The Patriots Get Their Miracle Catch
In recent years, the Super Bowl has been a venue where fans are conditioned to expect the unexpected. This stage where the lights shine brighter than ever before, have given birth to new careers, and have been the fall of others.
After eight Super Bowl appearances, the New England Patriots have been haunted by the ghosts of Super Bowl’s past. It was in Super Bowl XLII where David Tyree stole the breath out of University of Phoenix Stadium with his unforgettable helmet catch over safety Rodney Harrison, that lead to the end the Patriots undefeated season. Fast forward four years to Super Bowl XLVI, and once again the Giants put together a fourth-quarter drive when Mario Manningham tight-roped a38-yard catch along the sideline with 3:39 left in the game.
In Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots not only gave us a comeback for the ages, but finally they were able to swing the miracle catch in their favor. In a second half that seemed destined for Brady to win his fifth Super Bowl title, Julian Edelman puts the dagger in the hearts of the Atlanta Falcons defense.
On the Patriots’ 11th offensive drive of the game, Edelman, who wasn’t having a particularly stellar Super Bowl performance, made a spectacular snag in the mix of not one, not two, but three Falcons defenders. The 23-yard pass from Brady was initially deflected by Robert Alford, who picked off Brady for an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter. However, this time Edelman caught the pass in what looked to be only centimeters off the ground between Alford, Keanu Neal, and Ricardo Allen.
The phenomenal catch permanently shifted the momentum in the Patriots’ favor. As the completion would lead Brady to follow up with a 20-yard pass to Danny Amendola, and three plays later, Running Back James White bulldozed over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown score. Brady then hit Amendola for the two-point conversion to tie the game.
No one knows how the tide of the game would have changed if the pass was ruled incomplete, however, it’s safe to say Edelman’s miracle catch will forever be etched in Super Bowl history as the moment that led to the greatest Super Bowl comebacks of all time.
