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It's been more than eight years since the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, and although nearly a decade has passed since their stunning loss, it appears that the wound is still fresh. 

After a round of OTAs this week, the Falcons shared what appeared to be a harmless picture on social media. The photo featured safety Jessie Bates III standing next to cornerback Mike Ford. For most teams, this picture wouldn't have raised any eyebrows, but it was a problem for the Falcons because Bates wears No. 3 while Ford's jersey number is 28. 

That combination created what might go down as the most unintentionally awkward OTA photo of all-time. 

To avoid this situation going forward, the Falcons might just want to retire both jersey numbers. Otherwise, they're going to have to ask Bates and Ford to never stand next to each other as long as they're teammates in Atlanta. 

As soon as the Falcons shared the photo, their own fans were asking them to delete it. 

Shortly after the tweet came out, someone on the social media team quickly realized what had happened. At that point, the Falcons had two options: Keep the tweet up and let everyone make fun of them for the rest of time or delete the the tweet and hope that everything blows over. They chose option two. 

For those of you who need a refresher on Super Bowl LI, that's the game where the the Falcons were leading the Patriots 28-3 in the third quarter, only to lose, 34-28, in overtime. To this day, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still celebrate the win. 

Brady has been known to write "Happy 3/28" day when the calendar hits March 28. That's right, the Falcons' blown lead now has its own holiday. Belichick indirectly got in on the action this year when his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson, decided to wear a "Falcons Super Bowl Champs" shirt on March 28. 

Unfortunately for the Falcons, until someone blows a bigger lead in the Super Bowl, the 28-3 jokes are likely going to be coming for the rest of time.

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Cody Benjamin
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