Burns
Hall of Famer
Miami, FL --- Atlanta, this one was for you. A city that has only seen 1 pro sports championship, that came when the Braves won it all in 1995, has finally seen another. Your Atlanta Falcons came out on top of the AFC Champion Jacksonville Jaguars, 40-34 in OT, in arguably the most exciting Super Bowl to ever be played.
It was another incredible season for the Falcons, who won their 2nd straight NFC South crown and also their 2nd straight NFC Championship. Atlanta started the season 6-0, lost to their rival Tampa Bay, won a few more games, lost to Minnesota, and ultimately won out from there to secure the #2 seed in the NFC.
A tough, 20-10 win over the 49ers helped the Falcons advance to the NFC Championship where, once again, they would have to face the Minnesota Vikings, a team that Atlanta is all too familiar with. However, things were different this time, the Falcons jumped out to a 17 point lead. Of course, the lead vanished, but Matt Ryan and Julio Jones connected on a game-sealing bomb that ultimately put the Falcons in their 2nd straight Super Bowl.
The Falcons started Super Bowl 53 extremely fast out of the gates, building up a 20-3 halftime lead led by Tevin Coleman, Julio Jones, and Austin Hooper. The Jags had no answer for the #1 offense in the NFL, and the Falcons' defense was doing a great job of keeping Jacksonville out of the end zone. It looked as if Atlanta was going to waltz their way to a Lombardi Trophy. However, everything went bad once the 2nd half hit. The Falcons were outscored 31-14, including a huge fumble recovery for a TD by Jags' Middle Linebacker Rex Dickson, and suddenly, the Falcons found themselves in overtime, tied at 34.
Atlanta sports fans had seen this too often. Too many times had there been so much hope, only to be dashed by a collapse. DeVondre Campbell wouldn't let that happen. The Falcons started OT with the ball, but went 3 and out, leaving the Jaguars with the ball on their own 7 yard line, only needing a FG. A facemask penalty by Campbell helped extend the drive, and all of the sudden, the Jaguars were only about 10 yards away from a makeable FG to win the game.
Then came the hit. The Jags handed it to 2nd year HB Brandon Davis, who was met immediately by DeVondre Campbell with a ferocious hit, popping the ball free. Campbell picked up the ball, broke a weak tackle attempt by Blake Bortles, and danced his way into the endzone for the win. Atlanta could finally celebrate for the first time in 23 years, as the Falcons won their first ever Lombardi Trophy.
Despite amazing performances by Tevin Coleman (21 carries 179 yards 2 TD), Austin Hooper (7 catches 99 yards), and Julio Jones (7 catches 73 yards 2 TD), DeVondre Campbell ultimately took home the Super Bowl MVP for his heroics in overtime.
Now, we turn to next season. The Falcons are once again the favorites to win the NFC South, and with some of the key pieces picked up in Free Agency, along with the upcoming draft, there's no reason to think they'll do otherwise.
Falcons fans, this is an exciting time for this franchise, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. Check out the Super Bowl 53 highlights below, and look for both a season highlights video, as well as a Free Agency Recap coming soon.
SUPER BOWL 53 HIGHLIGHTS
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