Brady’s Grit Never Quits

It was a game of momentum. With just over two and a half minutes left in the second quarter, Tom Brady threw a costly interception that was subsequently returned 82 yards for a touchdown by the Falcons. That put Atlanta up by 21 points, with the score being 21-3 at the end of the half. It would take only the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history for Brady to get his fifth ring.

A quick check of Twitter after the interception suggested this was doomsday for the Patriots. Tweets claiming the death of the Patriots dynasty and the end of Tom Brady’s dominance were commonplace, with many fans giving up on the Patriots’ chances for this year. Another Atlanta touchdown that put New England down 25 points with 8:31 left in the third quarter seemed to put the potential for a comeback out of the realm of possibility.

Tom Brady wasn’t looking on social media, of course. Instead, he took his team 75 yards down the field for a touchdown. On the next drive, the Patriots kicked a field goal to close the gap a bit, with the score at 28-12.

The Falcons then had the ball and a sizeable lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. The win for Atlanta was so inevitable that Falcons owner Arthur Blank came down from his box to be on the field. It would prove to be a classic case of “counting chickens before they’ve hatched.”

When they desperately needed it, New England’s defense forced a fumble. Then, the greatest quarterback of all time led them down the field again for a touchdown. Then he did it again. On those drives, Brady completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts for 120 yards, not to mention successfully converted two two-point conversions to tie the game. It was a streak of brilliance that we’ve come to expect from Brady over the years, but his work in Super Bowl LI wasn’t finished yet.

New England won the coin toss and received the ball in overtime. They took advantage of an exhausted Atlanta defense that had been worn down over the course of the game. He picked them apart, cutting through the Falcons’ secondary for big gains.

With the ball on the Atlanta two yard line, third-year back James White fought through contact to cross the goal line and complete the comeback, scoring his third TD of the game.

Tom Brady has stated that White should have won the MVP of the game, an award that Brady earned for his record-breaking fourth time. But make no mistake. This game was won because of the brilliance of the Patriots’ 39-year-old quarterback. Where most quarterbacks and offenses would have been disheartened by the deficit and stumbled through the remainder of the game, Brady instead jogged back onto the field and played with a blue-collar mentality, inspiring his teammates to fight for every catch, every yard, every inch.

No play exemplifies this mentality more clearly than a fourth down and 3 play with six minutes left in the third quarter. Down 28 to 3, this was a desperate play from their own side of the field. Complete the pass, and the drive would continue, and the Patriots’ slim chance at a comeback would remain. Failure to gain a first down would have given Atlanta great field position, and a score then would likely have put the game out of reach. Feeling pressure from pass rushers behind him, Brady stood unfazed in the pocket, patiently waiting for receiver Danny Amendola to get open. When he did slip free of coverage, Brady fired the ball into his chest, and Amendola turned it into a 17 yard gain. This would result in the Patriots continuing to drive down the field for a touchdown, and from there, they never looked back.

Spectacular individual efforts like this continued from Brady for the rest of the game. His determination, grit, and perseverance in the Super Bowl prove it takes more than just physical talent to be among the greats at the position. It takes a never-quit mentality — something he has possessed for the entirety of his career.

And now, with a Super Bowl ring for each finger on his gifted right hand, you have to wonder when Brady will ever be satisfied.