Honestly, if you were sitting on your couch on February 5, 2017, watching the New England Patriots fall behind the Atlanta Falcons, you probably turned the TV off. Most people did. It was 28-3. The Falcons weren't just winning; they were embarrassing the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
Matt Ryan, fresh off an MVP season, looked like he was playing a video game on rookie mode. The Patriots looked old. Tom Brady looked human. But what happened over the final 17 minutes of regulation and a brief overtime period didn't just change the legacy of everyone on that field—it redefined how we think about "impossible" in professional sports.
The Night the Patriots vs Falcons Became a Meme
We have to talk about the 28-3 thing. It's basically a permanent scar for Atlanta fans and a holy relic for New England. It wasn't just a lead; it was a total collapse of logic.
Early on, Atlanta’s defense was flying. Robert Alford’s 82-yard pick-six off Brady in the second quarter felt like the knockout blow. You've got to remember, the Patriots hadn't trailed like that all year. When Tevin Coleman caught a 6-yard touchdown pass with 8:31 left in the third quarter, the win probability for the Falcons hit 99.8%.
Think about that.
One-fifth of one percent chance for New England to win. Most of us have better odds of winning a scratch-off than the Patriots had of winning Super Bowl LI at that moment. But football is a game of momentum and, more importantly, clock management. Atlanta had the best offense in the league, but they stopped doing what got them there. They started playing not to lose, while the Patriots simply kept playing.
How the Comeback Actually Functioned
It started with a slow burn. A James White touchdown catch at the end of the third quarter cut it to 28-9. Then a missed extra point by Stephen Gostkowski made it feel like the universe was still rooting against New England.
The turning point? It wasn't a pass. It was a strip-sack.
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With about eight and a half minutes left, Dont'a Hightower came off the edge and absolutely leveled Matt Ryan. The ball popped loose. Alan Branch recovered it. That was the spark. Suddenly, the Patriots weren't just moving the ball; they were scoring in chunks. Danny Amendola caught a touchdown. James White ran for a two-point conversion.
28-20.
Now, Atlanta still had a chance to put it away. They actually drove down to the Patriots' 22-yard line after an incredible catch by Julio Jones. Seriously, go back and watch that catch. It’s one of the best in history, and it's basically been forgotten because of what happened next.
The Falcons' Fatal Error
Instead of running the ball three times and kicking a field goal to go up by 11, the Falcons decided to pass.
- Trey Flowers sacked Matt Ryan for a 12-yard loss.
- A holding penalty on Jake Matthews pushed them back even further.
- They ended up punting.
That was the game. You don't give Tom Brady the ball back with three minutes left and a chance to tie. You just don't.
The Julian Edelman Catch and the Overtime Finish
The drive to tie the game was pure madness. The centerpiece was Julian Edelman’s "circus catch." A pass was tipped, it hit a defender's shoe, and somehow Edelman pinned it against a leg just inches off the turf while three Falcons defenders crashed into him.
It was the universe balancing out the David Tyree "Helmet Catch" from years prior.
When James White punched in the one-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left, and Danny Amendola caught the two-point conversion, the stadium in Houston felt like it was vibrating. The Falcons were gassed. Their defense had played over 90 snaps because the offense couldn't stay on the field.
For the first time in history, a Super Bowl went to overtime. New England won the coin toss, and honestly, everyone knew it was over. Brady went 5-for-5 on the final drive. James White (the unsung hero who had 14 catches and 3 touchdowns) took a pitch to the right and muscled his way into the end zone.
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Final score: 34-28.
Why This Game Still Matters in 2026
We still analyze Patriots vs Falcons because it’s the ultimate cautionary tale in sports. It’s about the danger of "prevent defense" and the power of a relentless system.
If you're looking for lessons from this historic matchup, start here:
- Conditioning is a weapon. The Patriots ran more than twice as many plays as the Falcons (93 to 46). By the fourth quarter, the Falcons' pass rush was nonexistent.
- Aggression must be calculated. Atlanta’s refusal to run the ball and take the field goal late in the fourth remains one of the most debated coaching decisions in NFL history.
- Trust the unsung heroes. Everyone talks about Brady, but James White set a Super Bowl record with 20 points scored. Without his versatility as a pass-catching back, the comeback never starts.
The best way to appreciate the sheer scale of this game is to re-watch the fourth quarter from the 8-minute mark. Pay attention to the Falcons' offensive line—you can see the exact moment the fatigue sets in and the protection breaks down.
To truly understand the legacy of Patriots vs Falcons, look at the career trajectories of the players involved. Brady went on to win two more rings, while the Falcons' core was never quite the same. It’s a reminder that in the Super Bowl, you don't just have to be better; you have to be more durable.
If you're researching this for a project or just a heated debate at the bar, focus on the "Drive Summary" stats. The discrepancy in time of possession (40:31 for New England vs. 23:27 for Atlanta) tells the story better than any highlight reel ever could.