Having inspired multiple films, memes, merchandise, and NFL franchises alike, the legend of the New England Patriots’ 28-3 comeback at Super Bowl LI is destined to outlive each and every one of us.
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Considered by many to be the greatest game to ever be played on the gridiron, the improbable victory for Tom Brady and the Patriots that day has taken on a life of its own, holding a special place in pop-culture history. It’s so iconic that March 28th, otherwise known as “3/28 Day,” is an unofficial holiday in New England, one that Brady himself has admitted to celebrating.
Naturally, this has resulted in Brady being asked to tell the same story time and time again. Once more, during a recent promotional appearance where he cut the ribbon for his aptly-named card shop, Card Vault by Tom Brady, he once again detailed his experience in one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in sporting history.
“It was kind of rough being down 28-3, but I had a group of teammates that never quit, and we did fight to the end. We played our butts of for the last 18 minutes of that game and went from what would have been the toughest loss of my career to the greatest victory that maybe the sport has ever seen.”
With the store located near Boston, the audience was thrilled to relive the win with him. Despite being responsible for what is likely considered to be one of the darkest days in the city of Atlanta’s history, he elected not to rub any salt in the wound this time.
While he has been known to occasionally big brother the Falcons franchise, Brady undoubtedly earned the right to do so after his performance that day. After a stagnant start, the New England legend would ultimately complete 43 of his 62 pass attempts en route to 466 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
Brady famously rallied his troops with just under eight minutes remaining, demanding that they play “harder, tougher, everything.” The speech inevitably proved to work, as both offensive and defensive units coalesced to produce one of the most complete fourth-quarter performances in championship history.
Of course, Brady doesn’t seem to want the Falcons to completely forget it either. His most viral instance of trolling them came from a post he made during the midst of his 2021 regular season campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While reflecting on the team’s performance before turning his attention towards a Week 2 matchup with the Falcons, Brady conveniently showed the time on the clock: 3:28 pm.
The Falcons will likely never live down their infamous blunder, as for every year that the organization fails to redeem itself, the notions of a hangover grow larger. Thankfully, for both Atlanta and the rest of the NFL, Brady is well into retirement.
