It might seem difficult to remember now, but the Atlanta Falcons actually had a great game plan against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
And, ahead of their convincing 42-27 victory over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs built their game plan on that very same strategy. The difference, of course, is Kansas City followed through for all four quarters.
“Coach (Andy) Reid and our offensive staff are so good at finding plays and schemes that work well for us that have been executed well against the defense we’re playing. Many of those runs and passes we broke down were the Falcons’,” Chiefs center Mitch Morse said after the game, via Sports Illustrated. “We definitely used it as a tool.”
To say the Chiefs used it as a “tool” might be an understatement, as “weapon” might be more appropriate.
Kansas City scored 42 points and racked up 537 yards of total offensive Thursday night, both of which are the most ever against a Patriots team coached by Bill Belichick. Furthermore, rookie running back Kareem Hunt’s 246 yards from scrimmage were a record for a player making their NFL debut.
Whereas the Falcons eventually abandoned their game plan en route to a historic collapse in Super Bowl LI, the Chiefs used that strategy as a foundation for an unprecedented performance in the Tom Brady-Belichick era.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
