1. Super Bowl LI – Patriots – 34-28 Falcons
Nobody who watched this game of football will ever forget it, that’s for sure.
The New England Patriots return to our list once again as they returned to the Super Bowl in 2017 for SB LI. They had a date with the Atlanta Falcons, who were slight underdogs, but their offense was phenomenal and they were ready for a fight. The Falcons scored 21 points in the second quarter, and by the time we were watching Lady Gaga at halftime, it was 21-3.
A Tom Brady pick-six to Robert Alford (who also got a fumble recovery earlier, and he honestly would have had a shot at SB MVP in another universe) was the biggest talking point of the first two periods. After a beautiful 85-yard drive concluded with a Tevin Coleman touchdown reception, the most infamous, painful and iconic scoreline in Super Bowl history was reached, 28-3. 28-3 with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter.
The rest, in the truest sense I could imagine, is history.
The Pats bounce back began immediately. Brady drove down the field and with a crucial fourth-down conversion to Danny Amendola, and even a 15-yard rush himself. The drive ended with a touchdown pass to James White – who was the Super Bowl MVP in my opinion – and after a missed PAT, the score was at 28-9.
On this date 4 years ago, Super Bowl LI happened, and a bunch of fans took screen grabs of our broadcast scoreboard. pic.twitter.com/jxyCsQ7pXo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 5, 2021
The Pats attempted an onside kick but failed, and by the time the Falcons punted the ball, the fourth quarter had just begun. The Patriots had to settle for a field goal, and it was 28-12. The Falcons had a chance to extend their lead beyond two-scores on the next drive, but a missed blocking assignment from Devonta Freeman turned that opportunity into a fumble that was recovered deep in Atlanta territory. The tide had now fully shifted.
Another key contribution from Amendola in the form of a touchdown punished the turnover, and after James White scored the two-point conversion it was suddenly a 28-20 scoreline, and a one-score game. The next drive was even more brutal than the one in which the Falcons actually lost the game on, with their offense finding themselves in field goal range while winning by 8 when Matt Ryan took an absolutely awful sack. Not only did he take a sack, but it was a 12-yard loss. They were out of field goal range, and when they punted the ball it was already over.
During the game-tying drive, one of the most iconic Super Bowl plays in NFL history took place, when Julian Edelman made one of the most spectacular catches of all-time, after a swatted ball went up above him and three Falcons defenders.
He dived through the pile of bodies and juggled the ball for an eventual catch. This catch was similar to the Jermaine Kearse catch from SB XLIX, but it wasn’t just on the winning side, it was on the drive that tied it.
They drove down the rest of the field, and White scored his second touchdown. A successful 2-point conversion to Amendola tied the game, and after Atlanta were unable to find any miracles of their own, for the first time ever, the Super Bowl went to overtime. The Patriots won the toss, and in possibly the only non-surprising moment of the night, they elected to receive the ball, and then Brady did what he does best.
He drove the Patriots down the field and he won another Super Bowl. This was their fifth championship in franchise history, with all five coming under Brady and Belichick’s influence. This game didn’t just represent another trophy in the cabinet, though – this was the greatest comeback in sports history, and for my money the best Super Bowl of all-time.
