WHAT WENT RIGHT
The first three quarters.
The Falcons led New England 21-3 at halftime and 28-3 with under three minutes remaining in the third quarter. They carried a 28-9 lead into the fourth quarter. They seemed in command of the game and on the cusp of Atlanta’s first Super Bowl championship.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Everything in the fourth quarter and beyond.
The Patriots outscored the Falcons 19-0 in the fourth quarter to force the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. It was the largest fourth-quarter postseason comeback in NFL history.
The Falcons’ nightmare continued in overtime with the Patriots winning the coin toss and quarterback Tom Brady marching his team 75 yards in eight plays to win the game 34-28 and deny Atlanta a championship.
“It was just an avalanche,” Brady said.
TURNING POINT
Still leading 28-12 with less than nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Falcons gave the Patriots exactly what they needed to get back in the game: a turnover deep in Atlanta territory.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan fumbled upon being sacked by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Defensive tackle Alan Branch recovered the fumble at the Falcons’ 25-yard line. And everything changed from that point forward.
The Patriots cashed in on the fumble by scoring a touchdown within five plays and then making a two-point conversion attempt. That trimmed the Falcons’ once-massive lead to 28-20 with just under six minutes remaining in regulation.
WORST CALL
Even after the Patriots made it a one-score game at 28-20, the Falcons were in position to reassert command.
They were at the New England 23-yard line, thanks to an extraordinary catch by Julio Jones, and within field-goal range.
But rather than running the ball to stay within range of the field goal, the Falcons called a pass play that resulted in a sack of Ryan for a 12-yard loss.
“(Jones) obviously made a great catch on the sideline and it felt like we put ourselves in a good position to come away with points on that drive,” Ryan said. “It didn’t end up working out, which was disappointing. … We knew we needed to come away with points.”
A holding penalty against tackle Jake Mathews on the next play after the sack pushed the ball back to the 45-yard line, from where the Falcons punted on fourth-and-33.
The Patriots took advantage by driving 91 yards in 10 plays and converting another two-point attempt to tie the game at 28-28.
“They gave us a chance,” Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola said, “and we are a resilient bunch.”
FLYING HIGH
The Patriots made the first costly mistake of the game, a fumble by running back LeGarrette Blount at the Atlanta 29-yard line early in the second quarter of a then-scoreless game. The Falcons appeared energized by the turnover.
They quickly turned it into points by driving 71 yards in five plays for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Falcons’ defense forced a three-and-out immediately to put the offense back on the field. A five-play, 62-yard drive increased the lead to 14-0.
Then, with the Patriots driving deep in Atlanta territory late in the second quarter, Falcons cornerback Robert Alford intercepted a pass intended for Amendola and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown.
The Falcons led 21-0 at that point.
They stretched it to 28-3 midway through the third quarter when Tevin Coleman caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Ryan.
All of that seems like a very long time ago now.
FLYING LOW
After scoring 28 points in the first 2 1/2 quarters, the Falcons scored none in the final 1 1/2 quarters.
They allowed 31 consecutive unanswered points from late in the third quarter through overtime.
The Falcons became the first NFL team to lose a postseason game after leading by more than 16 points in the fourth quarter.
“It hurts, man,” Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel said. “I’m at a loss for words right now just because I can’t believe it.”
ETC. …
Of 17 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or later in Super Bowl history, Tom Brady has now quarterbacked five of them. … Brady did a major revision of the Super Bowl record book. His 43 completions, 62 attempts and 466 passing yards are all Super Bowl records. … The Patriots became the fourth team with five or more Super Bowl championships, joining the Steelers (six), Cowboys (five) and 49ers (five).
All seven of the Patriots’ Super Bowls in the Brady/Belichick era have been decided by six or fewer points. … The Patriots’ James White set a Super Bowl record with 14 catches. … Patriots rookie Malcolm Mitchell, formerly of the University of Georgia, caught six passes for 70 yards. … Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had a big game for the Falcons, sacking Brady three times.
THEY SAID IT
“No doubt that was a tough one for us. That’s a hard one in the locker room. No place to put that one mentally for us. But I am proud of the fight that these guys have. The brotherhood that this group has built, it’s as strong as I’ve seen, and that part is real.”
— Falcons coach Dan Quinn
“To beat this team and to get down 28-3, it was just a lot of mental toughness by our team. And we’re all going to remember this for the rest of our lives.”
— Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
“Obviously (we’re) very disappointed. We were very close to getting done what we wanted to get done. But it’s hard to find words tonight.”
— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan
ROOF REPORT
For weeks, the NFL had said it hoped to play the Super Bowl with NRG Stadium’s retractable roof open, weather permitting. But the league decided Sunday afternoon to play the game with the roof closed because the latest forecast called for a slight — 10 to 15 percent — chance of rain in the area during the game. Temperature at kickoff was 75 degrees outside, 68 degrees inside.
The decision was in keeping with the trend at retractable-roof stadiums, where NFL games are played much more often with the roofs closed than open. The Houston Texans, for example, played all of their home games this season with NRG Stadium’s roof closed.
The Falcons have vowed to buck that trend when Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens this year, saying they’ll play as many games as possible with the roof open.
About the Author
