During Super Bowl 51, Tom Brady and the Patriots came back from 3-28 to win the game in overtime. The Pats’ comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons is something that fans of both franchises will remember for ages.
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When a fan appeared in the stands wearing a T-shirt with that infamous scoreline during TB12’s broadcast of the Cowboys vs. Ravens game for FOX, all the memories of the epic comeback came rushing back.
As a little bonus for fans, the 7-time Super Bowl champion took the opportunity to break down the iconic moment for everyone.
Brady revealed that he was sitting on the sidelines with his head down and dejected due to the deficit, but there was only one thing on his mind at that moment- scoring a touchdown on the next drive. After they accomplished that, he moved on to the next goal- “We got to make one stop and we got a stop on defense.”
They were able to do that and then drove the ball which resulted in a field goal. Now, the score was 12-28 and TB12 thought to himself, “It’s a two-score game. Come on D, we need one play.”
Dont’a Hightower rose to the occasion and provided that big play, strip-sacking Matt Ryan and causing a fumble in the Falcons’ territory, which they recovered.
“We had some juice. Got the ball, went down the field, and scored. So those little plays snowball, you go from 3-28 to 25 points.”
This gave them the momentum and energy they needed. That play helped Brady drive the ball to the end zone, resulting in a TD and a 2-point conversion, which made it a one-possession game. The 3-time MVP highlighted that it was those little plays that took them closer to their target.
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It was that mentality that made the impossible seem possible, even when they were staring down the barrel and no one in the stands believed a comeback was within reach. But Brady knew, even then, that they could pull it off and etch their names into history.
The Patriots comeback and the importance of a ‘can-do’ mindset
Brady during his interview on “The Howard Stern Show” in 2020, winner revealed that being down 3-28 can make you either give up or quit. But if you are optimistic and have a strong belief, you can convince yourself, that a comeback is possible.
He expressed that he considered his comeback as a pivotal moment in both his life and career. In moments of doubt, I found strength in this belief, which served as a powerful source of motivation.
Consequently, whenever his team faced adversity during a game following that comeback, they never felt discouraged or believed they were out of contention as they had already conquered this before:
“We were down 28-3 against Atlanta in Super Bowl 51. You can look at that situation and basically quit and say, you know, ‘f*ck it. We have no shot of winning,’ or you can say, ‘This is going to be an amazing comeback…I think when you shift your mind and think that way, it becomes very empowering as opposed to very discouraging.”
Brady always had that comeback gene, even during his first Super Bowl appearance against the Rams. Few people possess that ‘can-do’ mentality in the face of such adversity.
That’s why TB12 will forever be the GOAT, and no team is likely to ever come back from a 25-point deficit the way he did.
