The greatest quarterback and coach in NFL history pulled out the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
If there was ever any doubt about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s place atop that list, they secured it by pulling off a remarkable 34-28 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons in a Super Bowl LI for the ages Sunday night.
Brady completed a record 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards (another record) as the Patriots (17-2) erased a 25-point, second-half deficit to win the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
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The Patriots scored 31 unanswered points – the last six coming on a 2-yard touchdown dive by James White on the first possession of overtime.
No team had ever come back to win a Super Bowl when trailing by more than 10 points. The Patriots pulled it off, thanks to Brady’s magic, an unbelievable catch by Julian Edelman and a killer turnover by Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan when the league MVP was blasted on a blindside sack and fumbled.
The Falcons (13-6) were looking for their first Lombardi Trophy in the franchise’s 51-year history. Instead, Brady and Belichick won their fifth Super Bowl ring and Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for a fourth time.
After waiting for 51 years, the Atlanta Falcons put their fans through another hour or so of hell Sunday night.
[ Super Bowl boxscore | Pats | Falcons | Panthers stats ]
Brady: After looking shaken during the first half under a heavy pass rush, Brady showed why he’s the greatest quarterback of the Super Bowl era with clutch throws and a record-setting performance.
Dont’a Hightower: Patriots linebacker Hightower had only two tackles, but his strip-sack of Ryan was the biggest defensive play of the game. He blew past Devonta Freeman to drill Ryan and the Patriots recovered at the Atlanta 25.
Grady Jarrett: The ex-Clemson defensive tackle and son of former Falcons great Jessie Tuggle tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks (shared by the Panthers’ Kony Ealy, among others). Like Ealy, though, he came out on the losing end.
▪ Robert Alford’s 82-yard interception return for a TD was the second-longest in Super Bowl history (James Harrison, 100). It was also the first pick-six thrown by Brady in the postseason.
▪ Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ tight end screen to Martellus Bennett at the end of the first half was a head-scratcher. Down 21, Brady had at least one chance to throw into the end zone. The Pats had to settle for a field goal.
▪ New England wanted to slow the game and keep Atlanta’s offense on the sideline. It did, with 42 first-half offensive plays to Atlanta’s 19. It didn’t matter. The Falcons turned the Pats’ two first-half turnovers into 14 points.
▪ Belichick was the main proponent for making PATs longer. He had to be rethinking that when Stephen Gostkowski doinked an extra point off the upright after New England finally scored a TD in the third quarter. It was Gostkowski’s fifth miss this season.
▪ The Falcons sacked Brady twice on the Patriots’ second possession, including one by Jarrett. According to Pro Football Reference, Brady took two sacks on the same drive once during the regular season, against Buffalo in Week 8.
▪ The game got off to an odd start when the teams lined up at the wrong ends of the field for the opening kickoff and had to switch sides before the Falcons kicked off.
▪ The roof at NRG Stadium was closed, as it was for Super Bowl XXXVIII when the Panthers lost to New England 32-29 in Houston. The heat and humidity during the 2004 game was a factor for both teams, prompting several Panthers players to receive IVs at halftime.
▪ Former N.C. State star Jacoby Brissett was inactive as the Patriots’ third QB, but with trade rumors swirling around Jimmy Garoppolo, Brissett could wind up as Brady’s backup in 2017.
Joseph Person: 704-358-5123, @josephperson
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