It was a cold February Super Bowl Sunday. The long-awaited match-up was set, Tom Brady and the Patriots’ dynasty versus the Matt Ryan-led Atlanta Falcons. This would be the Patriots’ sixth Super Bowl appearance since 2004.
At 6:33 the Patriots won the toss; Tom Brady, the team’s captain, would choose to receive first. Brady’s Pats started guns blazing as he completed his first five passes; each time he threw it with more heart and fire than the last. The Patriots then stalled out due to the suffocating Falcon’s defense. The first quarter contained limited action as neither team scored.
In the second quarter, the Falcons roared to life, scoring three straight touchdowns. The Patriots were unable to answer the brilliance of the Falcons. The first half would end with the Falcons leading 21-3 after the Patriots had earned a last-second field goal.
The second half began with hope remaining for some fans. However, with 8:28 left in the third quarter, Tevin Coleman received a 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan resulting in a touchdown. Now, the score 28-3 appeared on the scoreboard. With that, many turned the TV off claiming the game was over, but they couldn’t have been more wrong, Brady and the Patriots were just getting started.
The Patriots struck quickly, scoring a touchdown, and missing the extra point to make the score 28-9 going into the fourth quarter. From there, it seemed to be all Patriots. Slowly but surely, they were chipping away at a deficit many thought would be impossible to climb. The Falcons simply had no answer for the “Brady Magic” as the Patriots took over.
2:28 left. 20-28, if the Patriots can’t score a touchdown the Falcons will be Super Bowl LI champions. 1st & 10 Brady drops back on his own 36-yard line. He rifles it. The ball is tipped. For a second, time had frozen, the ball hovering in the air… until a beloved Patriot flew in. Through three defenders, wide receiver Julian Edelman leaps out, the game at his fingertips.
He had done it on the most important drive of the game. Brady made a mistake, so it seemed. However, Edelman wasn’t going to let anyone ruin his chances at a historic comeback.
The man who embodied everything it meant to be a Patriot – grit, winning mentality, and determination – had caught the ball. The Falcons threw the red flag and called for a challenge, to review if Edelman had controlled it on his descent. After what felt like an eternity, the head official came out one last time exclaiming over the booming stadium, Edelman had caught the ball.
With the huge morale boost, the Patriots would score both touchdowns and a two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. 28-28 was the score going into overtime, the Patriots again had won the toss, and with all the momentum in the world, the sweet scent of victory was lingering on all the noses of all Patriots fans.
In a lightning-fast 3:52 seconds, the Patriots found themselves in prime scoring position. With the ball on the two-yard line – in an impossible comeback – the ball was handed off to James White. White bounced wide to the left, broke one tackle, fought through another, and dove for the endzone.
White had done it; he broke the line and completed the historic comeback with the final score showing 34-28. Now, when anyone mentions 28-3, Boston fans are proud to think back to a moment that even some never thought possible.
