Super Bowl 51 Recap

 

In the most entertaining Super Bowl in a long time, we saw the New England Patriots triumph over the Atlanta Falcons in a nail-biting 4th quarter and overtime. This Super Bowl broke many records, such as most Super Bowls won by a single quarterback and single head coach, largest deficit overcome with 25 points, most Super Bowl appearances for a quarterback and head coach, just to name a few. Let’s look back at this masterpiece of a game by recapping the important moments.

 

Quarter 1:

 

Not much happened during the first quarter since Atlanta and New England kept on returning the ball over, hence ending the quarter scoreless.

Score: Atlanta 0 vs New England 0

 

Quarter 2:

 

Quarter 2 saw an explosion from Atlanta’s offense and defense as Atlanta scored 21 points in the second quarter alone. A fumble from LeGarrette Blount of the Patriots changed the game since Falcons running back Devonta Freeman scored a touchdown to give Atlanta the lead of 7-0. Later, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a pass to tight end Austin Hooper to score another touchdown. Atlanta again had the lead of 14-0. Later, New England quarterback Tom Brady made a grave error by throwing an interception to Falcons cornerback Robert Alford, who ran 82 yards for a touchdown. The lead increased to 21-0. Brady drove his team near the end zone and Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicked the football through the goal post for a field goal.

Score: Atlanta 21 vs New England 3

 

Quarter 3:

 

Quarter 3 saw the Falcons make another touchdown when Tevin Coleman caught a pass from Matt Ryan. The Patriots chances of coming back from a 28-3 score seemed impossible but third quarter marked as the starting point for the Patriots comeback. A five yard pass to Patriots running back James White resulting in a touchdown. However, Gostkowski missed the field goal for an extra points so the score at the end of the quarter is:

Score: Atlanta 28 vs New England 9

 

Quarter 4:

 

The Patriots dominated in the final quarter. Not only did New England score an unreal 19 points but they also managed to bring the game into overtime. First, the Patriots’s field goal brought the game to 28-12. Quarter 4 was an embarrassment for the Falcons’ offense and defense. With a recovery by New England, Brady found wide receiver Danny Amendola open for a touchdown. A two-point conversion was successful with a direct snap to James White. The score becomes 28-20, at which point hope returned to the Patriots. The Falcons also made poor decisions after choosing not to burn the clock. Instead, the Patriots recovered the ball and James White ran for a touchdown from the one yard line. The Patriots were again successful in a two-point conversion when Tom Brady threw a pass to Danny Amendola.

Score: Atlanta 28 vs New England 28

 

Overtime:
The Patriots won the coin toss and went on offense first. After driving to the 2-yard line, the ball got snapped to Brady and he passed the football to James White. White ran to the end zone and it was all over. In an improbable moment, the Patriots emerged as the victors. The final score was 34-28. The 51st Super Bowl will be the most memorable game in football history. The Patriots will always be remembered for their comeback. Meanwhile, the Falcons will be remembered as joining the Warriors, the Thunder, and the Indians in the chokers club.