Rewatching SB49 and SB51...

[Lombardi#5]

I was just thinking this the other day. I actually think SB 49 was worse on my heart then SB 51. With 51 I was almost resigned to the fact it was gonna take a miracle and I just wanted them to at least make it interesting. So I went from being completely dejected and feeling bad and it slowly building up to pure jubilation lol. Where as 49 was a complete roller coaster going 100 mph with so many ups and downs. The score before the half and then Seattle scoring in less than a minute. To us going down by 10 and then coming back to take the lead. Then the freaking Kearse catch and of course Butlers interception. Honestly no sporting moment has ever made me feel like Butlers interception. I've never gone from so sad to so happy in such a instant lol. I was literally screaming in shock cause I could not believe what happened. The closest SB 51 came to providing a moment like that was Edelmans catch but it still doesn't compare for me.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

A comeback of 25, and 19 in the fourth quarter will never be broken in the SB.

2071 career SB yards, 2nd place is 1156. Nobody is even close.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Quinn coached a better defensive game with Atlanta than he did with Seattle. After Brady tore apart Pittsburgh's zone, going cover-1 robber was by far the best way Atlanta should have played them, especially with the Pats' best man beater, Gronk, out of the game. Add in all the stunts Atlanta's DL did to generate pressure with just 4 guys and this was a better D against the Pats than what Seattle did, despite Seattle's superior talent. It took a quarter for the Pats to figure out what they were dealing with, then another quarter to stop shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers before they started to find their groove with the sideline passes and outlets to White to both avoid the robber coverage and allow Brady to get the ball out sooner to avoid (and tire out) the pass rush. By then, Atlanta had turned it into a 20 minute game with a huge lead. Only a miracle performance on both sides of the ball was going to save the Pats. Unfortunately for Atlanta, that's what happened.

Seattle played their defensive game plan and dared the Pats to beat it. They really didn't try to fool the Pats or make adjustments. The Pats wisely created mismatches against Simon and Wright. Seattle never made drastic changes like putting Sherman on Edelman or bracketing Gronk. They counted on guys like Michael Bennett and Bobby Wagner being too much for the Pats and as a credit to their talent, they were at times. Yet because they did what they had done all year, the Pats had a lot of film to review to find weaknesses and they did.

Give me Atlanta's go-for-broke coaching effort vs. Seattle's stand-pat defensive effort every time. SB51 was the more impressive win. Atlanta prepared exceptionally well and executed outstandingly. The Pats didn't abuse an inferior defense in the comeback. They made perfect adjustments against a great game plan.

Regards,
Chris

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Geez, what are going to do next?
Ask me to choose between my 2 kids?

You know you have a favourite...

And I have to say it is close. But I loved 51 more because of the team, especially the under-rated defense and the dozens of contributions from different people to pull it off.

Add in the Deflate gate ********, and it's by far the sweetest one as Kraft said.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This is like choosing the favorite of my two daughters. I love them both infinitely.

 

[RayRay]

49 was incredible but for me 51 was much more valuable considering Brady's b.s. suspension and his 5th ring not to mention the greatest comeback ever of all time.

 

[doesntmatter1]

51 was great but I'm going with 49 as the best. 49 offered even the casual fan a little bit of everything. Mobile qb vs pocket passer. Dink and dunk master vs deep passes/back yard football. Our methodical defense vs their small and aggressive one. Lastly the game was competitive from beginning to end.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

Didn't take me long at all to come to that conclusion. Anyone picking 51 as the better game is doing it out of emotion and it being the most recent. 49 was by far the better game. Both games had epic finishes and comebacks. 51 was obviously the bigger comeback but I feel like in 49 both teams played well overall and they went back and forth slugging it out for 4 quarters. In 51 I feel like the pats played like garbage for over half the game before staging the best comeback in SB history.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

49 was a better game, 51 a better story.

Aus, I agree 49 was a better overall game, however, 4th quarter and OT of 51 was best 1+ quarter of any Patriot SB bar none. IMHO of course

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Watching 49 again I was reminded of how the whole "Beast! mode!" was overplayed a bit. Outside of the third quarter (most yards on 2 big runs) and a series late in the second quarter (that arguably the Patriots were leaning prevent), he wasn't "Beast!". I don't take anything from the guy, 102 yards in the SB is good and he was frequently tough to bring down. Yet outside that third quarter (Hightower was out that quarter?) and the one 2nd quarter series he was running ok yet not beast! mode.

He had approx 45 yards (including a run for 15 and a run for 14) in the third.
He had 5 runs for 22 yards on one series in the second quarter.
Beast mode's running impact for 2 quarters and the better part of another quarter he had 35 yards on 14 carries.
IMHO the Patriots goal line run D (3 DBs) had a good chance to stop him, force the final SEA timeout, force the SEA to be constrained by clock.

Another big forgotten story, the mighty Seattle D. Top in run, top in pass, top in points -- big time D. Patriots put up 28 on them and would have been minimum 31 if not for an early GOAT mistake.

 

[ausbacker]

Aus, I agree 49 was a better overall game, however, 4th quarter and OT of 51 was best 1+ quarter of any Patriot SB bar none. IMHO of course

No doubt, what the Patriots produced, on offense, defense, special teams, and from the sidelines for 20 minutes was the thing of legend. My contention is the Seahawks were a far better team than the Falcons and what Brady did to a historically great D capped off by the theatre of the final few minutes, for mine at least, makes it difficult to go past.

 

[jah]

Having Collingsworth not running his trap makes 51 better.

Despite our beloved Cris, I'll take NBC presentation over any other NFL broadcast. And I'll take any other NFL broadcast over Fox.

 

[jah]

51, while exciting and the most satisfying game for us Pats fans probably ever, was not well played from start to finish by either team. Hard to call it one of the best games ever played.

 

[PatsBoy12]

49 was a better game, 51 a better story.

Absolutely. It's apples and oranges here. One would have to more clearly define a criterion, which you did. If we're talking more enjoyable game, then it's SB49 by five miles. If we're talking compelling story that even Hollywood couldn't have scripted, then SB51 takes home the glory. Biggest comeback in history, Rocky style and the first OT in SB history to boot? Yeah, SB51.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I do think 49 was better played and I thought the Butler INT made it a game for the ages. But I think with time, SB 51 will be more remembered. The comeback was so improbable. There have been over 15,000 NFL games and in only 7 has a team down 25 won! And it was so late - we did not cut it to 19 until 17 minutes left. In the end, the comeback will all, and that is fitting, cause TB12 is the most never-say-die player I have ever seen play.

In time? No, NOW. Lol

 

[Nehalem]

I do think 49 was better played and I thought the Butler INT made it a game for the ages. But I think with time, SB 51 will be more remembered. The comeback was so improbable. There have been over 15,000 NFL games and in only 7 has a team down 25 won! And it was so late - we did not cut it to 19 until 17 minutes left. In the end, the comeback will all, and that is fitting, cause TB12 is the most never-say-die player I have ever seen play.

SB51 will be more remembered because it will have to be mentioned in nearly every Super Bowl. Think how many Super Bowls the commentators mention the "no team has ever come back from being down more than 10 points". Well no they will have to asterisks that.

 

[2000army]

I don't disagree with anyone else's opinion... they are all valid.

I never doubted that the Pats would comeback and win the ATL game... I told my wife when it was 28-3 that there was no way the Pats lose. The Seattle game had me way more nervous and biting all of my nails off.

SB49 showed me that the Pats could overcome almost anything.

 

[Sfpat]

Overlooked factor, in both games when defensive stops were needed, the Pats D delivered

 

[Patriot Missile]

I don't choose in these polls. Loved them both ofcourse.

Dont think there has have ever been a more stunning ending then sb49, basically a walkoff interception (with a couple of hold your breath plays at the 2). We've seen plenty of 4th quarter offense comebacks, but really nothing from the defensive side. Basically will forever be a tale of 2 regions, one utter bewilderment and disappointment. The other, total euphoria and satisfaction afteranother railroading.

Honestly, sb51 has got to be 1 though. Down 25 points and to win the game in 1st ot ever?
You have to go back to 93 and the Reich Buffalo/Houston game to even get remotely an idea how historic this was. I really dont think it has sunk in for some of our fans yet.

 

[mosslost]

and I have come to the conclusion that SB49 was better all around... don't get me wrong..51 was amazing but if I could choose to only have 1 game it would be 49 hands down. The more improbable comeback was against Seattle. The emotions I felt were way higher in 49. The drought that we went through was lifted. After 49 I felt Brady cemented himself as #1 in popular opinion. 51 was icing on the cake. That comeback was an extra scoop of ice cream but the cake itself was SB49.

I thought after a week I would feel different but I don't.

The best part is the Pats aren't done. I can easily see 2 more SB wins in the TFB/BB era.

at least one more if he is really playing 3-4 years. Heck 4 years of none would actually be disappointing. lol