Short answer
The 28-3 comeback came down to one drive: New England, down 28–20 with 3:30 left, starting at its own 9 and needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Here you call every play from that exact spot, with the real roster, clock and timeouts, and your calls are graded against Bill Belichick's, which score in the 98th percentile in our engine. This one is free.
The situation
Super Bowl LI, February 5, 2017. Atlanta had led 28–3 late in the third quarter, and New England had cut it to 28–20. A sack and a holding penalty had just pushed the Falcons out of field-goal range, so they punted, and Tom Brady took over at his own 9 with 3:30 left.
New England had two timeouts, Atlanta one. Eight points down means a field goal is useless: the drive has to end in a touchdown, and then the two-point try has to work too. 91 yards, one score, and the two-minute warning still to come.
How the real drive went, play by play
The start was shaky. Brady threw incomplete to James White and then deep to Chris Hogan, and on 3rd-and-10 from his own 9 he hit Hogan for 16 yards to the 25 at 3:17. After an incompletion to Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell caught an 11-yarder and was pushed out at the 36.
Then came the catch everyone remembers: at 2:28 Brady threw deep over the middle, the ball was tipped, and Edelman juggled it among three defenders and caught it just above the turf for 23 yards to the Atlanta 41. Atlanta challenged, the catch stood, and the Falcons lost their last timeout.
From there it went quickly. Danny Amendola caught 20 yards to the 21, White caught 13 to the 8 and 7 more to the 1, and White ran it in from the 1, leaving 0:57 on the clock. Brady threw the two-point pass to Amendola, and it was 28–28. New England never used a timeout.
The calls that decided it
The first real decision is 3rd-and-10 at your own 9. A sack there is close to the end; an incompletion means 4th-and-10 with your season on it. Do you take the safe underneath throw that might not reach the sticks, or throw at the marker?
The second is the clock. With 3:30, two timeouts and the two-minute warning, a drive this long can afford throws over the middle, and scoring too fast hands Atlanta time for a field goal. New England scored with 0:57 left and Atlanta out of timeouts. Our engine checks each of your calls against the situation, the same way it grades Belichick's.
Last is the two-point try, which isn't optional down 8: you have to pick the play.
What happened next
It was the first overtime in Super Bowl history. New England won the toss, drove for a touchdown, and White ran it in to win it 34–28. In this game, if you tie it, you play the overtime too.
More Legends
- The Helmet Catch · Super Bowl XLII, down 4, 2:39 left, own 17
- Manningham on the Sideline · Super Bowl XLVI, down 2, 3:46 left, own 12
- Second-and-Goal · Super Bowl XLIX, down 4, 2:02 left, own 20
- Every Legend and Playoff Run
FAQ
What was the final score of the 28-3 Super Bowl?
New England beat Atlanta 34–28 in overtime in Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017, after trailing 28–3 in the third quarter.
How much time was left when the Patriots tied it?
James White's 1-yard touchdown left 0:57 on the clock, and Danny Amendola caught the two-point pass to make it 28–28.
Who scored the winning touchdown in the 28-3 game?
James White, on a run in overtime. He scored New England's last two touchdowns.
Was Super Bowl LI the first to go to overtime?
Yes. It was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
Is this Legend free to play?
Yes. This one is the free sample of Legends: play it as often as you like. The other Legends and the Playoff Runs come with the one-time Legends Pass.
Sources
- nflverse play-by-play data — the real drive, snap by snap: down, distance, clock, timeouts and play descriptions
- Super Bowl LI, New England vs Atlanta box score — Pro Football Reference