In one of the greatest sporting events ever Super Bowl 51 didn’t start the way anyone imagined. This was a game of two different halves. The first half was dominated by the Falcons as the offense started the scoring with the first T.D. of the game half way through the second quarter. The Falcons then added another T.D. as they took a 14-0 lead, and it was up to Tom Brady and the Patriots to respond.
“Patriots 32-20 blowout win,” Kyler Jaramillo, junior, said.
After 3 straight defensive holding calls the Patriots found themselves in a 3 and short on their own 22 yard line looking to score. As the play developed you could see the corner getting ready to jump a Tom Brady slant route and once it happened it changed the game. Falcons took a commanding 21-0 lead after a game changing pick six by Robert Alfred.
“Falcons 31-28 crazy game,” Austin Rush, junior, said.
At halftime of the game the score was 21-3. The second half started the same as the first as the Falcons drove right down the field to add another T.D. and extend the lead to a 28-3 lead. The Patriots were down 25 points and midway through the third quarter it looked like it was over, but it’s never over with Tom Brady in the game.
“Patriots 28-24 Brady is the G.O.A.T,” Noah Nickerson, junior, said.
Finally the Patriots get a T.D. as the score was 28-9. After another good drive the Patriots got more points on the board and after three quarters, the score was 28-12. Down 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter the Patriots still had hope. The Falcons had a good drive going until Dont’a Hightower sacked Matt Ryan and made him fumble, giving The Patriots the ball and momentum. After another Brady T.D. the score was 28-20 are Falcons had pressure to get a drive together starting on their own 10 yard line. After a couple great throws by Matt Ryan the Falcons were in a great spot with 3 minutes left in the game.
“Falcons will win, I don’t have a score though,” Austin Davis, sophomore, said.
The game was still in hand for the Patriots, but they needed a big play. A holding penalty and then a sack out the Falcons out of field goal range and gave Tom Brady a chance to go down the field and tie the game. Tom Brady did exactly what we all thought he would with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots tied the game and sent it to overtime. The first overtime game in a Super Bowl. The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive. This would end up be the last drive as James White ran the ball in from the two yard line giving the Patriots their fifth Super Bowl title.