1:30 p.m. ET: Super Bowl LI is still five hours away, and the media is abord a shuttle to NRG Stadium via police escort.
There’s little left to say or write about the game at this point that hasn’t already been expressed. It’s a matchup of two high-powered offenses, and the Patriots’ defense is exponentially better than the Falcons’.
Here are some stories you should check out before the game. There’s plenty of time.
— Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater are as close as brothers as they enter their third Super Bowl together.
— Patriots teammates recall their first impression of Tom Brady.
— Brandon Bolden still can’t believe he’s friends with Brady.
— Logan Ryan has a special jersey prepared for tonight.
— This week’s mailbag.
— The differences between the Patriots’ 2014 and 2016 teams.
— Brady has been leaning heavily on Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan lately.
— Tom Brady is on pace to never retire.
— It’s difficult to measure Chris Long’s excitement level in a traditional scale.
— How Bill Belichick defenses have traditionally fared against elite wide receivers.
— The Patriots traditionally have started slow in Super Bowls. They’ll try to buck that trend.
— Super Bowl LI presents Patriots fans with their lowest stakes of any previous season.
My projected inactives contain no surprises: QB Jacoby Brissett, RB D.J. Foster, WR Michael Floyd, OT LaAdrian Waddle, CB Cyrus Jones, CB Justin Coleman, SS Jordan Richards
The game will be played under a roof, so weather will not be a factor. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images