In all seriousness, I almost don’t even want to write about this game. I really don’t. I kind of just want this game to be an incredible thing that we just never speak of again. We just all know it happened, and it was the greatest thing in the world, and that’s that. Brady’s the GOAT, Bill’s the GOAT, and no franchise or game will ever match what we just saw.
Unfortunately, I write for a football site and have no self control, so here we are. Yes, Tom Brady was the MVP and, in that 31 point run, he played better than anyone we’ve ever seen in football. But even the most prolific Brady-lover can admit that Tom wasn’t himself in the 1st half. There were, however, a handful of other guys on New England’s roster that brought it for a full four quarters. Here they are – in order of significance.
5. Dont’a Hightower
Stat line: 2 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Why he’s here: Dont’a Hightower’s numbers weren’t incredible last night. There were even times early in the game that he didn’t look like he was even New England’s best linebacker in the game. But his strip sack of Matt Ryan at the Falcons’ 25-yard line in a 28-12 game will go down as one of the biggest plays of Super Bowl LI, and it certainly should. There was about 8 and a half minutes remaining in the 4th at this point, and even if Hightower only sacks Ryan and forces a punt, another 40 seconds runs off the clock and who knows what kind of field position New England’s offense is set up with. But he’s able to get his hand on the ball milliseconds before the ball gets off as an incomplete pass, and big Alan Branch is able to fall on it.
This, you have to think, was Atlanta’s first “Oh, shit” moment, when the distant fear of a miraculous comeback began to become a legitimate concern for a team that was basically handed the trophy by most of the country early in the 3rd quarter. Hightower may not have stood out for the entire 60+ minutes, but sometimes one play is all you need to be a hero (and get re-signed in the offseason).
4. Logan Ryan
Stat line: 6 tackles (4 solo)
Why he’s here: Sure, Logan Ryan didn’t light up the stat sheet last night. He ended tied for the team lead in tackles, which is obviously impressive, but as an integral guy in the secondary you’d think he would need a big pick or couple defended passes to make a list like this. But this for me is just kind of an excuse to talk about how great Logan Ryan has been in these playoffs because nobody else has talked about it. He had 7 tackles, a sack, and an interception in the Houston Divisional Round game. He had 9 tackles and a pass defended against Pittsburgh. And throughout the playoffs, he’s done so much that doesn’t even show up on the stat sheet.
Over the course of this postseason, the Patriots have shut down the likes of Deandre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, and Julio Jones. And a lot of people get credit for that – Malcolm Butler, Devin McCourty, and Matt Patricia, to name a few. But Ryan was all over the place every single game; even on plays he didn’t touch the ball or make a tackle, he was invaluable in his constant effort on every play. Call it a force, but New England’s comeback last night probably doesn’t happen without Logan Ryan’s play and leadership in the secondary.
3. Trey Flowers
Stats: 6 tackles (4 solo), 2.5 sacks
Why he’s here: Trey Flowers’ six tackles tied him with Logan Ryan for the team lead, and his 2.5 sacks were more than the rest of the defense combined. And although he made a lot of plays that should be talked about today, obviously the most important was his final sack – on 2nd down from New England’s 23-yard line in an 8-point game, Flowers’ 12-yard sack pushed Atlanta’s offense to the edge of field goal range. A holding call on the Falcons followed, and after an incomplete pass on 3rd down they were forced to give Brady the ball back with 3:38 left, 2 time outs, and the game on the line. NEVER an ideal situation for an opposing team.
Flowers was also a huge part of New England shutting down Atlanta’s run game in the second half, which led to them being forced to throw and making mistakes in the passing game that made this insane comeback possible. He also contributed to perhaps the most important statistic of the game: Atlanta was 1 for 8 on 3rd down, compared to 7 for 14 for New England. That’s why the Falcons couldn’t close this game out; they couldn’t stop giving the ball back to Tom Brady, and that’s certainly not how you beat the New England Patriots.
2. Julian Edelman
Stat line: 5 catches, 87 yards
Why he’s here: Statistically, this may have been Julian Edelman’s worst game of these playoffs. But, contrary to popular belief, sometimes numbers do lie.
Obviously one major reason comes to mind when you see Edelman’s name here: that catch. THE catch. The one that will be watched and dissected and talked about and used as spank bank material for years to come; the one that made all that we’ve experienced recently possible. The most incredible catch that has ever happened or ever will happen. How he was somehow able to shake off being piled on by 3 Falcons players, locate the football, and snag it before it hit the ground is something I will never understand. It was incredible.
But aside from the Patriots finally getting karmic retribution for the Tyree and Kearse catches, Edelman gave the Patriots another thing, something he brings to the table 365 days a year: consistent leadership. The guy’s a winner, and he surrounds himself with winners, and he’s gained the trust of the two greatest winners professional sports has ever seen. He’s always carried himself with a quiet grace that’s turned into vocal leadership when it’s truly needed. And on top of all that, he leads by example with consistent, gritty play. He’s the ultimate Patriot, and one of the primary reasons New England was able to come back.
1. James White
Stat line: 6 rushes for 29 yards and 2 TDs; 14 catches for 110 yards and 1 TD
Why he’s here: Duh. If we’re taking Tom Brady out of the equation here, James White was the MVP of this game. He’s really the only guy on the offense who absolutely brought his A game for 4 full quarters (and then some) last night, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to do it.
Early on, even though White was racking up receptions, his contributions weren’t amounting to a whole lot. This was partially because the rest of the offense was so out of whack, but also due to the conservative nature of the play calls. White was catching short check down throws for the early part of this game – maybe normal for most running backs, but not how he’s successful. But later in the game the Patriots were able to give him the ball with space to work with and blockers out in front, and he made life hell for Atlanta’s defense for over 2 full quarters. He was quick and mobile when he had to be, and when he had to run over guys at the goal line he could do that too. With LeGarrette Blount struggling again and Dion Lewis MIA for much of the game, White was a beacon of hope early in the game and a model of consistency in the end. His 14 catches are a new Super Bowl record, and nobody deserved the walk-off score more than little number 28.
