James White scored three touchdowns, including the overtime winner, as the New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 Sunday night in Super Bowl LI in Houston.
The Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter and scored 25 unanswered points to force the first overtime period in Super Bowl history. The win gives Patriots quarterback and Michigan alum Tom Brady his fifth Super Bowl title out of seven tries. Not only was the game the first one decided by overtime, it also marked the first time a team overcame at least a 20 point deficit before halftime to win the game.
The game was scoreless in the first period, but the Falcons scored first just after the three-minute mark of the second quarter on a five-yard run by Devonta Freeman. Atlanta went up 14-0 when Matt Ryan tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hooper. Later in the quarter, the Falcons capitalized on a New England mistake by when Robert Alford picked off a Tom Brady pass and ran it back 80 yards for another touchdown to put Atlanta up 21-0. The Patriots were able to get on the board before Lady Gaga's halftime show on a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski, cutting the Falcons lead to 21-3.
The Falcons continued to dominate in the third quarter, and put another touchdown on the board when Tevin Coleman caught a six-yard pass from Ryan. With a little over two minutes left in the third, the Patriots finally crossed the goal line when James White took a five-yard throw from Brady. The extra point attempt hit the upright (the first missed extra-point in a Super Bowl since 1990) and the score was 28-9 Atlanta at the end of the third quarter.
New England's offence finally came to life in the fourth quarter, first on a 33-yard field goal from Gostkowski to make the score 28-12. Brady brought the Patriots closer with 5:56 left in the game with a six-yard toss to Danny Amendola. A two-point conversion attempt succeeded and the score was narrowed to 28-20. The Falcons were unable to score and the Patriots got the ball back, resulting in another touchdown from White wit 57 seconds left. Another two-point conversion was successful and the game was tied at 28-all. Neither team could score again, forcing the first overtime period in Super Bowl history.
The Patriots won the coin toss and got the ball first in overtime, and they were able to march down the field and get a first-and-goal on the Atlanta 2 thanks to a pass interference call. White punched in his third touchdown two plays later to complete the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.