Greatest Comeback Ever? Patriots Rally to Beat Falcons in Super Bowl LI

Whew, welcome in to the full recap of Super Bowl LI in what will be remembered as one of the all-time classics. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come back after being down 3-28 to beat Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the first ever overtime in Super Bowl history. The Lombardi trophy comes home for a fifth time to New England. 

What...a...Super Bowl. This game was as close to what I have predicted in my preview on Wednesday. But, I didn't expect the Falcons to jump right out of the gate over the Patriots. The Falcons had everything going their way and then the 4th quarter happened. The old saying goes: "those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it." The Patriots have a history of coming back under Tom Brady, but not in this magnitude. That was the Falcons' ultimate downfall. They sat on the lead knowing full well that the Pats had a chance as long as Tom Brady is breathing. Well, the Patriots used their experience and made the Falcons pay for it. 25 unanswered points in the 4th quarter and overtime combined and the Patriots had to work for every single score. Houston Rockets' coach Rudy Tomajanovich's quote of "never underestimate the heart of a champion" stood true tonight through the Pats and ironically enough, it happened in Houston. 

Atlanta Falcons

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Grady Jarrett, 5 tackles, 3 sacks. Who is this Grady Jarrett guy? I'm sure Falcons fans know more about him than I do. But he was an unsung hero for the Falcons' defense tonight. Based on research, the guy had 4 total sacks in his career. Tonight? 3 sacks against Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. This is what makes the Super Bowl great. You never know who was going to step up. Add Grady Jarrett tonight. He was a big beneficiary on a Falcons' front that was applying all kinds of pressure on Tom Brady.

Julio Jones, 4 receptions, 87 yards. As a Fantasy Football owner, I have been privileged to draft this guy for three straight seasons (even though I choked on all of them). Turf toe and all, Julio knew he would get a tough test against the Patriots' secondary, but he still made some unbelievable plays. Like I said in the comments, in 50/50 balls, in tough throws, virtually Julio is going to make a play. He made some of those tonight (the tough toe drag in the fourth quarter).

Taylor Gabriel, 3 receptions, 76 yards. He showed up big time in the third quarter, particularly when the Falcons executed some of their play action passes during that quarter.

Robert Alford, 11 tackles, 1 INT, 82 yards. In the 2nd quarter when the Patriots were driving, Alford did a good job reading Tom Brady's eyes to get the Pick 6. Yes, it's a losing effort, but he's going to be remembered as the guy who intercepted Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.

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Coaching adjustments. The biggest negative for the Falcons. Why on earth would you sit on a 28-3 lead when you know that Tom Brady has a history of leading the Patriots to big time comebacks? It is just absolutely inconceivable. You have them on the ropes, so keep putting your foot on the gas! Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan are going to be questioned big time about this 4th-OT collapse. The Falcons are going to be remembered as a team that blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl because of bad, conservative adjustments from the Falcons' coaching staff.

Vic Beasley. I don't think Vic Beasley was mentioned all game long. He only had 1 pass defensed in the entire game! I'm sure he applied some pressure on Brady, but 15.5 sacks in the regular season and he was a non-factor in the stats. Certainly this could be two reasons: 1) the Patriots' O-line did a great job double teaming him in pass rushing situations or 2) the Falcons' coaching staff did not turn Vic Beasley loose enough. Those could be the primary reasons why the Falcons' best pass rusher was a no-show tonight. 

New England Patriots

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Tom Brady, 43 of 62 passes, 466 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT. Tom Brady, I can't wait till you retire! You've broken my heart too many times as a Raider fan and as an obvious Patriot hater! But, no question, Brady's heart and passion was on display during the 4th quarter and overtime in this game. This guy is a first ballot hall-of-famer without any doubt. Down 3-28? No problem. He is no stranger to leading the Patriots back from large deficits. After tonight, he just further cemented his legacy on the game, leading the Patriots to an epic comeback in Super Bowl history. 

James White, 6 carries, 29 yards, 2 TDs, 14 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD. Obviously Brady would get Super Bowl MVP, but if there's ever another Patriot who deserved MVP honors, it's this man James White. He stepped his game up when the Patriots were trailing in what was an insurmountable Falcon lead. The Falcons played soft throughout the 2nd half and James White was able to burn them with big chunks in the passing game. He scored a crucial two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 10. He scored a TD, which set up the game-tying two-point conversion. And he scored the game-winning TD in overtime.White picked up all the slack when LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis were getting nothing in both the running and passing game for New England.

Julian Edelman, 5 receptions, 87 yards. Edelman's crucial catch in the 4th quarter will be known as the "foot catch!" Just my opinion, but anybody can come up with a better one. As the Pats' go-to-receiver, he had a rough game. He was making drops. Brady overthrew him a lot in this game. But, Edelman came up big in the clutch. He had three Falcon defenders on him for that catch and the ball never hit the turf. Edelman's catch will live forever in Patriots lore.

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The first half. This is the only negative I can think of for the Patriots. They dug themselves quite a hole during that half. As experienced as they are, you would think they would start hot. But, miscues and turnovers put them in that slow start.

Conclusion

As the headline reads: greatest comeback ever? It's definitely up there. From an NFL standpoint, this is going to stand as one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Think about it, it's the Super Bowl and this was the first time that a Super Bowl went into overtime. The score is 3-28, this game was, by all account, O-V-E-R. The Falcons were going to win it. But the Patriots kept playing like champions and they played to win. Brady-Belichick, greatest player-coach duo in sports? It's arguable. Brady as the Greatest Quarterback of All Time? Arguable. This will escalade into an endless debate by analysts after tonight. For Brady, is this it? He's got nothing else to prove. But one thing's for certain, as long as Brady and Belichick are in New England, the Patriots will continue to be Super Bowl contenders. For the Falcons, it's heartbreaking to blow a lead like that. But that team is young. They have an explosive offense. The potential of the defense is shown throughout the postseason. But, the NFC South is a wide open division. The Panthers might come back strong after a Super Bowl hangover from last year. The Saints are gonna try to build a win-now team with Brees' window closing. The Bucs made some strides this season and will look to build off of that. There's a lot of questions and uncertainty for the Falcons. But, they just have to preach consistency and use this loss as motivation to come back and win it all. They'll certainly be back as long as they keep that hunger. But, as fans of football in general, we got our money's worth with this Super Bowl. What a game. Thank you guys for following my coverage of Super Bowl LI. It's going to sad without football, but the offseason is coming shortly. I'll be back. Time to turn my attention to basketball season full time. I'll see you guys later.

Congrats New England Patriots Super Bowl LI Champions!

(Not Again!!!!!!!!)