Atlanta’s vaunted offense couldn’t deliver

[...] Atlanta’s Julio Jones — perhaps the NFL’s best receiver — fully extended his body to grab a pass near the sideline that seemed beyond reach, in what seemed likely to be the defining moment of Super Bowl LI.



[...] it wasn’t.

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower hit Ryan just before he could pass, and New England scored one of its three second-half touchdowns after that fumble.

New England head coach Bill Belichick created his legacy as one of the best in football history, in part, by stopping his opponent’s best player.

In his first Super Bowl as Patriots head coach, in February 2002, he had his players hit Rams running back Marshall Faulk on every play.

After the game, Atlanta’s assistant coaches were using stern voices and cursing at a stadium staffer when, 20 minutes after leaving their box, they still hadn’t gotten down to the locker room.

Levels below, in that locker room, Ryan was telling his offensive teammates to stay close, to not let this defeat allow them to fall apart as a unit.