Patriots coach Bill Belichick says full preparations have begun for the Falcons.
The teams meet in the 2017 Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Houston.
“We’re on to Atlanta now as a coaching staff. We’re deep in the middle of them,” he said Tuesday.
The Patriots, who beat Pittsburgh Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, will have meetings Wednesday and then return to the practice field on Thursday.
Falcons’ schemes look familiar
Belichick says he hasn’t seen the Falcons much on film this season. The teams have just five common opponents (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Arizona and Denver).
The Patriots do have some familiarity with Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who was defensive coordinator of the Seahawks when the teams met in the Super Bowl two years ago.
“They have some of their own characteristics and of course the players are different, so that makes it different,” Belichick said. “But schematically there is quite a bit of carryover.”
One of the key differences, he said, is that the Falcons’ defense seems to bring a little more pressure than Seattle.
Respect for Julio
Falcons star Julio Jones had nine receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta’s NFC Championship Game win over Green Bay. But he will be challenged by a New England secondary that has given up just two passing touchdowns in the playoffs.
“He’s probably just one of the most dynamic players in the league,” Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said of Jones. “I usually don’t wind up comparing him to other people; I wind up comparing other people to him just because of his skill set and his ability.”
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