In my mind, there are two big reasons why New England should be favoured to defeat Atlanta in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Houston.
The first is experience.
Tom Brady has competed in this game seven times. Bill Belichik also has loads of Super Bowl experience. Previous exposure to the big stage can be a huge advantage over a group of players who’ve never been there before.
The second reason is motivation.
Let’s not forget Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the regular season, and that unjust act by the league no doubt provided the rallying cry on more than one occasion this season.
The “us against the world” tactic can galvanize a team no matter how much experience they have.
The Falcons deserve credit for getting to the Super Bowl, and can win it. In order to do so, however, they will have to counter these two advantages the Patriots have for this championship game.