This game just really doesn't line up well for Atlanta. We've already mentioned that the Patriots excel at stopping the Falcons' biggest strengths both on offense and defense. To make up for it, you'd think Atlanta would want to exploit the Patriots' defensive weakness. But the bad news just keeps on coming.

New England's defense was merely above average against the pass this year despite having some solid cornerbacks in Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan. If it were judged just based on those two, they'd likely be an upper-echelon squad. However, the Patriots' pass rush lagged behind the rest, and it depressed their overall metrics.

New England finished the year ranked 28th in Sack NEP per drop back, meaning only four teams generated a worse pass rush than the Patriots. Two of those teams were the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, so this isn't exactly glowing company. It provides an opening for Atlanta's offense, but it's not one they're built to exploit.

Atlanta finished the year ranked 20th in Sack NEP per drop back on the offensive side. They were first in schedule-adjusted offense and passing offense while ranking third on the ground, meaning their pass blocking was the only department in which they struggled.

If the Patriots present you with one weakness -- and it is most definitely their pass rush -- you need to be able to take advantage of it. Because the Falcons have struggled in this same area, it's hard to have abundant confidence that they can do so. This amplifies the abilities of the Patriots' pass defense, making the hill Atlanta needs to climb even steeper.