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Boomer Esiason: Patriots Have 'Best-Balanced Team' Of Belichick Era

BOSTON (CBS) -- Boomer Esiason usually joins Toucher & Rich from his own studio in New York. But for Super Bowl week, Esiason was able to join the show in person at Radio Row in Houston.

Much like Super Bowl Opening Night, the interview covers a wide range of non-football topics before finally getting to the game itself. Esiason envisions Super Bowl LI being a close, high-scoring game with the Patriots prevailing over the Falcons by a 38-34 score.

Esiason believes that the Falcons ultimately can't do what the Giants, Ravens, and Broncos have been able to do to beat the Patriots in previous playoff games.

"I think, in order to beat the Patriots, you've got to have a great defensive line. ... The Falcons don't have a great defensive line," said Esiason. "What they have is a lot of young, inexperienced, fast players running all over the place. They have never seen an offense quite like this."

He did acknowledge that the Patriots will also have their hands full on defense going up against the Falcons' league-best scoring offense, which is why the game will ultimately be a shootout.

"Controlling the game offensively is one thing; beating the Falcons will be another, because [The Patriots'] defense, and Matt Patricia being an aeronautical engineer - he's going to have to be really aeronautical this week, because this is the best passing team that they will see all season long," said Esiason. "There's five guys [on the Falcons] who can make plays all over the field."

Esiason chalks the Patriots up to the best overall opponent that the Falcons have faced all season - and perhaps the most well-rounded team of the Bill Belichick era.

"The Patriots may have the best-balanced team that Bill Belichick has ever had, when you really think about what they've been able to accomplish this year," said Esiason.

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