Belichick impressed by Falcons' team speed

As Bill Belichick and the rest of the New England Patriots coaching staff dive into their preparation for Super Bowl LI, there's one element to the opponent's roster that stands out above the rest.

Stacked with high-level athletes across the board, the Atlanta Falcons can run with the best of them.

"The thing I notice most is just the team speed the Falcons have," Belichick said Tuesday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. "They're either as fast, or faster, than probably what the average speed of their position is in the league. They look like they're faster than almost every team they play."

That clear athletic ability was a major factor in the Falcons becoming one of the league's most complete teams during the regular season, and they only appeared to get better en route to an NFC title in the playoffs.

How Belichick chooses to defend the high-powered Atlanta offense, in particular, will be one of the most compelling storylines leading up to the big game.

While the Hall of Fame coach has long found success in taking away what an opponent does best, there are no shortage of ways in which the Falcons can move the ball and put points on the board with consistency.

Limiting a unit that's averaged 457.7 yards per game throughout the postseason will be no easy task.