EAGLES ROCK PATRIOTS IN SUPERBOWL BOILOVER
THE stage was set for another dramatic Super Bowl comeback for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
That’s when Brandon Graham delivered one of the few defensive highlights in the most prolific offensive game in NFL history, ripping the ball out of Brady’s hands for a fumble that gave the Philadelphia Eagles their first Super Bowl title in franchise history with a 41-33 victory on Sunday night.
“When the fourth quarter came we had to go out there and make a stop,” Graham said. “As a defence, we hadn’t been doing it all game.
“The offence carried us all the way through. At the end of the day, we kept coming.”
Rookie Derek Barnett recovered the loose ball and Eagles fans began celebrating their first title since winning the 1960 NFL championship in what proved to be a surprise ending.
Brady had made the late- game comeback a specialty in winning a record five Super Bowl titles, including last year’s rally from 28-3 down to beat Atlanta in overtime.
The Eagles showed no sign of slowing Brady down on Sunday as he threw for a playoff-record 505 yards (462m) and three touchdowns, carving up the defence at will on a night when the Patriots did not punt once or turn it over until Brady’s late fumble with New England on their 33-yard line with just over two minutes remaining and poised for a comeback. That’s when Graham beat Shaq Mason off the line and reached his left hand out for Brady just before he was set to throw.
Graham knocked the ball loose.
“I knew I had a one-on-one with the guard,” Graham said.
“I knew he likes to be aggressive so I tried to act like I was pulling.
“I snatched it right off and Tom Brady’s arm was right there and I went for the ball.”
Barnett landed on it in what will go down as one of the most memorable plays in Philadelphia history.
“BG made the play to win it,” Barnett said. “It was a good bounce, right into my hands.”
The fumble set up a field goal that gave the Eagles an eight-point lead and then the game ended when Brady’s desperation heave for Rob Gronkowski in the end zone fell to the turf, sending green and white confetti to the field. Emotional Eagles players stormed the field as Brady fell to the ground in frustration.
“They made one good play at the right time,” Brady said.
THE OFFENCE CARRIED US ALL THE WAY THROUGH. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KEPT COMING BRANDON GRAHAM