THE DYNASTY CONTINUES

What a game, what a game, what a GAME! Those are the only words I can use to describe this past Super Bowl because oh my gosh, it was incredible. This will easily go down as the greatest Super Bowl of all time but in the first half, it was looking like a snooze fest, blowout game for the Falcons. The game started out very slow as the first quarter ended in a 0-0 tie and looked to be a very defense centered game, but that ended quickly. After a Legarrette Blount fumble and a recovery by the Falcons, Matt Ryan and co. drove down the field and scored the first TD of the game. After a couple a three and outs for both teams, the Falcons got the ball, drove down the field yet again, and scored to make the score 14-0 and gave ATL all the momentum they needed. As the Falcons and Patriots traded empty drives it was looking like it was going to be 14-0 at half, which wouldn’t have been too bad for the Patriots to overcome but things went south fast. With a little over two minutes left in the half it looked like the Patriots were about to score and trim that lead down to only a TD but a bad read/pass by Brady and CB Robert Alford, picked him off and ran it back for an 82 yard pick-six extending the ATL lead to 21-0. The Patriots got a FG right before the half to make the score 21-3 going into halftime.

As a Patriots fan, I was very mad and just embarrassed by our play in the first half: honestly I, along with every other Pats fan, believed the game was pretty much over. Luckily Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the whole Patriots team didn’t just lie down and take the beating. Falcons took advantage to begin the second half and scored yet again to go up 28-3 and looked to have sealed their Super Bowl victory. Now let me remind you, before this game the largest comeback in Super Bowl history was ten points, TEN POINTS, now let’s get back to the action. With just a little over two minutes left in the third quarter, the Patriots scored their first TD of the game but missed the extra point making the score 28-9 which stayed the score going into the fourth quarter, the Patriots quarter.

The Patriots started out their dominant quarter with a field goal that made the score 28-12 and gave the Patriots a little spark. Right after the field goal, Patriots LB, Dont’a Hightower, rushed in on Matt Ryan and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Patriots. This was the huge turnover they needed to start their historic comeback. The Patriots scored a few plays later and got the two-point conversion to get the score to 28-20 with just under six minutes left. The Falcons got the ball back and just needed a field goal to seal their Super Bowl victory. After two straight explosive plays, it looked like the Falcons were going to seal the win. The Patriots defense didn’t give up and got two straight tackles for loss to push them out of field goal range. The Patriots then got the ball within their own ten yard line and drove down the field with quickness. With 57 seconds left in the game the Patriots running back, James White, powered his way in for a TD and then just a few seconds later the Patriots got the two-point conversion and tied the game at 28. Falcons couldn’t do anything in those last 57 seconds so for the first time in Super Bowl history it went to OT.

The Patriots had all the momentum and the Falcons defense was absolutely gassed so it was pivotal that they won the coin toss and got the ball first in OT and they did. All the Patriots needed was a TD and they were Super Bowl champions. Tom Brady continued to pick apart the ATL defense and drove the team down to the goal line where James White ran it in for a TD giving the Patriots the ultimate victory. Their 25 point comeback is the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and gave Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their fifth Super Bowl victory in 15 years.