How it unfolded
With 2:12 left in the third quarter it was 28–3 Atlanta after Robert Alford's 82-yard pick-six — a blowout. New England scored 25 unanswered. Dont'a Hightower forced a Matt Ryan fumble at 8:31 in the fourth; Danny Amendola's TD and two-point conversion cut it to 28–20. Atlanta reached the New England 22 where a field goal would likely seal it, but a sack and holding penalty pushed them out of range and they punted. With 2:28 left Julian Edelman caught a 23-yard pass that bounced off defenders' legs inches above the turf; James White scored from one yard and Amendola converted for 28–28 with 57 seconds left. In the first Super Bowl overtime, New England won the toss, drove 75 yards in eight plays, and White scored from two yards. Brady finished 43-of-62 for 466 yards.
Why it still matters
The largest comeback and first overtime in Super Bowl history. Brady's 62 attempts, 43 completions, and 466 yards are Super Bowl records; White's 14 catches and 20 points are too. Atlanta passing inside field-goal range became a textbook case of clock-management failure — '28–3' is now its own idiom.