HOUSTON // They looked old and outmanned. Their star quarterback was frazzled, their stingy defence was a sieve.
So what? Tom Brady and the New England Patriots shrugged and did what they always seem to do: Win the Super Bowl.
Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history highlighted by a Julian Edelman catch that was almost beyond belief. The Patriots pulled themselves out of a 25-point hole against the Atlanta Falcons to a 34-28 win for New England’s fifth NFL championship. It was the first Super Bowl decided in overtime.
“There were a lot of plays that coach talks about, you never know which one is going to be the Super Bowl winner,” said Brady, who earned a record fourth MVP award and a fifth Super Bowl ring, the most for a quarterback. “There were probably 30 of those plays tonight and [if] any one of those were different, the outcome could have been different.”
But down 28-3 in the third quarter, Tom?
“It’s hard to imagine us winning,” Brady, 39, said. “It took a lot of great plays and that’s why you play to the end.”
The Patriots scored 19 points in the final quarter, including a pair of 2-point conversions, then marched relentlessly to James White’s 2-yard touchdown run in overtime after winning the coin toss. White scored three touchdowns and a 2-pointer.
“We knew we had a shot the whole game,” White said. “It was an amazing comeback by our team. It’s surreal right now. You couldn’t write this script.”
Super Bowl LI highlights – including that incredible Edelman catch:
Brady guided the Patriots (17-2) through a tiring Atlanta defence for fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 6-yard pass to Danny Amendola and a 1-yard run by White, which came with 57 seconds remaining in regulation. White ran for the first 2-pointer and Amendola did the deed with a reception on the second.
Brady finished 43 for 62, the most attempts in Super Bowl history, for 466 yards, also a record, and two touchdowns.
Before the stunning rally – New England already held the biggest comeback in the final period when they turned around a 10-point deficit to beat Seattle two years ago – the Falcons (13-6) appeared poised to take their first NFL championship in 51 seasons. Having never been in such a pressurised environment, their previously staunch pass rush disappeared, they stumbled on offence and Brady tore them apart.
“There’s nothing you can really say,” Ryan said. “That’s a tough loss, obviously very disappointing, very close to getting done what we wanted to get done.”
It wasn’t difficult for Patriots owner Robert Kraft as he accepted the Lombardi Trophy from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who naturally drew a flood of boos from New England fans on hand. Yes, “Deflategate” might be far behind Kraft and Brady, but it’s not forgotten.
“Two years ago, we won our fourth Super Bowl down in Arizona and I told our fans that was the sweetest one of all,” Kraft said. “But a lot has transpired over the last two years and I don’t think that needs any explanation.
“I want to say to our fans, our brilliant coaching staff, our amazing players who were so spectacular, this is unequivocally the sweetest.”
Brady and coach Bill Belichick won their 25th post-season game, by far a record. The Falcons added to Atlanta’s long history of pro sports frustration.
Belichick became the first coach with five Super Bowl crowns.
The Patriots won the coin toss for overtime, and by then it was no contest. Brady completed six passes against an overmatched Falcons secondary. A pass interference call took the ball to the 2, and White scooted to his right and barely over the goal-line.
His teammates streamed off the sideline to engulf White as confetti streamed down from the NRG Stadium rafters.
The comeback included dozens of huge plays, including Ryan’s fumble on a sack, Julian Edelman’s catch off of a defender’s shoe and Brady’s passing.
White had 14 receptions for 110 yards, but Brady hit seven different receivers.
Until the Patriots took charge with their late surge, league MVP Ryan was outplaying Brady and NRG Stadium rocked with Falcons’ fans chants of “A-T-L!”
In a game that started as a defensive struggle, the Falcons went sack-happy, getting two on the Patriots’ second drive in what would be a scoreless opening quarter.
It sure looked as if the Patriots would get on the board immediately in the second period as Brady and Edelman connected twice for 40 yards. But LeGarrette Blount’s fumble turned the momentum to the Falcons, who then took their biggest lead in a Super Bowl – yeah, we know, they have been here only twice – on Freeman’s 5-yard run to cap a quick 71-yard drive on which Jones came alive.
Jones showed why he is an All-Pro receiver with a tough leaping catch over the middle for 19 yards, then got open on the sideline for 23. Freeman did the rest.
Before New England could catch breath, Ryan had the Falcons up 14-0. Using the no-huddle attack to perfection, he threw for 51 yards on a 52-yard drive, hitting Hooper with a pinpoint pass in the left side of the end zone.
Then Brady was victimised by his own poor decision, a rarity on the big stage. Atlanta was called for defensive holding three times on third downs to keep the drive alive. From the Falcons 23, under pressure Brady tried to squeeze a throw to Danny Amendola. Alford stepped in and sprinted, then glided 82 yards for the second-longest pick-6 in a Super Bowl – and Brady’s first.
Shockingly, it was 21-0.
New England gathered its wits for a 52-yard drive to Stephen Gostkowski’s 41-yard field goal. Still, it was 21-3 when Lady Gaga took the stage.
There was smoke hanging over the field when both teams had three-and-outs to open the third quarter. The Falcons looked in control when Ryan and Co., marched 85 yards to Coleman’s 6-yard TD catch on a swing pass.
New England scored the next nine points on James White’s 5-yard TD reception – the extra point was missed by Gostkowski, who later made a 33-yard field goal.
The Patriots kept coming, the Falcons kept flopping, and soon Brady and his buddies somehow had No. 5.
“Just play every play,” Edelman said. “We never quit.”
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Company%20Profile
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The%20Specs
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Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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SPECS
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East