It's been a long season, but alas, here we are -- Super Bowl LI.

In one corner, we have a familiar foe, the New England Patriots, led by the incomparable duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

This is their 7th Super Bowl appearance (if I was a betting man it surely wouldn't be their last) and the two will be looking to add another ring to their collection.

In the other corner, we have a fresh-faced Atlanta Falcons team that has been proving the doubters and naysayers wrong all season -- myself included.

"Atlanta won't win the NFC South. It's Carolina's division."

Well, we all saw the disaster that Carolina was this season, but the Falcons won the south in convincing fashion.

"Atlanta's defense will be their downfall."

While taking on two of the premier Quarterbacks in the league -- Rodgers and Wilson -- in their two playoff games, the dirty birds' defense showed up and showed up. To be fair, both teams weren't the complete units that they have been in the past, but you to give credit when credit is due. Add in the fact that many of their playmakers are rookie and sophomore guys, then you not only have a recipe for success for this postseason but for seasons to come.

"Matt Ryan can't win in the playoffs."

Prior to this postseason, Matt Ryan's playoff success left much to be desired, especially considering the caliber of player he has been thus far in his career.

730 yards, 8 touchdowns (1 rushing), no interceptions, a 92.65 QBR rating and 2 wins later and Mr. Ryan has an opportunity to etch himself in the history books.

When New England has the ball.....

By now we should all be familiar with the machine that is the Patriots' offense.

The genius of Tom Brady will always have this offense one step ahead. Even when they don't get points on the board, Tom Terrific runs the offense so efficiently that a handful of first downs and time chewed off the clock is likely. Even when it seems like the Patriots are out of it, they aren't, and this will be vital when facing a team as explosive as Atlanta.

As good as Tom is, the keys to this game will be LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett.

Yes, Martellus Bennett.

As shocking as this may sound, the battle on the edge will be a huge deciding factor, with the NFL's sack leader Vic Beasley sure to bring heat early and often, Bennett needs to be involved in keeping the defense honest, suppressing the Falcons' underrated pass rush.

Players like Edelman, Dion Lewis/James White out of the backfield and the emergence of Chris Hogan as a deep threat will play their part in nullifying the surging Atlanta defense, but Bennett has been rather quiet and a big game is in store for the talented tight end.

Blount has been a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Pats all year long. His ground and pound style of play has helped wear down teams in the trenches, especially in late game situations and in the RedZone. His league leading 18 rushing touchdowns is a testament to this.

The mishaps in the first half by the Packers is a prime example why points in RedZone are of the utmost importance when facing the electric Falcons' offense. Atlanta is not a team you want to be down against, and LeGarrette Blount is going to have to be the guy to convert on the goal-line because we all know New England isn't going to make the same mistake Pete Carroll made a couple years ago.

The Patriots will have an answer for whatever Atlanta brings to the table. Dan Quinn is an excellent coach and will likely want revenge for losing at the hands of the Brady Bunch. Just don't let Tom have the last possession. We all know how that ends.

If Atlanta wants to stop the Patriots, they will need to find creative ways to get pressure on Tom Brady, and the young boys will need to step up and make some plays to try and shake Tom Terrific from what he does best. Good luck with that.

When Atlanta has the ball.....

This may be the most complete offense that the game has seen EVER.

Now I know what you're thinking.

What's wrong with this guy? But hear me out.

Julio Jones. Mo Sanu. Matt Ryan. DeVonta Freeman. Tevin Coleman. Taylor Gabriel. Tamme. Hooper. The number of weapons on this Atlanta team is ridiculous, and to top it all off, they have a top 5 offensive line in the game. They simply have no weaknesses. This offensive unit is built for championships, and they will have an opportunity to showcase their goods for the nation to see.

Expect to see a healthy dose of Tevin/DeVonta, Julio making his usual plays and the rest of the offense will follow suit. The real challenge will be scoring on the Pats' in the RedZone as Bill will be up to his usual tricks and will continue to live and die with the "bend but don't break" mentality.

Malcolm Butler vs. Julio Jones will be the matchup to watch. This is exactly what Butler wanted, but be careful what you wish for, Julio is a different beast.

I wanna check julio jones...lol......real talk doe..
— Malcolm CB Butler (@Mac_BZ) December">https://twitter.com/Mac_BZ/status/2826798803935805... 23, 2012

Storylines to Watch

As aforementioned, this is Tom Brady's seventh super bowl appearance. With a win, he will be sitting a pretty 5-2, and will be the winningest Quarterback in NFL history, solidifying his place as the GOAT.

With a win, Bill Belichick will tie the great Chuck Noll with 4 super bowl wins and will stake his claim in the argument as the greatest to grace the sidelines.

Dan Quinn is looking to get his first ring as a coach, and interestingly enough, has been a part of 3 of the last 4 super bowls. Of course, Matty Ice is seeking his first super bowl win, and to shake off the label as a choke artist once and for all.

Verdict

I asked my twitter followers and my friends on Facebook what they thought the outcome of the game would be and got some interesting results. I also asked many of my followers on various social media platforms who they felt would be the super bowl MVP as well.

After getting responses from 55 people, 30 picked the Falcons to be Super Bowl victors to 25 who picked the Patriots. The most popular picks for Super Bowl MVP were Julio Jones, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan with 9, 10 and 8 votes respectively. Chris Hogan received 4 votes and is a sneaky pick with his play of late.

Thanks to all those who participated in my polls and posts regarding the Super Bowl. The results were interesting, but I have to disagree with the majority of respondents who picked Atlanta to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

New England will be the winners of Super Bowl LI. The game will be one for the ages, with the Patriots winning 30-28, with Brady leading the Pats down the field for the go-ahead score. This is Brady's Jordan moment and he will make himself immortal with this win.

Brady takes home the MVP. We are witnessing one of the best to ever do it, regardless of sport, and this game will serve as a reminder of the legend of Tom Brady.