Ten Seasons Later, Brady, Julian Edelman And Gronk Relive The 28-3 Comeback
Julian Edelman brought up the 28-3 game, and Tom Brady admitted he still has trouble watching it.
On the latest episode of “Gronk & Jules,” Brady joined former teammates Edelman and Rob Gronkowski to mark the 10-year anniversary of Super Bowl LI, the Patriots’ 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons after trailing 28-3 late in the third quarter. It remains the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
“We’d be crazy not to talk about the 28-3 game after talking about mental toughness,” Edelman said. “When you rewatch that game, what do you think? I’m like, how the hell did we win that game?”
Brady said he still finds it hard to rewatch.
“It’s hard not to turn it off when it comes on,” Brady said. “It was just how many plays did we make, literally by a fingertip, that changed the outcome of the game. Throws to you, throws to Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell catching the ball falling down and getting up.”
Gronkowski noted Mitchell’s rookie-season role in the comeback. The receiver caught six passes for 70 yards in the Super Bowl, including five in the fourth quarter, before injuries ended his career after that lone season.
Brady also credited the defense, pointing to Dont’a Hightower’s strip-sack of Matt Ryan on third-and-1 from the Falcons’ 36-yard line. Alan Branch recovered the fumble at the Atlanta 25, setting up a touchdown that cut the deficit to 28-20.
Chris Long also drew a holding penalty on a separate series that pushed the Falcons out of field-goal range.
“There were so many unheralded players,” Brady said. “Hightower coming through, Trey Flowers with the sack on Matt Ryan. The only way you overcome it is one play at a time. You’re a play-to-play player. What happened last play doesn’t mean anything to this play.”
HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Brady said that discipline has to be built in practice, not found in games.
“At some point, you’re not going to win the amount of games you should win based on your talent or scheme if you give the ball away,” Brady said. “You have to be truly consistent in practice and in games. That’s how you become a top team in the league.”
The Patriots capped the comeback in overtime, with James White scoring the winning touchdown to finish off the 34-28 victory and deliver the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl title. White’s 14 catches in the game remain a Super Bowl record.
Brady’s trip back to Foxborough this week was his first as a broadcaster, a role that has given him the chance to revisit moments like these with the teammates that were there alongside him.
