Alexandria Galtney
Managing Editor
This past Sunday was a night some football fans will never forget. The Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, both won their division championship games and are now on the road to Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas.
The Atlanta Falcons dominated the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. in the NFC South Division NFL Conference Championship against the Green Bay Packers, and the New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in their AFC Championship game.
Whether it was home field advantage or pure talent, the Falcons beat the Packers 44 – 21 in what some are calling a historic game. This is the first time the Atlanta Falcons will be going to the Super Bowl since their upsetting lose in 1999 against the Denver Broncos.
The Falcons showed no mercy to the Packers and quarterback Matt Ryan had a radiant aura of confidence around him throughout the game. The Falcons scored on their first possession of the game, marching 80 yards on a 13-play run at a patient pace that gobbled up about six and a half minutes.
After winning the championship, an eager Ryan told the New York Times, “We have been in this position before, and it’s so very hard to get to this point — it just came out better this time,” said a smiling Ryan. “It’s tough to string together enough wins to get to the Super Bowl, and there are a lot of things that have to go right.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots played for the AFC East Division NFL Conference Championship Final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
The Patriots confidently beat the Steelers 36 – 17 in their usual up-tempo approach as shown on the team’s opening drive that resulted in a field goal. Quarterback Tom Brady continued to intermittently go to the no-huddle throughout the game.
This is the ninth time in Patriots franchise history that they will be going to the Super Bowl. That’s a new NFL record for appearances in the big game, as the Patriots look to become just the fourth team to win five Lombardi Trophies when they square off against the Atlanta Falcons in Houston, Texas on Feb. 5.
The Patriots, who have won nine in a row, are an early 3-point favorite heading into the game as they seek their fifth NFL title with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach. Belichick’s seventh appearance in a Super Bowl will be a record for a head coach.
Brady spoke with The Associated Press after his win and said, ““We won a lot of different ways under a lot of different circumstances,” Brady said. “Mental toughness is what it is all about and this team has got it. We’ll see if we can write the perfect ending.”
Super Bowl LI is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, with plenty of hilarious commercials and a half-time performance by Lady Gaga; you do not want to miss out.
