You're not considering the secondary effect of running the ball, and that's running time off the clock; something it seems like Atlanta wasn't all that interested in doing.You always need a touchdown. If they had done what everyone says, ran it 3 times when the Pats defense is expecting a run and the dude missed the FG, you guys would all be ranting about how they were playing to not lose, prevent offense, blah blah blah. I'm pretty sure a lot of people could make the right play calls after they know the outcome.
You're not considering the secondary effect of running the ball, and that's running time off the clock; something it seems like Atlanta wasn't all that interested in doing.
It's super easy to say that when you know the other thing didn't work. What you said is basic, conservative football strategy. Basic, conservative football strategy probably isn't the way to beat Belichick, but it's always there for us Monday morning blowhards when a more sophisticated strategy didn't work and no one can prove us wrong since we don't actually do anything.
100 out of 100 unless there's a fumble, or you miss the field goal, or they block it, or you get called for penalties that back you up or 100 other things that can go wrong on any play.