The 2016 Super Bowl LI Collapse

Lore & Background

Super Bowl LI featured the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, with the Patriots overcoming a 28–3 deficit to emerge victorious. The game was also the first Super Bowl (and first league championship since 1958) to be decided in overtime. 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. 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

The air inside NRG Stadium was thick with anticipation as the clock ticked under eight minutes in the third quarter. The Falcons' sideline erupted, believing the trophy was already theirs; the scoreboard glowed a stark 28-3. But as the fourth quarter began, the atmosphere shifted from celebration to anxiety. Every pass completion by Tom Brady felt like a physical blow to the home crowd. By overtime, the silence in the stadium was deafening, broken only by the roar of the opposing fans as Stephen Gostkowski's kick sailed through the uprights, extinguishing Atlanta's dream in an instant.

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.

Did You Know?

• Super Bowl LI featured the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, with the Patriots overcoming a 28–3 deficit.
• The game was the first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime.
• Matt Ryan threw for two touchdowns and one interception in Super Bowl LI.
• James White set Super Bowl records with 14 receptions and 20 points scored.
• Tom Brady set Super Bowl records with 62 pass attempts, 43 completions, and 466 passing yards.