Of course, it had to be mentioned.
With former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick a guest analyist on the Manning Cast of a Monday Night Football game featuring the Falcons, the Super Bowl matchup between the teams was a part of the conversation. Peyton and Eli Manning asked Belichick about the infamous 28-3 lead that the Falcons could not hold in Super Bowl LI.
As Belichick reminisced about the comeback, there was this exchange.
Belichick: “I also remember (Falcons owner Arthur) Blank down on the sideline in the fourth quarter celebrating when they were ahead.”
Peyton Manning: “You saw that?”
Belichick: “He’s a pretty good dresser now. Arthur always looks sharp. He was down on the sideline, and we were getting beat and I was like, Jesus.”
Later in the broadcast, Peyton Manning joked that former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan would no longer be a guest in the fourth quarter because of the “full play-by-play of the second half of that Super Bowl.”
After a smile, Belichick recalled the play that many thought would clinch the game for the Falcons.
“That throw he made to Julio Jones in that game was one of the all-time best,” Belichick said. “Unbelievable play. I don’t know how that throw got in there.”
Belichick did have some sharp commentary regarding the Falcons during the game.
* On A.J. Terrell: “If Terrell doesn’t get an interception tonight, he will go 1,000 days without a pick. That’s a lot of money to pay a cornerback who hasn’t had a pick in 1,000 days.”
* On Falcons defense: “Atlanta, they miss too many tackles. They are light. They don’t do a good job of wrapping up. Too many yards after contact.”
* On a second-quarter fumble (recovered by the Falcons): “That’s just bad offense. If you can’t get the ball to the running back that’s not good defense, that’s just bad offense.”
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