Tom Brady led the Patriots to the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, finishing 43-of-62 for 466 yards and two touchdowns.
Brady drove New England down the field on a 10-play, 91-yard drive to
tie the game with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter and an
eight-play, 75-yard drive to win the game in overtime. The Falcons’ pass
rush did find success getting pressure on Brady and sacked him five
times, three by Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Brady also threw a pick-six in the second half -- his first in a playoff game.
RUSHING OFFENSE: B-minus
The Patriots’ running game got off to a bad start when LeGarrette Blount
fumbled early in the second quarter, leading to the Falcons’ first
touchdown of the game. It was Blount’s first fumble since Week 2 and his
first lost fumble since Week 1. Blount and Dion Lewis combined to average 3.4 yards per carry, and the team finished with 104 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, thanks to James White's impressive performance.
PASSING DEFENSE: C
On Sunday night, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan
showed why he was the NFL MVP this season. Ryan finished 17-of-23 for
284 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.3 yards per attempt. New
England’s offense dominated the time of possession in the second half
while playing catch-up, so Ryan’s numbers weren’t overwhelming, but they
were certainly efficient, especially in the first half. But, the
Patriots contained Julio Jones
well by double-teaming him for most of the night and holding him to
four catches for 87 yards and were able to limit Ryan in the second
half.
RUSHING DEFENSE: C-minus
The Falcons ran for 104 yards and 5.8 yards per carry. Devonta Freeman
found the end zone early in the second quarter and proved difficult for
the Patriots to bring down all night. On his 11 carries, he ran for an
impressive 75 yards, 37 of which came on the Falcons’ first drive of the
game.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra point, and punter Ryan Allen averaged just 41.5 yards per punt.
COACHING: B
Early
in the game, the Patriots’ coaching staff couldn't figure out a way to
stop the Falcons’ pass rush, and Atlanta got pressure with four rushers.
Defensively, the Patriots couldn't stop the Falcons from getting to the
perimeter. New England opened up the offense and scored 19 points to
tie the game in the fourth quarter and then won it in overtime with
another six.
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