When the Atlanta Falcons lost Super Bowl LI to the New England Patriots, they did it by allowing the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. But Mohamed Sanu doesn’t believe that should be the franchise’s defining moment.
The Falcons wide receiver appeared on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday to discuss, among other things, how Atlanta blew a 25-point second-half lead in what’s being considered one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played. Sanu believes what the Falcons did throughout their season should hold more weight than what happened in the final 15 minutes of it.
“I mean, it’s however you guys want to interpret it as,” Sanu said. “Us as a team, we know what we have and what we did throughout the whole season, and I wouldn’t say the last quarter of that game is our legacy. We did what we had to do throughout the season to make it to the big stage and we played well. It just so happened it didn’t go our way.”
That’s probably wishful thinking, as the Falcons must turn in a few dominant seasons for most people to forget that epic collapse. Sanu’s defense of Kyle Shanahan might not work out, either, as the Falcons’ former offensive coordinator made some pretty suspect play calls in the final minutes instead of eating clock.
“I mean, the thought (why aren’t we running the ball?) crosses your mind, but as a player, you do what the coach tells you to do,” Sanu said. “He’s called plays like that throughout the season all the time. He’s been aggressive, we’re an aggressive team, so we go out there and we do what we do.”
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
