Super Bowl LI stunner: Patriots beat Falcons 34-28 in overtime

HOUSTON — SUPER BOWL STUNNER: After completing the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history to force overtime, the New England Patriots methodically drove for the winning touchdown on the first possession of OT to stun the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28.

James White capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and bedlam erupted at NRG Stadium.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became the first five-time Super Bowl winner and head coach Bill Belichick became the first coach to win five Super Bowls.

Return to Vindy.com later and read Monday's Vindicator sports section for complete details.

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SCORE ALERT: The New England Patriots have wiped out a 28-3 deficit to force the first overtime in Super Bowl history against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tom Brady threw a tying 2-point conversion pass to Danny Amendola after James White’s 1-yard touchdown run to get the Patriots even at 28-all with 57 seconds remaining.

The tying sequence was set up by a stunning catch from Julian Edelman, who somehow kept a tipped pass off the ground with a diving catch at the Atlanta 41.

No team has ever come back from more than 10 points down in the Super Bowl.

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8:45 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: The New England Patriots are closing fast after Tom Brady’s second touchdown pass following Atlanta’s first turnover.

Brady threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Danny Amendola and James White ran in the 2-point conversion to get the Patriots within one score at 28-20 in Super Bowl 51.

The score was set up by Dont’a Hightower’s sack of Matt Ryan, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Alan Branch at the Falcons 25-yard line.

8:35 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: The New England Patriots have gotten a little closer, but are still a long way from pulling off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 33-yard field goal with 9:44 left, and New England trails the Atlanta Falcons 28-12.

The Patriots had to settle for a field goal after Tom Brady was sacked twice in three plays after they got to the Atlanta 7. It was Gostkwoski’s second field goal of the game.

No team has ever come back from more than 10 points down in the Super Bowl.

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8:15 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: Tom Brady has thrown his first touchdown in Super Bowl 51, a 5-yarder to running back James White, but the New England Patriots still trail the Atlanta Falcons 28-9 after the third quarter.

Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point, which hit the right upright.

While it was good for the Patriots to get in the end zone, the 13-play, 75-yard drive took nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock.

Brady had a big 15-yard run to convert third-and-8 from the Falcons 35. He was back to pass when he saw an opening and took off running, sliding down without getting hit.

But the Patriots clearly showed some sense of desperation.

They tried a trick play during the middle of that scoring drive, but receiver Julian Edelman’s third-and-3 pass just short of midfield was incomplete. They then went for it on fourth down, with Brady hitting Danny Amendola for 18 yards.

After the touchdown, New England tried an onside kick. But the ball didn’t travel 10 yards before Gostkowski touched it, drawing a penalty and giving the ball to the Falcons.

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8:55 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: Matt Ryan has thrown a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Coleman and the Atlanta Falcons have taken a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in the third quarter of Super Bowl 51.

Ryan hit Coleman in the flat, and the Falcons running back beat linebacker Rob Ninkovich to the pylon. The score capped an 85-yard drive in eight plays, fueled by a 35-yard pass to Taylor Gabriel.

Ryan, the NFL regular-season MVP, is 12 of 14 for 193 yards with two touchdowns.

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8 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: Stephen Gostkowski got the Patriots on the board with a 41-yard field goal late in the closing seconds of the first half, but New England still trails Atlanta 21-3 at halftime.

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7:50 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: Robert Alford’s 82-yard interception return for a touchdown has put the Atlanta Falcons up 21-0 over the New England Patriots with 2:21 left in the first half.

It appeared that the Patriots might finally get on the scoreboard, but Tom Brady was under pressure when he unloaded the third-down pass.

If Brady is going to become the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls, he and the Patriots will have to do something that has never been done.

According to Elias Sports, no team has won a Super Bowl after trailing by more than 10 points.

Three teams have overcome 10-point deficits to win the Super Bowl. The most recent was Brady and the Patriots two years ago against the Seattle Seahawks.

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7:35 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: Matt Ryan has thrown a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper and the Atlanta Falcons lead the New England Patriots 14-0 with 8:48 to go in the first half of Super Bowl 51.

Ryan, trying to become the first player to be the NFL’s MVP and win a Super Bowl in the same season since 1999, is 7-of-8 passing for 115 yards.

The latest drive, after a Patriots punt, started with Ryan hitting Taylor Gabriel for 24 yards and then throwing an 18-yard pass to Julio Jones, who made a nice tip-toe catch along the sideline.

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7:15 p.m.

SCORE ALERT: The Atlanta Falcons have taken a 7-0 lead in Super Bowl 51 on Devonta Freeman’s 5-yard touchdown run with 12:15 left in the second quarter.

The five-play, 71-yard drive was set up when Deion Jones forced a fumble by Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount, and the ball was recovered by Richard Alford.

Matt Ryan, the NFL MVP, then threw passes of 19 and 23 yards to Julio Jones, who didn’t catch a pass in the first quarter.