Super Bowl 2017: Date, TV Coverage Schedule, Location for Patriots vs. Falcons

Don't look now, but Super Bowl LI is right around the corner. It's taken 20 weeks of meaningful NFL action to get to this point, but we finally have our participants for the big game. The Atlanta Falcons will be representing the NFC, while the New England Patriots will compete on behalf of the AFC.

Even though fans of the other 30 NFL franchises have little stake in this game, this is still the one general football fans have been waiting for. By the end of next Sunday, we'll know if Bill Belichick and the Patriots have added a fifth Lombardi Trophy to their dynasty or if the upstart Falcons have secured their first ring.

We're going to take an in-depth look at the upcoming title game, along with the latest odds and over/under information—courtesy of OddsShark.com. We'll examine all of the relevant scheduling information and some of the latest storylines heading into Pro Bowl Weekend.

Super Bowl LI

What: Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston

When: Sunday, February 5

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

National TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Line: NE -3

Over/Under: 58.5

Latest Buzz

Falcons Defense Shouldn't Be Overlooked

One of the top draws of this year's Super Bowl is the attractive promise of an offense vs. defense showdown. The Falcons fielded the league's top scoring offense in the regular season with an average of 33.8 points per game, while the Patriots allowed an NFL-low 15.6 points per game on defense.

However, one of the big reasons the Falcons are even in this game is that their defense grew and improved as the season went on. The Falcons are relying on young starters like safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones. As these players have grown, so has the efficiency of the Atlanta defense.

The Falcons allowed an average of 25.4 points per game during the regular season as a whole but an average of just 19.3 points over their last six games, including the playoffs.

The Falcons defense is far from what you might consider elite—it's rated 15th overall by Pro Football Focus—but it's proving to be effective because of the speed, range and versatility of many of the young players.

Part of the defensive turnaround can be attributed to head coach Dan Quinn, who brought many philosophies with him from the Seattle Seahawks. Constructing the defense can largely be attributed to general manager Thomas Dimitroff and assistant general manager Scott Pioli—both of whom spent close to a decade with New England.

In a lot of ways, Dimitroff and Pioli are mirroring the way the Patriots typically construct their defenses. There aren't a lot of true stars on the New England defense—and the team hasn't been shy about trading away standout players, either—but versatility at multiple positions allows the unit to be effective.

The Falcons now have their own versatile, speedy defense to utilize.

"They have a lot of fast guys," Belichick said of the Falcons, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. "Defensively, they close up space very quickly. … They're an impressive team to watch. They do a lot of things really well, but they look like they're faster than almost every team they play."

The Atlanta offense is going to draw most of the attention heading into next week's matchup. If the Falcons come away with a Super Bowl victory, though, the defense will likely have had a whole lot to do with it.

Falcons' Running Game Can't Be Overlooked, Either

If you are focusing on the Atlanta offense, you're probably thinking primarily of quarterback Matt Ryan, receiver Julio Jones and the rest of the team's explosive passing attack. However, it would be unwise to just skim past the fact the Falcons had an incredibly efficient backfield this year.

The combination of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman is a dangerous one. The duo combined for 1,599 rushing yards, 883 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

What makes the Falcons backfield even more dangerous is the fact that Coleman and Freeman work so well together. They can be swapped in and out of the lineup at will without affecting the team's game plan or chemistry.

"I feel like we're two of the most unique backs in the league because we can do everything. With one of us out, you don't miss anything," Freeman explained, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. "We love when you think you can put a linebacker on us to try to guard us."

Guarding these two out of the backfield in passing situations will be tricky for the Patriots, but slowing them on the ground might be an even bigger priority. If New England is going to have any hope of containing that explosive passing attack, the defense is going to have to make Atlanta one-dimensional.

If the Falcons get going on the ground, it's going to be difficult for the Patriots to slow both facets of the offense. Fortunately, the Patriots have one of the better run defenses in the NFL.

New England is rated second in run defense by Pro Football Focus and allowed an average of just 88.6 yards per game on the ground in the regular season.

This is going to be one of the matchups within the game that might not draw a ton of attention coming in but will be relevant to the outcome.

Alex Mack Dealing with Ankle Sprain

One of the reasons why Atlanta's ground attack has been so efficient this season is the presence of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. The former Cleveland Browns standout was acquired via free agency and has made an impact all season long.

Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the top run-blocking center in the NFL in 2016.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, Mack is dealing with an ankle sprain. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Mack is unlikely to practice this week because of the injury.

While it seems unlikely that Mack would miss playing in his first Super Bowl—especially with the game being a week-and-a-half away—this injury could still potentially impact the game.

The Falcons are about to go up against one of the most well-coached teams in modern football history. Preparation is going to be important, and if Mack cannot fully participate in that preparation, it could create issues.

There's also the possibility that Mack won't be back to 100 percent in time for the game, even if he does rest. This could create a situation that the Patriots' physical defensive front would likely exploit. This is going to be an injury storyline worth following through next week.