Sports

NFL-SUPER BOWL XLIX

PATRIOTS OVER SEAHAWKS 28-24


Patriots (Source: NFL)
USPA NEWS - A Super Bowl that got off to a slow start wound up with a "Whoa!" finish, a lot like the New England Patriots' entire season.
Brady threw two of his four touchdown passes in the final quarter to erase a double-digit deficit.
Rookie Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilson's short throw while Marshawn Lynch watched, and the Patriots ended a decade drought without an NFL title by beating the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24 Sunday night.
Brady, who was voted Super Bowl MVP for a record-tying third time, said, "a lot of people lost faith in us early. But we held strong. We held together."
Of course he was referring to the preceding months. After all, back in late September, when New England lost 41-14 at the Kansas City Chiefs to fall to 2-2, there was a lot of talk about whether Brady was done, whether the Patriots were simply no longer a powerhouse.
"We weren't having a good day, but we kept fighting," said coach Belichick. "To me, if there was ever a time that we were not going to compete as hard, that would have been it. The fight and the competitiveness was there, and that gave me a lot of confidence going into the next week's game. That was a key point in our season."
Perhaps they were prepared to set aside Brady's two interceptions that helped dig a 24-14 hole in the fourth quarter. They moved into the lead after Brady connected with Danny Amendola from 4 yards out for one score with about 8 minutes left, then hit Julian Edelman from 3 yards for another TD with 2:02 remaining.
At age 37, Brady went 37 for 50 for 328 yards and matched his childhood idol, Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, for most Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady also broke Montana's Super Bowl record for most career touchdown passes, getting to 13. "He's so calm and collected," Amendola said about his quarterback. "He's the best. He gets everybody to play at a higher level. He's our leader emotionally."
"I've been at it for 15 years, and we've had a couple of tough losses in this game," Brady said. "This one came down to the end, and this time, we made the plays."
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