What a disappointing weekend. If your team won on Sunday, congratulations. If your team lost or you were just hoping for some exciting games, I’m sorry.

Let’s start with the Green Bay Packers at the Atlanta Falcons. Before I go into what happened in the game, let me tell you what happened just hours before kickoff. Before the game, the Packers heard great news that their number one receiver, Jordy Nelson, would be playing despite a few broken ribs. Nelson was wearing a kevlar vest for the entirety of the game. So their bulletproof receiver was back in the starting lineup and Pro Bowl offensive lineman TJ Lang would also be playing. What could go wrong? The score was 31-0 in favor of the Falcons before the Pack put any points on the board. After that, the Falcons kept scoring and the Packers scored too little too late, making the final score 44-21. MVP candidate Matt Ryan had complete control over this matchup with 4 touchdowns, 392 passing yards, and a rushing TD. His star receiver, Julio Jones, had 9 catches for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers had a decent game, but not many people can come back from a 31 point deficit. The Falcons move onto the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1998 season where they lost to the defending champion Denver Broncos.

Next we have the Pittsburgh Steelers at the New England Patriots. Was it bad luck? Was it not meant to be? What happened to the Steelers? To answer your many questions, Le’veon Bell. Let me explain. The all-star running back injured his groin in the first quarter. He returned briefly in the third quarter, but that was just one play. He finished the contest with only 6 carries for 20 yards and no touchdowns for a second straight week. Backup DeAngelo Williams came in but couldn’t do much with 14 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown. Wide Receiver Antonio Brown was virtually shut down with 7 catches for 77 yards and no touchdowns. On the Patriots end, things were great. Tom Brady led his bunch to a 33-9 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Patriots receiver Chris Hogan had 9 catches for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The electric New England offense pummeled the usually dominant Steeler defense the whole game. They simply had no answer for the Patriots.

So what does this mean for Super Bowl LI? We have Tom Brady, who has played in the Super Bowl 6 times prior, against Matt Ryan, who has never made it past the championship game. These two quarterbacks are the two frontrunners for the MVP award. The Falcons lead the league in points scored this year as the Patriots followed closely at number three. On the defensive end, the Falcons were 13th in the league in total tackles. The Patriots, 15th. Atlanta has the 2nd most passing yards this year as New England is 3rd in that category. Ryan is 2nd in the league in passing touchdowns as Brady is at 6th. Brady only has 2 interceptions this year as Ryan has 7. If one was strictly looking at numbers, Atlanta has the edge, but as we know, football is not just a numbers game. This may go without saying, but the Super Bowl this year will be emotional. Anything can happen. Not only is it the biggest game of each player’s career, it is especially special for Tom Brady: His legacy is on the line. A win for Brady would give him his 5th Super Bowl ring, surpassing QB Joe Montana, his childhood idol. A ring for his thumb would also mean he would be the second player in NFL history to win 5 Super Bowls as a player. Additionally, he would be the only player in NFL history to win all 5 as a player on the same team. A loss would give Brady an all time Super Bowl record of 4-3. Yes, earning a trip to the Super Bowl seven times is unheard of, but then he would just be in the same conversation as quarterbacks who were 4-0 in the big game. A fifth Super Bowl would solidify his legacy.

So a quarterback whose legacy is on the line against one who is fighting to be remembered in the NFL record books. Super Bowl LI is hopefully not going to follow the pattern of the disappointing postseason and be a game to remember.

Super Bowl LI will take place on February 5th, 2017 in Houston, Texas.