Here are our 2017 Super Bowl halftime picks. First, if you bet the over on the National Anthem, you were a winner. Luke Bryan’s version The Pats called heads on the coin toss and lost it.
Atlanta decided to kickoff and get the ball to start the second-half. And the game was all set to go.
First Quarter
First, the Super Bowl started off with both teams stalling on their initial drives. On their second drive the Pats used a whole host of receivers- five different guys caught passes. The Pats drove down the field but then got stalled out as Brady was sacked twice.
Halfway through the first, there was no score as the Falcons fielded the New England punt on a fair catch at their 12-yard line. They were stopped again. With 1:36 to go in the first, there was no score and each QB had been sacked twice.
Second Quarter
The Patriots put together a drive but the Falcons stripped the ball on a run by LaGarrette Blount. Deion Jones made the strip. QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, and RB Davonta Freeman took over in Atlanta territory. The Falcons drove for the first score of the game on a six yard run by Freeman at 12:15 of the second quarter.
The kickoff went to 16-yard line. The Pats were stymied entirely. On third down a seven, the Patriots could not convert. New England shanked the punt and gave Atlanta a solid position around their 45. They drove to a TD on series of passes with WR Hooper making the catch with Patrick Chung guarding him. After the extra point, with 8:48 left in the half, the Falcons led 14-0.
The Patriots were in a bad place. No team has ever come back from a 14-point deficit to win the game. That strip of Blunt was looking big.
The Pats readied for the kickoff desperately needing to make something happen on what was their fifth drive. The Pats elected to not run back the kick and started at the 25. After a first down pass, Brady was taking a lot of heat from the Falcon pass rush. He completed a pass on third down short of the first down, but Atlanta had a holding penalty and the Pats got their first down.
On another third down play, Atlanta held giving the Pats another first down on the 46 of the Falcons. But after two downs, the Pats were again in a tough third down situation. New England did not complete the pass, but once again Atlanta drew another flag for a hold and got another first down at the 40.
On second down, Brady tossed the ball to TE Bennett for a first down on Atlanta’s 27. Again, New England faced a third down situation with six to go. Alford picked Brady’s pass and ran it back for a TD. With the extra point and 2:21 to go it was Atlanta 21-0.
The Pats took the kickoff at the 25. They seemed to be in no hurry to do anything. But after the two-minute warning, the Pats started another drive. And they drove down to the Atlanta 13 with 23 seconds to go in the half. The Pats committed a hold on a big play. With three seconds left, Gostkowski hit a 41-yard field goal. The score was 21-3 in favor of Atlanta.
2017 Super Bowl Halftime Picks
For your 2017 Super Bowl halftime picks take Atlanta at +6.0 and the under 31.
