A Storybook Ending to a Stunning Night: Super Bowl LI

It is over now. The story ends here. Turn off the lights. No adjectives can do the game justice. No highlights can give it its due. Invention slumps lifeless against the wall.

And the story remains to be told, the story of how the New England Patriots won their fifth Super Bowl. The tale of a comeback win from a Saharan—unless Russian hackers decided to rig the game—25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons…Of the biggest choke job and biggest comeback in Super Bowl history… Of how Tom Brady added a fifth ring to his already illustrious and achievement-filled career, solidifying himself as the greatest quarterback to ever toss the pigskin.

Maybe this is the way to tell it: Tom Brady sat on the bench with his head down, the palms of his hands attempting to hide the dejected expression on his face. He had taken sack after sack. He had thrown a pick-six. He had played his worst half of football all year. Atlanta, on the other hand, was showing no mercy. Offensively, the Falcons were flying all over NRG Stadium. Like a Phil Mickelson flop-shot from the bunker, Matt Ryan’s pass lofted high into the sky, ultimately landing perfectly into the cup of Austin Hooper’s hands for a touchdown in the second quarter. Defensively, the Falcons were swarming the Patriots’ ball carriers and feasting on Brady like vultures. 27 dropbacks and two sacks and seven knockdowns and 11 hits and a beat up Brady. It was 21-3, Falcons at halftime. The largest comeback in Super Bowl history was ten points. Teams that returned an interception for a touchdown in a Super Bowl were 12-0. History did not appear to be on the Patriots’ side.

Or perhaps this is a better way to tell it: “You’re the f***ing greatest,” exclaimed Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount as he hugged Tom Brady in the red, white and blue confetti-filled air.

The second half began and the Falcons showed no signs of slowing down. With about 8:36 in the third quarter, Matt Ryan threw the ball to running back Tevin Coleman on a flank route. Yep, you guessed it. Touchdown. Falcons 28, Patriots 3.

It was a joke, an embarrassment. The Patriots didn’t even belong on the same field as the Falcons. We were witnessing a complete annihilation by the league’s highest scoring offense against the almighty New England Patriots. The story was wrapping up. It was set in stone. The Lombardi trophy was coming to the ATL.

But hold on. Here’s Tom Brady converting on a fourth and three. Here’s Tom Brady scrambling—yes, scrambling!—for 15 yards to convert on third down. Here’s James White scoring on a five-yard dump off pass from Brady. And here’s Stephen Gostkowski watching his extra point bounce off the right upright.

The New England kicker had missed one extra point in his first ten seasons. That miss appeared to sum up the entire game for the Pats. Nothing was going right for New England and hadn’t been all game. It was 28 to 9, Atlanta with 2:12 to go in the third quarter. Falcons owner Arthur Blank had come down to the field from his box. That stuff in the fourth quarter? It didn’t mean anything.

A field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. A strip-sack by New England’s Dont’a Hightower. A touchdown pass by Brady. A successful two-point conversion attempt by James White. All of a sudden it was an eight-point game with a little under six minutes left.

Atlanta had seen enough. On the first play from scrimmage, a wide-open Devonta Freeman caught a pass from Ryan and gained 39 yards, advancing the Falcons to about midfield. On the second play, Freeman was held to a gain of one yard. As for the third play?

Matt Ryan threw a lob deep right toward the sideline intended for Julio Jones. As the Falcon wide receiver took off from his nest into the air, he contorted his body—looking like a Chinese acrobat—diagonally toward the cameramen and reached over the outstretched arms of defensive back Eric Rowe. Miraculously, he caught the ball at its zenith and came down with it, heroically dragging his tiptoes in bounds just as Santonio Holmes had done to win Super Bowl 43. It appeared New England been victim to yet another ridiculous Super Bowl catch.

The ball was marked at the 22-yard line of the New England Patriots. With a first down in New England territory and in field goal range, the Falcons had it in the bag. Just four minutes away from Atlanta’s second sports championship. Let the parade in downtown Atlanta begin.

But wait a moment, though. A one-yard loss on a run by Freeman. A twelve-yard loss on a sack by Trey Flowers. A ten-yard loss after an offensive holding call on Atlanta. And just like that it is third down and 33 yards to go for the Falcons with the clock stopped at 3:44.

Arthur Blank and his wife frustratingly stood on the sideline. His face began to show fear, his eyes beginning to bulge open in absolute shock. Ours did too, Mr. Blank.

After the ensuing punt, New England received the ball on its own nine-yard line with 3:30 to go and a chance to tie. It began to look like this story would have a different ending than we once thought.

Tom Brady and company took the field poised to tie up the game up. On first down, Brady got hit as he threw. Incomplete. On second down, Brady was under pressure yet again. Incomplete. On third down, Brady threw to Chris Hogan for 16 yards and a first down. A few plays later, the amazing happened…

Tom Brady chucked the ball deep down the middle of the field for Julian Edelman, who, as he fell to the ground surrounded by three defenders, somehow managed to catch the ball between the legs of defensive back Patrick Chung after it bounced off of his leg, only an inch from the turf.

Atlanta challenged the catch. And after review, the ruling on the field was confirmed. Atlanta had now been a victim to a late-game heroic catch, one comparable to David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl 46 that the Patriots had fallen victim to.

After a 20-yard pass from Brady to Danny Amendola, the two-minute warning hit. The Patriots were in business and we all knew what was coming next.

Touchdown. James White rushed into the end zone for a one-yard score. Down two points, Brady put two fingers into the air signaling the upcoming two-point attempt. Yep, you guessed it. Brady to Amendola. We were all tied up at 28.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was elated and hugging everyone in his box. As for the Falcons owner? He was still standing on the sideline frozen in time.

We were headed into overtime, the first in Super Bowl history. The Patriots won the toss and would win Super Bowl LI if they scored a touchdown.

It was a slow, excruciatingly painful death for the Atlanta Falcons. Steadily the Patriots marched down the field like an army tearing the Falcons defense apart. The Atlanta train was out of gas and the Pats knew it.

The ball was at the two-yard line, Brady under center. The snap was called and Brady faked the handoff and threw a goal line fade to Martellus Bennett. Atlanta’s Vic Beasley rose up into the air and nearly intercepted the pass. Incomplete. Would Atlanta be able to pull off a miraculous goal line stand?

The next play—well, when James White extended the ball across the goal line he looked at the referees for a signal. Touchdown. Patriots’ players began to sprint all over the field, not knowing what to do with themselves. The New England Patriots had won the Super Bowl, Tom Brady’s fifth.

Tom Brady hoisted seven pounds of scored sterling silver into the confetti-filled air, all his worshippers watching in amazed awe down below like groundlings in the Globe Theatre. The lettering on his shirt looked huge. Champions.