At the 2000 NFL Combine, a young quarterback prospect from Michigan named Tom Brady drew little attention to what was an almost humorous performance.

Among quarterbacks in the combine, he had the worst vertical leap (24.5 inches) and the second worst 40-yard dash (5.28 seconds). While his accuracy and throwing form was solid, Brady was one of the least athletic quarterbacks in his class.

Today, he is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football.

The undoubted first ballot hall of famer is on his way to his seventh Super Bowl appearance and is going up against the 2016 season’s probable MVP, Matt Ryan.

Ryan’s upbringing in the NFL is very different from Brady’s. Ryan was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 draft. He was an instant starter and has only missed two games in the last eight seasons.

And after a blowout championship weekend, Ryan and Brady are going head to head in football’s biggest game.

No one expected the AFC and NFC Championships to play out like they did. The Packers were seemingly unstoppable after taking down the first seeded Cowboys. But after the top scoring Atlanta offense took a 24-0 lead at halftime, the heroic nature of Aaron Rodgers couldn’t save the Packers.

The AFC Championship game followed a similar trend. Tom Brady and the Patriots overwhelmed the Steelers’ secondary, with two touchdowns to Chris Hogan in the first half. Brady threw for 384 yards, completing 32-of-42 passes.

The Steelers also lost running back Le’Veon Bell early in the game to a groin injury. Bell, who had a combined 337 rushing yards in the Steelers’ first two playoff games, only had six carries in their loss to New England.

Super Bowl LI will showcase the NFL’s top scoring offense (Atlanta) and the top scoring defense (New England). While the title of top scoring defense is intimidating to opposing teams, it isn’t something that should be a major concern to the Falcons.

New England’s defense in the regular season ranked only 12^th in passing yards per game. While this is impressive, Matt Ryan is the league’s top three for average passer rating, touchdowns, yards per game, yards per attempt, and completion percentage.

Predicting the Super Bowl this year won’t be easy. It will come down to momentum and preparedness, which are unpredictable factors. So instead of predicting the outcome, here are the reasons why each team might win:

Atlanta Falcons:

Balance on offense:

Matt Ryan is always a threat when throwing the football, but what many people forget is the rushing duo of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. Atlanta had the fifth best rushing offense in the NFL this season. Freeman and Coleman don’t pop on the stats sheets individually because they share a decent number of the carries.

Rejuvenated Defense:

Even though the Falcons’ defense wasn’t the most impressive during the regular season, they have stepped up in the postseason. They have successfully fended off two very powerful offenses in the NFC, holding the Seahawks and the Packers to just two touchdowns each and a handful of field goals.

New England Patriots:

Brady and Belichick:

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are such a powerful duo that their time together has been known as an era. During this era, they have appeared in a record seven Super Bowls, including the Super Bowl LI. Both Patriots are guaranteed Hall of Fame inductees, so if these two guys are at the top of their game, there is always a chance to win.

LeGarrette Blount:

It’s hard to shine as a star when lining up next to Tom Brady, but New England running back LeGarrette Blount has slowly made a name for himself. He isn’t a standout in terms of yardage, but he did lead the league in rushing touchdowns this season (18).

Blount is the perfect asset for those third-and-short situations because he has the size and driving power to move a pile. So when the Patriots are on the goal line, Blount can slam into the end zone rather than risking an interception.

Super Bowl LI is set to be a high scoring one, and will surely grab another record setting audience. Super Bowl LI will place in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.