THAT’S FIVE FOR BRADY’S BUNCH
Unbelievable comeback gives Patriots Super Bowl win over Atlanta Falcons
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have won one for the thumb in the most belief-defying, jawdropping win of their 17-year association.
They won their fifth Super Bowl champion’s ring with the New England Patriots with a 34-28 overtime defeat of the Atlanta Falcons in perhaps the most dramatic NFL championship game ever played, and in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
No head coach had won five Super Bowls before, nor any QB. Brady was named MVP for a record fourth time, setting Super Bowl records for passing yards (466) and completions (43) in his 62 attempts. He threw for two touchdowns.
“We all brought each other back,” Brady said. “We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle. (The Falcons) have a great team. I give them credit. We just made a few more plays than them.”
Brady is the main reason the Pats somehow overcame a 28-3 deficit late in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns, a pair of two-point conversions and a field goal thereafter while holding the Falcons off the scoreboard to send the game into overtime.
The last scores in regulation came with 57 seconds left, a one-yard James White plunge followed by a quick Brady twopoint conversion throw to Danny Amendola.
In overtime, New England won the toss — calling heads as they always do — and marched 75 yards in eight plays for the win. White took a pitchout right from Brady and lunged over the goal-line.
New England’s comeback was by far the biggest in Super Bowl history. No team previously had overcome a seven-point halftime deficit.
The win ruined an insanely good performance over the first three quarters by the Falcons.
In OT, Brady moved the Patriots into Atlanta territory on an 18-yard deep comebacker left to Chris Hogan. That put the ball at the Atlanta 37. A swing pass to White lost three yards, then Brady hit receiver Julian Edelman on a deep crosser for 15.
Brady threw a screen pass to White for 10 more. At the Atlanta 15, Brady lobbed a pass into the end zone to tight end Martellus Bennett. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell broke it up but was called for pass interference.
In I formation from the twoyard line, Brady lobbed a pass into the far right end of the end zone but linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. made a great play to break it up.
But on the next play White took a pitchout right, broke a couple of tackles and reached over for the touchdown.
What was Brady’s demeanour on that overtime drive?
“He was the same as he always is — cool, calm and collected,” White said. “He’s the leader, the general — the best ever, and that is the end of the story.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta — a three-point underdog — jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead, extended it to 28-3 early in the second half, then watched it all fall apart.
Regular-season MVP Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ quarterback, raised his game to a higher level on this night, to no avail. And thanks in part to the determined running of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, who combined for 86 first-half yards, mostly around end, Atlanta looked like a lock to win the franchise’s first NFL championship or Super Bowl.
Through three quarters Ryan completed 13 of 16 for 202 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a statistically perfect 158.3 passer rating.
After a pair of three-and-outs to start the second half, the Falcons offence — one of the most prolific in league annals in the regular season — flexed all of its powerful muscles. In eight plays, Ryan piloted the Falcons 85 yards, hitting his swift backup running back Coleman on a swing pass for the touchdown and a 28-3 lead.
Brady and the Patriots finally scored their first touchdown but it took more than six minutes, and Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point. Brady hit running back White on a five-yarder for the score that narrowed Atlanta’s lead to 28-9.
Gostkowski then flubbed the ensuing onside kick, inadvertently touching the ball before it travelled 10 yards on a straightahead tap-and-recover attempt.
A holding call forced the Falcons to punt, and New England marched 72 yards in 12 plays for a field goal, after two sacks.
Atlanta had been aggressive on both sides of the ball all game, but it backfired with about eight minutes left. On a third-and-one, Ryan dropped to throw and was nailed, by Dont’a Hightower, fumbled, and the Pats recovered at the Atlanta 25.
Five plays later, New England edged to within one score, down 28-20, after Brady hit Amendola on an out route in the end zone for the touchdown, and on a nifty two-point play Brady faked as if the snap went over his head, but instead the snap went directly to running back White, who ploughed over for the score.
With 5:56 left in the fourth, Gostkowski kicked deep to the needlessly surprised Falcons, and Justin Hardy ran it out of bounds at his 10-yard line.
On first down, Ryan calmly dropped back, dumped off to a wide open Freeman, and he motored 39 yards to near midfield to get the Falcons out of a hole.
Then Ryan then took a dumb sack in the red zone, and a holding call pushed Atlanta out of field-goal range. A field goal there could have sealed it, giving the Falcons a two-score lead again. But on fourth-and-33 from the New England 45, Matt Bosher punted to the Patriots’ nine.
With less than three minutes to go, a crazy reception led to the Pats’ game-tying touchdown. Brady threw a pass that bounced off an Atlanta defender’s body at least three times, but just before hitting the ground Edelman dived and somehow snared the ball before it hit the ground. Replay confirmed the incredible catch at the Atlanta 41.
A play later, Brady hit Amendola on a deep out at the Atlanta 21, with 1:57 left at the two-minute warning.
Two more Brady completions put the ball at Atlanta’s one-yard line with 1:01 left. White then burst into the end zone, and New England trailed 28-26 with 57 seconds remaining.
On the vital two-point conversion attempt, Brady fired a quick-hitch pass to Amendola, who barely carried the ball over the goal line before being thrown back. An Atlanta offside penalty was declined. That set the stage for overtime.
We never felt out of it. … (The Falcons) have a great team. I give them credit. We just made a few more plays than them.