Tom Brady already cemented his name when he led the New England Patriots to the last dance of the NFL season. But directing a comeback when all the chips were down against the Atlanta Falcons only made things sweeter.
Tom Brady started the 2016-17 NFL season on a sour note, serving a four-game suspension due to the alleged “Deflategate” scandal. Brady and the Patriots maintained their innocence but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell still had his way.
Despite starting the NFL season late, the 39-year-old showed why he was one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. The season was something but reaching Super Bowl LI was a feat already carrying several records for him and coach Bill Belichick.
The Patriots were favored over the Falcons even before kick-off. But there was a reason why Atlanta made it that far. A lot of it had to do with a player named Matt Ryan, someone who would later be named season MVP, USA Today reported. For Brady, being named MVP would be something but winning Super Bowl LI was more important. And so they did.
When the fourth period came around, it seemed the Falcons were ready to romp away with an upset. The Falcons were up until Brady decided to take over and overhaul the deficit. And before anyone knew it, the Pats were back in the game, Sports Illustrated reported.
The Pats overhauled a 25-point deficit and pressed the Falcon to extra time. New England rode on the momentum, winning 34-28 and handing the Patriots the Super Bowl LI honors. Aside from overhauling a large deficit, it was also the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
With such a performance, there is no denying that Brady ranks among the greatest. But is the greatest of them all? As NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana put it, that is a pretty tough call to make. There are other players before like Otto Graham and Sammy Baughn who achieved their respective feats during their time meaning it may all be about the each NFL player’s moment in the spotlight.
Check out the video below covering Tom Brady’s masterful Super Bowl LI feat.