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SPORTS Saturday 4 February 2017
Super Bowl pits Brady’s Patriots against Ryan’s Falcons

HOUSTON (AP) — An NFL Foxborough, Massachu- receptions, 247 yards and
season that began with setts, spectators taunt- three touchdowns in two
Tom Brady serving a four- ed Goodell by chanting postseason games.
game suspension ends “Where is Roger?” — he Atlanta’s score-at-will of-
with him in the Super Bowl, chose to attend the play- fense, which produced
where his New England off in Atlanta instead. If the the most points during the
Patriots take on Matt Ryan Patriots win the Super Bowl, regular season, against
and the Atlanta Falcons on Goodell will have to pres- the unheralded defense
Sunday. ent Brady and the Patriots of New England, which al-
The oddsmakers have with the Lombardi Trophy. lowed the fewest, could
Brady and the Patriots Brady says he’s tried to be the truly key matchup
three-point favorites, which block all the negativ- of the Super Bowl. It is the
seems kind of low. The Pa- ity this season, echoing sixth time since the 1970
triots are in their seventh his previous comments on merger that the Super Bowl
Super Bowl since Brady be- “Deflategate.”“I’m a posi- matches the top scoring
came the starter in 2001, tive person so I just focus on team and the team allow-
winning four so far, though all the positives. I don’t get ing the fewest points. The
all were tight contests. caught up in negativity and better defensive team has
Perhaps also on the minds bashing other people,” he gone 5-1 in those meet-
of the oddsmakers were said. “I’m very blessed. I ings. The teams come to
those 540 points the Fal- get to do something I love Houston playing their best.
cons racked up in the reg- to do, show up to work ev- New England (16-2) has
ular season. As were their ery day, play football in the won nine consecutive New England Patriots’ Tom Brady shakes hands with Atlanta Fal-
playoff romps past Seattle National Football League games, and hasn’t even cons’ Matt Ryan during opening night for the NFL Super Bowl 51
football game at Minute Maid Park Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in
and Green Bay, both of and play for the Patriots.” trailed in a game since Houston.
which were probably su- Defense captain Devin Nov. 27.q Associated Press
perior to Houston and Pitts- McCourty says Brady has
burgh, who were New Eng- maintained his leadership
land’s postseason victims. role all season.
Brady is impressed by the “All of the things that he
NFC champions. has to go through and the
“If you make a mistake things that he has to do
against them, the next to be the starting quarter-
thing they have the ball back, to be Tom Brady, it
for five minutes and you’re would be easy to be frus-
down another seven trated at times,” McCour-
points,” Brady says. “This is ty said. “But he’s always
going to be a great chal- ready to go.”
lenge for us.” With a win against the Fal-
Brady and coach Bill cons, Brady would break
Belichick will be seeking a tie with Terry Bradshaw
their — and the Patriots’ — and Joe Montana for the
fifth Lombardi Trophy, and most Super Bowl wins by a
second in three years. This quarterback. It would also
is the franchise’s league- tie Brady with Charles Hal-
record ninth appearance ey, who is the only player
in the Super Bowl, includ- with five Super Bowl wins.
ing titles in 2002, 2004, 2005 Bart Starr is the only other
and 2015. quarterback with five NFL
“This team showed a lot of championships, winning
mental toughness over the three before Super Bowls
course of the year,” Brady began.
said. The Falcons have never
New England opened the won the Super Bowl. This is
season with a 3-1 record Atlanta’s second trip to the
despite using two backup big game; it lost to Denver
quarterbacks. Brady went in 1999.
through a lengthy court The club has never had a
battle in an unsuccessful quarterback quite as good
bid to have his ban over- as Ryan, though. The guy
turned for what became nicknamed “Matty Ice”
known as “Deflategate.” is the first quarterback in
NFL Commissioner Roger NFL history with three or
Goodell suspended Brady more passing touchdowns
because the league said in four consecutive play-
it determined the Patriots off games. In his past six
intentionally underinflated games, including playoffs,
footballs in the AFC Cham- he has 1,861 passing yards,
pionship game victory two 18 touchdowns, and no in-
years ago. terceptions.
During the most recent His chief target has been
AFC Championship in Julio Jones, who has 15