Patriots overcome Falcons in Super Bowl

For the Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, it was a stunning ending to a season that ended in redemption and possibly cemented his position as the greatest player of all time. Brady, arguably the most famous athlete in the US, had missed the first four games of the season due to a suspension. On his return, he led the Patriots on a charge towards their fifth Super Bowl title in remarkable circumstances. 

“We all brought each other back,” said Brady of his team-mates after the game. “We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle. They have a great team, I give them a lot of credit. We just made a few more plays than them.”

The game had been billed as the experience and wile of Brady and his head coach Bill Belichick against the explosive offense of the Falcons, led by Matt Ryan and Junio Jones. But the high-scoring contest nearly every expert had predicted refused to emerge and the first quarter ended scoreless – the two best quarterbacks in the league this season had managed just 59 yards of passing between them. It was the Falcons who finally scored. 

Given the unspectacular play so far, it was fitting that it came from a short run by Devonta Freeman. But Ryan has developed a taste for the limelight after what had been, until this remarkable season, a career of mild underachievement. In his first Super Bowl, it was Ryan’s seventh pass attempt before he failed to find a receiver: he made up for that on his eighth, a beautiful pass to the rookie Austin Hooper to make it 14-0. 

A Stephen Gostkowski field goal to end the half was as good as it got for the four-time champions as they went into half-time 21-3 down. Ryan, looking every inch the league MVP, dismantled the New England defence. He led his team 85 yards down the field in eight plays at the start of the third quarter to make it 28-3 and apparently put the game out of reach. The touchdown came from a six-yard pass to Tevin Coleman and and that point Ryan had completed 12 of his 14 passes.