Pats Win Super Bowl in Historic Comeback
Tonight Tom Brady did what no man in the NFL has ever done before. He set a record for most passing yards in a game with 466 yards. He helped his team mount the most historic comeback in NFL history. And in doing so, he became the first ever QB to win five Super Bowls in his career. One couldn’t imagine a more storied conclusion to the NFL Season.
After sitting out the first four games of the season, he came back and led his team all the way to pay dirt months later. And not just that. But he did it on prime time, in front of the whole nation. At the age of 39–not to mention he did so without the help of his star tight end, Rob Gronkowski. And he played arguably the best game of his career, considering the circumstances.
But this article is not just about Tom Brady. He didn’t do it alone. This is about an organization that came together, made some ridiculously crucial plays including linebacker Dont’a Hightower’s strip sack in the fourth quarter, and receiver Julian Edelman’s 23-yard circus catch, and in when it came down to it made the right calls in the right moments. At some point the momentum shifted and the game wasn’t the same. The Patriots began to conjure some serious magic. Tom Brady overcame a slow start in which he threw with uncharacteristic inaccuracy. Receivers dropped important passes. Whatever adjustments Dan Quinn made to his team’s defensive scheme clearly worked in the first half. Brady looked finicky in the pocket. Players struggled to beat the man-to-man coverage. Not to mention the defense just couldn’t contain Matt Ryan’s Falcons.
With 4:14 to go in the third quarter, the Falcons extended their lead to 28-3. It seemed like the game was over at that point. But then on the following drive, the Pats drove down the field in 13 plays to cut the deficit by six. On the next drive, a -9 yard sack forced the Falcons to punt. The Pats responded with a field goal. This is where things got interesting. Hightower stripped Ryan on 3rd and 1. Pats rebounded with a TD and two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to eight. The Falcons, however, had a chance to put things to rest.
On a 2nd and 8 with 4:47 to go in the fourth, Ryan hooked up with Julio Jones for an immaculate 27-yard pass. This put Atlanta at New England’s 23. It was in the bag. That was until Trey Flowers sacked Ryan for a 12 yard loss, and a holding call set them back another ten yards to the Pats’ 45. Forced to punt, the Falcons surrendered their fate to Brady’s surging offense.
And that was it. Well not really. Brady and Co. saddled up at their own nine. Shades of Elway’s quintessential drive flashed through the air. Ten plays and a handful of magic later, the Pats were in the end zone. No. 12 was perfect in his last five plays, completing every pass and putting dual threat wideout James White in position to score the tying TD.
Let’s talk about James White for a second. This guy is the secret MVP in my book. He caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a TD–mind you he’s a running back. And he ran 6 times for 29 yards and two touchdowns–one of which was the game winning overtime score. Perhaps the craziest part about White’s performance is that in the regular season he ran for 39 attempts on 166 yards and zero touchdowns, and caught 60 passes for 551 yards and five touchdowns. So in one game–the biggest game of all–he posted career numbers. He deserves serious accolades.
And so does Bill Belichick. Because if there’s one thing you can say about Belichick, it’s that he knows how utilize players. He’s like the Gregg Popovich of the NFL. And he did just enough in terms of adjustments to empower his team to victory. The rest as they say is history.
Notably, Ryan had one of the best QB ratings in Super Bowl history, completing 17 of 23 passes for two scores and zero interceptions. Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman both had big games as well. But in the end the fates smiled upon New England, and arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
Unsurprisingly, he took home the MVP award; well deserved for a man who’s worked so hard to get where he is, who’s earned every bit the right to stand victorious upon the world’s biggest stage, propelling his team to the most storied rally in NFL history.
Following the game, Brady told the Fox telecast, “We all brought each other back. We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle. They have a great team. I give them a lot of credit. We just made a few more plays than them.”
During the post-game conference, the MVP told reporters, “We’re all gonna remember this for the rest of our life.” We all will, Tom. We all will.
