SB LI was the greatest NFL game of all time.

[PatriotsReign]

Well, that's it then. Time to lock up.

They've been saying it was not only the greatest SB of all time, but the greatest sporting event of all time

Better than USA Hockey victory in 1980!

Write it up and wrap it 1960!

 

[Tony2046]

If I had Doc Brown's DeLorean and had the choice to go back in time to any sporting event and be in the stands it would be that one.

There really isn't a debate.

That wasn't a sporting event....that was the start of America making a comeback as the leader of the free world.

I'd go back to the day I had a hot brunette in a hotel room alone. She said, "So....what do you want to do now?" And my young ignorant ass said, "Let's go get some ice cream".

Damn it

Damn it

Damn it

 

[Tony2046]

If I had Doc Brown's DeLorean and had the choice to go back in time to any sporting event and be in the stands it would be that one.

There really isn't a debate.

That wasn't a sporting event....that was the start of America making a comeback as the leader of the free world.

After the gloomy 70's the 1980's felt like a blissful time in US history. Shiny city on the hill seemed to fit perfectly.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

SB 49 was better

 

[JJR4884]

SB51 is the greatest comeback (duh) not the greatest game. This is all speculative, but I feel that for a game to be great, it has to be competitive throughout the entire game on both sides of the ball without there being any massive leads.

Going neck and next and having a game where every possession counts, and ending up with a score like 27-24, is a great game. High scoring games means the defense sucked. Low scoring games means the offense sucked.

SB49 was pretty good. Competitive first half, tied at half time, two monster franchises with the leagues best defense playing the best orchestrated offense of the 21st century. 10 point lead overcome in dramatic fashion in the 4th, and then a turn over the last 20 seconds of the game. Edge of your seat the entire game.

SB51 - 1st quarter sucked, no one could get anything going. 2nd quarter was heavily lopsided for Atlanta, as well as the beginning of the 3rd quarter. Then a change of tides and the collapse of the Falcons. It was a hell of a story (like 11 and 12 said it would be) but the game as a whole was not amazing start to finish. Just the finish lol.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I agree with the OP. Quinn coached circles around Carroll as far as SB gameplans went. Carroll just had the better horses which allowed him to stand pat. Dismissing the first "lousy 2+ quarters" in SB51 severely undersells the prep Atlanta did, their execution and the adjustments the Pats had to make.

Best coaching chess match I can recall. Best execution by both sides of said coaching.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Uncle Rico]

I didn't think of it. I checked my Twitter account and Pats Pulpit had it up.

Fitzy was the first one I saw using it. Sounds like a Fitzy thing. Inspired me t wear my Patriots tie to work and tell the story; only one or two patriots fans got the 3/28 reference right away.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Super Bowl 36 was the best. The back and forth Super Bowl versus Carolina was pretty good too. You never forgot your first time...

 

[letekro]

36, 38, 42, and 49 all better games, IMO. For lovers of defense, 36 and 42 were downright orgasmic. 49 was the most emotional of all. 51 was the best comeback ever, by a wide margin, tho.

 

[PatriotsReign]

SB 49 was better

Based on the odds, it wasn't close to SB51

Now if you want to say YOU liked it better, that's fine.

But at 28-3 with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, the Patriots had less than 1% chance of winning the game.

At 24-14, in the 3rd quarter in SB49, the Pats still had a 25% chance of winning

The odds said it was virtually impossible for the Patsbto win SB51, yet they pulled off the impossible! They had to score 2 touchdown AND two 2 point conversions just to tie the game.

Never mind that 100% of Patriot haters were celebrating what they thought was our Patriots getting blown out....and Brady ripped their hearts out

But you liked SB49 better and that's ok

 

[scott99]

I think why it's being considered the best, was also the story behind it. The perceived revenge factor by Brady, that was the story all season really. People all season long we're talking about how Brady and the Pats are trying to make Goodell pay for what he did to Brady and the Pats. Then to have a disastrous start (2nd and 3rd quarters), and to have a miraculous, historic comeback, orchestrated by said persecuted player, who with sheer will made it happen, that's what made this Super Bowl the best. And as some people were saying, the greatest sporting event ever.

I know for me, it was my favorite game ever.

 

[Kontradiction]

For Pats fans, Super Bowl XLIX was better. If you're just a fan of football, though, LI has to be the best. The general consensus from fans of other teams that I know personally as well as what I've gathered on social media was that LI was an incredible game. And it was. But, if you're a Pats fan, XLIX has to be the best. To get that feeling of your heart getting ripped out of your chest again, after losing in a similar fashion twice, then having that game-winning INT happen seemingly out of nowhere was incredible.

 

[Kdo5]

Easily the most satisfying game ever. The greatest comeback, the greatest storyline, the legacy implications. Hard to top.

Merely in terms of football? I like the Patriots/Ravens Divisional Game in 2014. Pats overcome two 14 point deficits, culminating in a wild finish and victory.

 

[Pats1989]

I think the 04 ALCS will always beat SB 51 for a few reasons:

1. It was the Yankees. Any other team and it doesn't measure up.
2. 86 years of agony were distinguished after the comeback.
3. Patriots had already won four titles, including two years prior.

Furthermore, what the Patriots did " in game" was tougher. However they came back once. Red Sox had to do it four straight times. Red Sox didn't necessarily rely on Yankee " Brain farts" to comeback. Atlanta definitely made dumb mistakes mentally to help the " comeback" along.

 

[K. Dog]

Merely in terms of football? I like the Patriots/Ravens Divisional Game in 2014. Pats overcome two 14 point deficits, culminating in a wild finish and victory.

Way too much of this discussion has discussed the point scores and time remaining. What makes a game great are specific plays (or sequences of plays).

The Patriots/Ravens Divisional game had two extraordinary plays:

(1) The Edelman pass. Waiting 6 years to uncork a shocking play in an amazing scenario. All led up to with the perfect execution characteristic of the Pats: the many short passes/screens, and the famous Solder cut block.

(2) the ineligible receiver tactic. This to me is one of the most brilliant plays ever, because thousands of NFL games had been played, since the dawn of the league, and nobody had ever thought to use this idea in an NFL game, except one coach, in one game. That drive was capped by the Ravens coach getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

That game also had the Brady quarterback draw, which was nice to see.

SBLI had:

(1) the existence of this nearly unbroken streak of play after play after play, on offense and defense. That was the main thing.

(2) the Edelman catch, to me the greatest catch ever made. Not just a catch but a whole story, a play within a play, the twist being that the disadvantage - all the defenders around the ball - turned into an advantage - stopping the ball from hitting the ground. With the perfect double clutch to finish, and the trademark Belichick psychological domination causing Quinn to challenge.

(3) The blind passes, where Brady throws to a defender, without the receiver even looking at Brady, knowing that the receiver knows his route so will he will turn and get the pass. He did that to Hogan in a play that to my knowledge no other QB playing can even dream of executing.

SBXLIX had I think the greatest single play in NFL history. If you look at that in slow motion, it's eerie because everyone is standing still on the field but Butler is moving at normal speed, like an X-Men movie.

-------

So it's not just how much the comeback was by, it's how it was done: how amazing, how interesting.

 

[bormio]

After the gloomy 70's the 1980's felt like a blissful time in US history. Shiny city on the hill seemed to fit perfectly.

But the dang thing was shown tape-delayed. Had to rely on intermittent radio reports for the score during the game. Smh. Did not hear anything between they had the lead with 8 to go and the final score.

 

[Mark.]

Easily the most satisfying game ever. The greatest comeback, the greatest storyline, the legacy implications. Hard to top.

Merely in terms of football? I like the Patriots/Ravens Divisional Game in 2014. Pats overcome two 14 point deficits, culminating in a wild finish and victory.

I just rewatched that game yesterday. One of my favorite Patriot games-Especially the trick formations and Edelman's TD. Another one of those games where the Patriots were initially sluggish after a bye. Wonder why it has become a pattern recently?

As far as SB LI, loved the 4th quarter and OT. When I rewatched recently, I noticed how many things went wrong at the beginning and how narrow the margin for victory became as the game progressed. Still can't believe we won. I can't pick a greatest ever. With Brady defying the aging process, I'm just waiting for the next one.

 

[archstanton543]

With the perfect double clutch to finish, and the trademark Belichick psychological domination causing Quinn to challenge.

Quinn would have been a fool not to challenge that play. That had nothing to do with "psychological domination" if you saw that catch in real time from the sideline, you'd throw the flag too. I'd bet my next paycheck that if Atlanta made that exact catch, BB would have thrown the flag too.

 

[ivanvamp]

Quinn would have been a fool not to challenge that play. That had nothing to do with "psychological domination" if you saw that catch in real time from the sideline, you'd throw the flag too. I'd bet my next paycheck that if Atlanta made that exact catch, BB would have thrown the flag too.

The Patriots also kind of forced the issue by rushing to the line. Quinn didn't have time to talk it though with his staff.

 

[Dagg]

Agree with a few others greatest comeback yes..game no. In fact it wasnt even competitive for most of it. While the NE vs Seattle Sb was may be one of the greatest games ever, personally for me as a viewer it may always be SD vs Miami in 1981. I just remember not being able to look away and being captivated (hey i was only 9).

Winslow sr was unstoppable.

Epic in Miami - Wikipedia