Heartbreak in Houston: Falcons fall to Patriots in Super Bowl LI

ATLANTA — After a commanding lead for most of the game, the Atlanta Falcons fell to the New England Patriots, 34 to 28.

It was the biggest collapse in Super Bowl history. It was the Patriots’ fifth NFL championship.

Sunday’s Super Bowl was only the second time the team has made to it to the big game. The Falcons went to a Super Bowl in 1998.

[LIVE BLOG: Patriots defeat Falcons 34-28 in overtime of Super Bowl LI]

The Patriots scored 19 points in the final quarter, including a pair of 2-point conversions, then marched relentlessly to James White's 2-yard touchdown run in overtime beating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 Sunday night.

Tom Brady, the first quarterback with five Super Bowl rings, guided the Patriots (17-2) through a tiring Atlanta defense for fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 6-yard pass to Danny Amendola and a 1-yard run by White, which came with 57 seconds remaining in regulation. White ran for the first 2-pointer and Amendola did the deed with a reception on the second.

Brady finished 43 for 62, the most attempts in Super Bowl history, for 466 yards and two touchdowns.

"You know, we all brought each other back," Brady said. "We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle. They have a great team. I give them a lot of credit. We just made a few more plays than them."

Sunday’s game was the first time in Super Bowl history that the game went into overtime.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who had a key fumble on sack by Donte Hightower, completed 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns.

“We just made some mistakes that put us behind the chains,” Ryan said. “This is a tough loss.”

The Atlanta Falcons led the game for more than 41 minutes straight. The first time the Patriots led was when they won it in overtime.

“We are a tough crew so a loss like tonight, although it’s difficult, I’d like to think that this group can put in our stamp that we’re just getting started,” head coach Dan Quinn said.

Super Bowl 2017 did make history, and we’re not talking about Lady Gaga’s high-flying act. It was the first NFL championship game to go into overtime. It was also the biggest comeback in a Super Bowl history.

After the shock of losing subsides, Falcons fans have plenty to celebrate.

Immediately after the loss, the congratulations for a hard-fought season were flying on Twitter.

The city of Atlanta said “We love our team. Congratulations to the @AtlantaFalcons on a great season. #RiseUp”

The 2016-2017 season marked the last season the Falcons played in the Georgia Dome. They will usher in their next season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Georgia Dome, the Falcons' home since 1992, will be torn down and replaced next season by the new $1.5 billion stadium.

Cox Media Group