Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady and the New England Patriots trailing 28-3 in the 2nd half comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime to win Super Bowl’s greatest comeback and epic collapse:
Via The New York Times:
A new standard has been set, as Tom Brady of the New England Patriots became the first quarterback in N.F.L. history to win five Super Bowls, leading his team to a 34-28 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
It looked like a blowout in Atlanta’s favor, with the Falcons racing to a 28-3 lead, but Brady, who had endured a great deal of pressure for much of the game, held tight and reeled off 25 consecutive points before the overtime period, getting a great deal of help from a circus catch by Julian Edelman that will help erase the Patriots’ painful memory of being sunk by David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII.
After forcing the first overtime in Super Bowl history, the Patriots got the ball first and, as they have done so many times in Brady’s career, marched down the field, going 75 yards on eight plays, winning on James White’s 2-yard touchdown run.
“We all brought each other back,” said Brady, who was named Super Bowl M.V.P. for a record fourth time. “We never felt out of it.”
Danny Amendola, who caught the 2-point conversion that tied the score in regulation, did not hesitate to say that the win was Brady’s crowning achievement.
“He was the same as he always is: cool, calm and collected,” Amendola said. “He’s the leader, the general, the best ever and that is the end of the story.”
Having grown up as a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, Brady claims to have never considered the possibility of joining his idol, Joe Montana, in having won four Super Bowls, let alone passing Montana and Terry Bradshaw, the Pittsburgh Hall of Famer, who each had four wins in four attempts.
And while Brady’s journey was not quite as flawless, with two losses to go with his five wins, he now stands out as the most decorated quarterback of the Super Bowl era, and is tied with Charles Haley, the relentless defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys and the 49ers, for the most Super Bowl wins as a player. Brady also tied Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers for the most N.F.L. championships by a quarterback, with Starr earning three titles before winning the first two Super Bowls.
Following the game, N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell presented the Patriots with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. He was met with an extended chorus of boos thanks to his unpopular decision, among Patriots fans, to punish the team for the Deflategate scandal by suspending Brady for the first four games of this season. The Patriots went 3-1 with Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett filling in for Brady.
After Goodell handed the trophy to Robert K. Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, the boos turned into loud cheers. Kraft played to the crowd, making a thinly veiled reference to the punishment and calling it the sweetest win of his career.
“A lot has transpired over the last two years,” Kraft said. “I don’t think that needs a lot of explanation.”
Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns despite enduring five sacks and the first postseason pick-six of his career. He got plenty of help from White, the team’s pass-catching running back, who had 14 catches for 110 yards and onereceiving touchdown, along with his game-winning run.
The Falcons, led by Matt Ryan, had looked nearly unstoppable for three quarters, scoring at will and holding New England in check with a defense that had steadily improved all season. But they seemingly ran out of steam on both ends of the ball, with the Patriots’ experience winning the day.
Even in defeat, there were plenty of positives for the Falcons, with Grady Jarrett tying a Super Bowl record with three sacks, Robert Alford returning an interception 82 yards for a touchdown, and Ryan completing 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. But after Ryan found Tevin Coleman for a 6-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, everything fell apart. From that point forward, Atlanta’s drives ended punt-fumble-punt-punt, while New England repeatedly chipped away at the lead.
