New England Patriots: Great Tom Brady moments that has fans thankful
Super Bowl LI
2016-17 was an interesting season. Tom Brady sat out 4 games, as he was suspended due to the ‘Deflategate’ Scandal. He would return and play an all-elite, MVP-type level. The New England Patriots would finish with a 14-2 record, with Brady racking up over 3500 yards, 28 touchdown passes, and only 2 interceptions. 28-to-2 being the best TD-INT ratio in NFL history.
The Pats would tear through the playoffs, beating the Texans 34-16 and and the Steelers 36-17. They would go on to face the MVP Matt Ryan‘s Atlanta Falcons, who had the best scoring offense in the NFL (2nd in total offense), in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots were no slouches either, as they had the 4th best offense overall. However, this game started off badly for the Patriots.
The Atlanta Falcons would strip LeGarrette Blount as the Pats were driving early. The drive that followed would end with Falcons RB Devonta Freeman scoring from 5 yards out. The Falcons’ D forced a New England punt on the next drive. Atlanta would then proceed to score again on a 19-yard connection from Ryan to Austin Hooper, making the score 14-0. It would just go from bad to worse for New England. Robert Alford picked off Tom Brady, returning it 82 yards for a touchdown. The score at the half was 21-3. Atlanta would score again right out the gate, making the score 28-3.
Everybody thought it was over, except Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Brady found RB James White for a touchdown. 28-9. Next drive, Stephen Gostkowski would kick a field goal from 33-yards out. 28-12. On Atlanta’s ensuing drive, Donta Hightower came in on a blitz, unblocked, stripping Matt Ryan. DT Alan Branch would recover it for the Pats. Brady found Danny Amendola for a 6-yard score, then James White would run in the 2-point attempt. 28-20.
Despite an amazing catch from Julio Jones on the sideline, which put Atlanta in field goal position, the Pats’ defense would knock them out of range, forcing them to punt. Tom Brady drove them down the field 91 yards, and with 58 seconds left, James White would punch it in from the 1 to score. Brady found Amendola on a screen play for the 2-point conversion. 28-28. The Pats came all the way back from what looked like an insurmountable deficit, forcing overtime, the first overtime in Super Bowl history.
The Patriots would win the toss. Brady would connect with James White, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan all for good yardage. Then Brady connected with Julian Edelman for 15 yards, then found White for 10 more. After a pass interference on Falcons LB De’Vondre Campbell, the Pats were at the one-yard line. Tom Brady would toss it to James White who fought his way into the endzone. Patriots win, scoring 31 unanswered points en route to Brady’s fifth title. Brady would also win his record 4th Super Bowl MVP.
This was the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, and perhaps the best comeback ever.