship between Grigson (pictured) and coach Chuck Pagano. It may have been the first therapy session to begin with, "Tell me about your relationship with Trent Richardson."

Texans will not hire an OC.

Head coach Bill O’Brien plans to call plays and run the offense next season. Just what Brock Osweiler and the Texans quarterbacks need: even less attention paid to them.

Texans promote Mike Vrabel to DC, Romeo Crennel to assistant head coach.

Two defensive bosses and no offensive coordinator? Maybe the Texans will punt on second downs next year.

Chip Kelly interviews for Jags' OC job.

Incumbent Nathaniel Hackett got the job instead, which is a shame. Kelly’s hurry-up combined with Tom Coughlin’s hyper-punctuality would have allowed the Jaguars to build a time machine with which to go back and fix Blake Bortles’ mechanics in high school.

Rams hire Greg Olson as QB coach.

Here’s a full list of all the young quarterbacks Olson has coached in the NFL: Rex Grossman, Joey Harrington, Mike McMahon, Josh Freeman, Blake Bortles, Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin, Derek Carr. It's not the most encouraging development record. He probably spent most of the job interview talking about Carr.

49ers narrow GM search.

With many of the highest-profile candidates bailing, their choices come down to Kent Maalke (Trent Baalke in a Groucho Marx moustache and glasses), Brent Chaalke (Baalke in a fedora and trench coat) and Lady Gertrilda Butternubbins (Baalke going full Mrs. Doubtfire).

Redskins promote Matt Cavanaugh to OC, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Cavanaugh was the Ravens offensive coordinator during the Trent Dilfer Super Bowl and Mark Sanchez's quarterback coach with the Jets. Maybe Washington is planning to go the Texans route and just load up with brilliance on the defensive side.

Rob Ryan interviews for Redskins' DC job.

Then again, maybe Washington isn't going the "load up on defensive brilliance" route.

The Redskins promoted Greg Manusky from within instead, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. They scratched their itch for zany coaching news by adding Jim Tomsula to their staff, according to Carol Maloney of NBC4 Sports.

Rex Ryan replaces the Bills detailing on his truck with Clemson magnets.

He will have to remove all of it once they slap on the Uber decal.

NFL News Digest

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Andrew Luck has shoulder surgery, should be ready for the regular season.

That makes one member of the Colts who should be ready for the regular season.

Sammy Watkins undergoes foot surgery, should be ready for the regular season.

LeSean McCoy suffered an ankle injury in the season finale. Only the Bills can enter an offseason with Richie Incognito as the only sure thing about their offense.

Philip Rivers denies trade rumors.

Rivers has been emo about the Chargers moving to Los Angeles for years. But this week’s rumor suggested he was forcing a trade to the 49ers. You know, the team with NO GENERAL MANAGER, making it practically impossible for them to discuss a trade. Try harder, rumor mongers.

Seahawks sign cornerback Perrish Cox.

The Legion of Boom isn’t falling apart. It’s just turning into one of those classic rock bands whose members were all replaced by members of their own cover bands.

Johnny Manziel plans comeback, tweets that he was #LostInTheSauce last year.

The first step is admitting there’s a hashtag.

Raiders move forward on Las Vegas plans.

It's hard to simultaneously write a scathing column about the evils of moving franchises around and also convince your editor (and spouse) that you need to cover the Raiders during minicamp, training camp and especially the NCAA tournament.

Jets owner Woody Johnson expected to be named the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The Brits were hoping to get an ambassador whose name has already been translated into Cockney rhyming slang. There are no NFL quarterbacks in the United Kingdom, so Johnson will feel right at home.

Final Thoughts: Draft Season Is Upon Us

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This week marks the unofficial start of 2017 draft season, with Senior Bowl practices kicking off Tuesday.

The following primer gives you just enough information to hold your own in a late-January breakroom draft conversation. 

Myles Garrett, Pass-Rusher, Texas A&M

It’s unfair to compare a rookie to Julius Peppers. And yet we just did.

Derek Barnett, Pass-Rusher, Tennessee

The edge-rush prospect to like better than Garrett if you like holding contrary opinions for their own sake.

Mitch Trubisky, Quarterback, North Carolina

He fits the general Derek Carr-Matt Ryan mold, which is a big deal now that everyone is suddenly looking for someone in the general Derek Carr-Matt Ryan mold.

Deshaun Watson (pictured), Quarterback, Clemson

He came in third in the Heisman voting in 2015, second in the Heisman voting in 2016 and first in the Dissed by Anonymous Sources for Three Months Prior to the Draft voting for 2017.

Mike Williams, Wide Receiver, Clemson

A Sammy Watkins-caliber prospect with the worst possible name for a wide receiver prospect.

Mike Williams was the lumbering USC receiver whom the Lions whiffed on when they were stuck in that draft-a-receiver loop in 2005. Mike Williams was also the fourth-round pick from Syracuse who had an 11-touchdown season for the Bucs as a rookie in 2010, then quickly faded from the NFL. Mike Williams was also the tackle selected fourth overall in the 2002 draft who could not keep his weight below 400 pounds.

The name is cursed, which means the Browns will probably draft him.

Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey, Running Backs

Three different flavors of first-round running back talent. Analytics say that running backs should not be drafted in the first round, if by "analytics" you mean "something written on a blog 10 years ago before the new rookie pay scale came into effect and run-oriented offenses started being successful again."

O.J. Howard and David Njoku, Tight Ends, Alabama and Miami

This is the best tight end draft in years, with lots of fine prospects after these two. The Giants and Jets will still somehow start next season with Will Tye and Austin Seferian-Jenkins at the position.

Jabrill Peppers, Safety, Michigan

"We just don’t know what position this explosive return man and defensive playmaker will play," a nation of football experts claims, pretending that defenses don’t spend 75 percent of their time in nickel and dime packages that require speedy linebacker-safety hybrids.

Budda Baker, Safety, Washington

Watch some of his game tape. It’s enlightening.

Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker, Safeties, LSU and Ohio State

This is an exceptional safety class. The Redskins will still somehow enter next season with Donte Whitner trying to cover slot receivers.

Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor, Cornerbacks, Florida

Both excellent prospects, though Tabor may have to live down to the legacies of Bust Butler, Fluke Flanderon and Oscar "Overrated" Owens.

Joe Mixon, Running Back, Oklahoma

Let’s just hope that by the time he gets drafted we have not become too jaded as a society to even notice.

Odds via OddsShark.