The great Vince Lombardi once said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” On Sunday, February 5th, the Patriots solidified their position as one of the best organizations in the history of the NFL with their fifth championship title.

Despite the Patriots’ incredible comeback, the Falcons will be better remembered for their epic meltdown. The Falcons went into the second half with a 21-3 lead and eventually had a 28-3 lead.

Both offenses started slowly as no points were scored in the first quarter. However, the Falcons’ explosive offense picked up in the second quarter. Julio Jones, the Falcons’ star receiver, made two big catches (19 and 29 yards) on the drive to contribute to the march down the field. Atlanta went on to score a touchdown on their next possession. An interception returned for a touchdown by Robert Alford of the Falcons looked like it might be the straw to break the camel’s back.

A 28-3 lead was taken by the Falcons on a six-yard touchdown reception by running back Tevin Coleman. From this point forward, however, the Patriots took control of the game.

With only a few minutes left in the game, Tom Brady was given one more chance to tie the game; they would need a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion. Julian Edelman, the Patriots’ top receiver, made the play of his life on a deep pass from Brady. His reception kept the Patriots’ chances alive. Edelman ran a deep route towards the middle of the field, but there was one problem: there were three Falcons defenders on in the area. The ball was nearly intercepted when Edelman dove to the ground to catch the deflected ball. Somehow, he came up with the ball despite being surrounded by Falcons defenders. The Patriots would manage to tie the game on that drive.

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The Patriots won the coin toss in overtime and elected to receive the ball. Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field on a drive that lasted 3:58, and running back James White won the game on a two-yard touchdown run. The final score was 34-28.

Super Bowl LI is arguably one of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time. Not only did the win highlight the Patriots’ dominance over the last decade, but the win also cemented Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s title as the greatest quarterback-head coach duo in the history of the NFL.

Often times in life, and in football, it’s the strength of will that separates the great from the average.