Storyline: Records fell and emotions ran high in a game that will live forever.
A game which shall echo through the generations took place last Sunday. Records fell and emotions ran high in a game that will live forever.
It was a game of two halves with two very different storylines.
After a scoreless first quarter, the game wasn’t shaping up as the shootout many had expected. The Falcons defense stepped up and put pressure on Tom Brady, sacking him twice in the Pats’ second drive, and forcing back-to-back punts.
NFL Spin Zone
And the Falcons speed, especially on offense, was proving to be a handful for New England as Devonte Freeman burst for a 37-yard run on the first drive. It was Freeman again who broke the deadlock in the second quarter with a fantastic 5-yard touchdown run. That score was off of the back of a rare LeGarrette Blount fumble which, not surprisingly, led to a reduced work load for him the rest of the day.
After another Pats’ three-and-out, the Falcons marched down the field, going 62 yards as Matt Ryan threw his first- ever Super Bowl TD. And on the next New England drive, Brady threw a very un-Tom-like pick, which was taken to The House by Robert Alford.
The Falcons were now up 21-0 and the Patriots were in unfamiliar territory: a 5th Vince Lombardi Trophy was slipping out of their grasp. In the first half the Pats could only manage a field goal, not a TD, thanks to a holding call on Martellus Bennett. Down 21-3 at half, New England would need to break its own Super Bowl comeback record–a 10-point deficit v. Seattle in ’14–to win this game.
Courtesy: WMUR.com
The second half started similarly to the first half with no points scored on the first two drives. Then things changed. Atlanta scored a TD on a a 6-yard pass to Tevin Coleman and New England countered with a 5-yard pass to James White. With a PAT missed after the second TD, the Falcons led, 28-9.
But who could have imagined at that point that the high-powered Falcons would be shutout the rest of the game?
That’s exactly what happened. “The Comeback” began when the Pats kicked a field goal early in the 4th Quarter. They now needed two TDs and two, two-point PATs to tie the game.
Atlanta helped by fumbling–forced by Dont’a Hightower–with eight-and-a-half minutes left on the clock. The turnover enabled a 6-yard pass to Danny Amendola. A high-snap fake to James White for the two-point conversion followed.
Then with little over 3 minutes left in the game, Tom Brady completed a 3rd-and-10 from his own 9-yard line to trigger a 91-yard drive. James White ended the drive from the 1 and Amendola caught a two-point conversion.
The game was tied, 28-28, at the end of regulation.
CBS Sports
In OT, it was all New England. Proceeding methodically down the field, a killer pass interference left the Pats 1 yard from glory. Then White plowed in for the winning score.
With the win, Tom Brady became the first player to win 5 Super Bowls. He also set a record for passing yards (466). He’s now the undisputed Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in the NFL.
As for next year, the Falcons can take heart in several positives: the defense improved massively as the season progressed and they have an elite offense. This team is primed to make another playoff run in 2017. New England’s challenge is retaining its prime free agents, including Dont’a Hightower and Malcom Butler. But the Pats may lose Bennett and Logan Ryan, both of whom will command big deals.
For now, though, the Patriots can bask in the familiar glory of winning yet another NFL championship.
Great article James.