HOUSTON – In explaining how his defense couldn’t help close out the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn said simply, "We ran out of gas."
One statistic in particular illustrated Quinn’s claim.
As the Falcons blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead in a 34-28 overtime loss to the Patriots, they watched Tom Brady and the Patriots run 93 plays. In contrast, NFL MVP Matt Ryan and the Falcons ran 46 plays. The 47-play difference marked the biggest play disparity in NFL postseason history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.