Super Bowl LI

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Patriots' victory was their fifth, moving them into a three-way tie with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for the second-most Super Bowl wins. After finishing the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, New England advanced to their record-setting ninth Super Bowl appearance and their seventh under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Falcons, led by the league's top offense and MVP quarterback Matt Ryan, finished the regular season with an 11–5 record and the NFC's second seed. They were seeking their first Super Bowl title in their second appearance after last playing in 1998's Super Bowl XXXIII.

In Their Own Story

Atlanta's path to Super Bowl LI was built on an 11–5 regular season that secured them the NFC's second seed. Under Matt Ryan, who was named league MVP, they boasted the top offense in the NFL. The game began as a showcase of their offensive prowess, with three straight touchdowns establishing a commanding lead. By the middle of the third quarter, they were up 28–3. Yet, the momentum shifted dramatically when New England scored 25 consecutive points to force overtime. With the championship within reach, the Falcons' offense stalled in the extra period, allowing the Patriots to score a touchdown and seal the victory.

Reader's Guide

Atlanta scored three consecutive touchdowns to take a 21–3 halftime lead, which they increased to 28–3 midway through the third quarter. However, the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. In overtime, New England received the kickoff after winning the coin toss and scored a touchdown to claim the title. More than 30 team and individual Super Bowl records were broken or matched during the game, including Patriots running back James White's 14 receptions and 20 points scored and Brady's 62 attempts, 43 completions, and 466 passing yards. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fourth time and was the oldest player to receive the honor at 39; he would surpass both records in Super Bowl LV.

Did You Know?

• Fox's broadcast of the game averaged around 111.3 million viewers, slightly down from the 111.9 million viewers of the previous year's Super Bowl, but the total number of viewers for all or part of the game hit a record
• Average television viewership for the halftime show, headlined by Lady Gaga, was higher at 117.5 million.
• Several media outlets regard the game as the greatest Super Bowl of all time. NFL.com's '100 Greatest Games' ranked it the ninth-greatest game and the highest-ranked Super Bowl on that list.