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.

(-)

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.

(-)

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!!!!!!!!)

Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion of the Pats-Falcons matchup in Super Bowl LI! Like in the 1st Half Open Thread, everyone's invited to chime in in the comments section. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

OT

NE 34 ATL 28

Rudy Tomjanovich said it best "don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion." I gotta give credit where credit is due, Tom Brady, time and time again, has proven to be a living legend in comeback victories. The Falcons gave the Patriots one heck of a scare, but no game is ever over as long as Tom Brady is on the field for the Patriots. What a game. It was like the equivalent of seeing Michael Jordan willing the Bulls to a one-point victory over the Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Unbelievable, just unbelievable. Stay tuned for the full recap after the Lombardi presentation. 

Q4

NE 28 ATL 28

Everybody catch their breaths. This has turned out into an unbelievable game. But, this is why as long as Tom Brady is on the field for the Patriots they have a chance to come back. And they have turned this from 3-28 game to a tie game all nodded up at 28. Wow, first time that the Super Bowl is going into overtime. This Super Bowl, for sure, is going to be replayed years from now. 

Q3

NE 9 ATL 28

How many ways can things not go the Patriots' way? Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan made a few drops. That has been the Patriots' story all game long. And just when the Patriots built momentum on James White's TD to cut the deficit after the Falcons scored off a Tevin Coleman TD, Stephen Gostkowski's shanks the PAT to the right. Will Tom Brady have another magical 4th quarter comeback? This game is far from over and I'm sure the Falcons know it.

Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

It's Super Bowl Sunday! Welcome in to the 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion of Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. Everyone's invited to chip in, leave comment below, and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

NE 3 ATL 21

To say this half was stunning is a cliche. But, this is one shocking start. I'm seeing a lot of parallels between this start and the start on Super Bowl XLVIII when the Seehawks jumped to a 22-0 start over Peyton Manning and the Broncos. This was on me and a couple of analysts, we underestimated the Falcons' defense big time. I said in the first quarter, considering both defenses were doing well, it was a matter of which defense will bend and break first. I forgot about the question of which defense will make the most plays for their team? And so far, the Falcons' defense is doing exactly that. They forced a fumble on LeGarrette Blount to get the Falcons' offense going and Robert Alford late in the quarter got a Pick 6 on Brady! This is Tom Brady we're talking about! And of all places, he throws a Pick 6 in the Super Bowl! Atlanta's defense came to play as evident in the fast 3 and out. Matt Ryan and the offense are feeding off their energy as Devonta Freeman has a rushing TD and Ryan connected with Austin Hooper on a TD pass. For the Patriots, they did move the ball well. Tom Brady managed to connect with Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan. James White and Dion Lewis got a couple of nice plays. But, the Falcons are following one of my keys that they need to pressure the Hell out of Brady. 2 sacks, a whole lot of quarterback hits and quarterback pressures. With this deficit, the Patriots we'll have to abandon the run and get Martellus Bennett, Julian Edelman, and Chris Hogan involved a lot. Meanwhile, the Falcons are licking their chops on that scenario as they'll likely stick to their game plan. Well, enjoy Lady Gaga's performance. The 2nd half will open up shortly after.

Q1

NE 0 ATL 0

We expected a shootout, but after one, it was a quarter dominated by defense. But overall, I thought the Falcons won this quarter. First possession of the game, they forced a quick 3 and out on the Patriots. We were questioning whether or not Matt Ryan and the Falcons had the jitters, but they showed no signs with a big run by Devonta Freeman. Patriots moved the ball better in their first possession, but the Falcons' D-line managed to get pressure to force another 3 and out. Both defenses are doing a solid job containing the opposite quarterbacks. The question now is, which defense will bend and break first as the game goes on?

Super Bowl LI Preview - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl 51 is just a few days away. You know what that means. Welcome in to yet another Super Bowl preview provided by yours truly on this blog. This year's matchup should be a good one as the AFC Champion, New England Patriots take on the NFC Champion, Atlanta Falcons. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick look to cement their legacy as one of the greatest QB-Head Coach duo in NFL history, bringing the Patriots to a fifth Super Bowl title. The Falcons have not been to the Super Bowl since 1999 when they took on the Denver Broncos in John Elway's farewell season. They'll look to win their first title behind Matt Ryan, the projected league MVP and Julio Jones, arguably the best receiver in the league. Like my previous posts in doing these previews, I give a little background to how they got to the Super Bowl, referring to their rosters and statistics, keys for both teams, and finally, I make my score prediction on who wins. Let's roll!

New England Patriots

These guys just keep winning. For over a decade, the Patriots associated themselves with two names, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The resume speaks for itself since their arrival in New England: 7 Super Bowl appearances, 4 Super Bowl titles, an undefeated season in 2008, multiple AFC East titles. With Belichick on the sidelines and Brady commanding the Patriot offense, the Pats are almost a lock to make it to the Super Bowl and go all the way every year. However, things were a little different this season to start. Tom Brady did not start the first four games because if in case you guys weren't following, Roger Goodell laid down the hammer and suspended Brady for the first four games because of "Deflategate." That should minimize the Patriots' championship aspirations right? But the Patriots continued to live by Bill Belichick's mantra of "Do Your Job." The Patriots started the season winning 3 out of 4 games during Brady's suspension. Jimmy Garoppolo? Jacoby Brissett? Who are they? Obviously, they're Brady's backups, but nobody expected the Pats to start the season 3-1 behind those quarterbacks. Well, Garoppolo learned the Patriots' system for two years now, so that's understandable. But overall, the first four games of the 2016 season without Tom Brady exemplified the Patriots notion of "next man up." It was a testament to the methodical preparation and coaching of Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, and others.

Since Brady came back in Week 5, the Patriots were almost in "God Mode." They loss to the Seahawks in Week 10 when Brady returned. Still, they were unstoppable going 14-2, ensuring that the Super Bowl went through them in the AFC. But, they did lose some key assets to their roster. Rob Gronkowski was placed on season ending I.R. (Injured Reserve) and in a surprising move, they traded away Jamie Collins, a key defensive player, to the Cleveland Browns. That wasn't the first time they traded a key defensive player away as they traded away Chandler Jones, their best defensive player, to the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason. Despite all that, their defense remained a solid unit. Offensively, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell have stepped up to be Brady's go-to-receivers, taking pressure off of Julian Edelman. Martellus Bennett has held down the Tight End position admirably since Gronk went down. LeGarrette Blount resurrected his career and the Patriot running game, rushing for 1,161 yards and 18 TDs. Also, the mid-season return of Dion Lewis adds to the Patriots' arsenal on offense. The Patriots did get a tough test against the Texans in the divisional round because of their top defense (look what they did to my Raiders in the Wild Card round), but Brock Osweiler threw 3 INTs and Dion Lewis went off for a rushing TD and a kickoff return TD for 98 yards. In the AFC Championship, they had an easier time, cruising past the Steelers and their trio of Big Ben, Bell, and AB. The Patriots have had a historically good rapport against the Steelers in AFC Championship games with Brady and Belichick.

Atlanta Falcons

Somebody call the fire department because the Falcons' offense is on fire! Matt Ryan has put together a spectacular season, throwing for 4,000+ yards with 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions during the 2016 season. There's no question that Matty Ice deserves the League MVP this season. Obviously, he has Julio Jones to throw to, but the front office of the Falcons did a nice job acquiring more weapons to add to Ryan's arsenal. They acquired Mohamed Sanu from the Cincinnati Bengals, who was a solid complementary receiver to A.J. Green. Rookie, Austin Hooper emerged as a go-to Tight End for the Falcons, something they haven't had since Tony Gonzalez retired in 2013. Perhaps none bigger is the acquisition of Pro Bowl Center, Alex Mack, from the Cleveland Browns. The acquisition of Alex Mack helped bolster the left side of the Falcons' O-line, a unit that already consist of solid players like Jake Matthews and Andy Levitre. On the defensive side, Vic Beasley had a "Khalil Mack-lite" jump in his 2nd year in the NFL as a pass rusher, recording 15.5 sacks after registering 4 sacks in his rookie season last year.

Not a lot of people expected the Falcons to make it to the Super Bowl. Teams like Green Bay, Seattle, and Dallas were ahead of them as the likeliest NFC teams to make it to the big game. Rightfully so, a majority of the Falcons' losses were really obscure. They loss to the Chargers because of a failed 4th down call. They loss to the Chiefs when Eric Berry returned Ryan's pass off a 2-point attempt. They get manhandled in Philadelphia against a rebuilding Eagles squad. It's like, how could a team like them make the Super Bowl? On the more impressive side, I think the wins in Week 4 and Week 5 against the two previous Super Bowl teams in the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos was the coming of age on how good this team is. In the Panthers game, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were the first quarterback-wide receiver tandem in the Super Bowl era to go for 500+ passing yards and 300+ receiving yards. The next week, they stunned the NFL world winning against the Broncos and their dominant defense in Denver. They gave other teams the blueprint on how to beat the Broncos' defense. That is you run the ball against them and for a little extra, you have an explosive pass catcher out of the backfield (Tevin Coleman caught 4 passes for 132 yards and a score that game). They put the Seahawks on the ropes in Seattle in Week 6! That is until Matt Ryan threw a costly INT to Richard Sherman. But, Matty Ice redeemed himself a few weeks later when he lead the Falcons to a comeback win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. In the postseason, the Falcons were playing lights out, putting the clamps on the same Seahawks and Packers teams en route to their 2nd Super Bowl berth since 1998-99. Those two victories definitely opened everybody's eyes and realize this Falcons team was legit. The Raiders did lose to the same team in Week 2 and I along with the rest of the Raider Nation can breathe a sigh of relief that our Silver and Black lost to the eventual NFC champions.

Keys for the Patriots

Obviously, shadowing Julio Jones is the top priority for the Patriots. Super Bowl XLIX hero, Malcolm Butler has a daunting task of covering arguably, the best receiver. But he should be good hands if either Devin McCourty or Patrick Chung provide Safety help over the top. The Falcons have struggled running the ball throughout the postseason as evident in both games against the Seahawks and the Packers. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman could not get anything going. The Patriots have held running backs under 100 yards rushing in this postseason run. The defensive front should have a field day to stifle any running plays the Falcons call. However, Freeman and Coleman are really good pass catchers, so the Pats are going to need their linebackers to cover a lot of ground when the Falcons run screen passes or check downs with either Freeman or Coleman. Lastly, the defense need to pressure Matt Ryan just enough for their defensive playmakers in the secondary to generate turnovers. They're not a unit that will out-muscle the other on the line of scrimmage, which is why they don't have a lot of sacks from their front seven. However, they'll pressure with exotic blitzes and sub-packages. Offensively, it is essential that the Patriots get their running game going early. LeGarrette Blount should pose as a more physical matchup that the Falcons' run defense have faced this postseason. Dion Lewis and Chris Hogan are going to be X-factors. Lewis provides that change-of-pace back for the Pats and he is very dangerous in open space. Hogan has been playing well this postseason and he's going to need the hot hand since the Falcons are likely going to zone in for Edelman and Bennett.

Keys for the Falcons

Based on observing the Falcons' postseason play, Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have done a masterful job in spreading the around to several different receivers in order to beat both the Seahawks and the Packers. Back then, the offense just revolved around heaving the ball to Julio Jones and hope he can make a play. Now, the Falcons have a ton of weapons to take pressure off of their elite receiver. Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Taylor Gabriel, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo, Patrick DiMarco, Aldrick Robinson, the list is just endless for names that Matt Ryan can deliver the ball to. If anything, Matt Ryan himself is a weapon as he proved in this postseason that he can still scramble out of the pocket and make plays with his legs. They have a solid O-line that could Ryan some adequate time to let plays develop and that is possible considering that the Patriots don't have an elite, game-wrecking D-line. This is probably the most dangerous offensive unit that the Patriots have faced all season long. As mentioned, the Patriots will give Ryan some exotic looks, but Julio Jones' presence could give Atlanta's aforementioned receivers time to shine if they are up for the challenge. Element of surprise should be the emphasis of Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense. Defensively, the Falcons are solid, but they are missing some key guys. Their best corner, Desmond Trufant is loss for the season, so that could spell problems for their secondary when game planning against Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, and others. If I'm Dan Quinn, I'd give Steve Spagnuolo a call. Because the key to containing this Patriot offense is if the Falcons' defensive front pressures the living hell out of Tom Brady. Move Vic Beasley around and turn him loose for that to happen.

Prediction

I'm going to be a part of the consensus that this Super Bowl has the makings of a shootout. You have two great quarterbacks playing at the highest level. For the 2nd straight year, we'll see an MVP quarterback going up against an all-time great quarterback. I think this matchup will come down to two things: 1) which team makes the fewest mistakes and 2) which quarterback will have the ball in his hands as the clock ticks down in the 4th quarter. The Falcons are likely at risk to have jitters to start because most of their players have not been to the Super Bowl. In contrast to the Patriots, they've tasted the Super Bowl and won not so long ago in Super Bowl XLIX and a majority of their roster from that season remains in tact. I think as the game rolls on, the Falcons will overcome their jitters and mount an offensive rally behind Matt Ryan. But, the Patriots are the more experienced and more disciplined football team. It's hard to pick against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. In all likelihood, the Patriots will get the last possession and Tom Brady will once again live up to the "Tom Terrific" nickname, orchestrating yet another a game-winning drive en route to a fifth Lombardi.

NE 34 ATL 31