MINNEAPOLIS — For the last 18 years, we’ve grown accustomed to Tom Brady and the Patriots defying the odds.
For a moment, Super Bowl LII looked like a familiar, feel-good story.
The Patriots went into their locker room at halftime down by 10 points to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. For Brady, that’s child play. Once again, the Patriots quarterback overcame a late deficit to take their first lead in the fourth quarter.
This story, however, turned into a nightmare in the Bold North for the Patriots. Instead of Brady leading his team to another fourth-quarter comeback, the Patriots were on the receiving end of heartbreak.
Backup quarterback Nick Foles led Philadelphia to a 41-33 win over the Patriots, orchestrating his own fourth-quarter comeback drive in the final minutes.
“We battled, but obviously didn’t get the job done,” Brady said.
"We just came up a little bit short," Belichick said. "Tough, tough way to end. There's a lot of really good things that happened this season, but that's what this game's about."
Brady was marvelous in this one, setting a Super Bowl record, throwing for 505 yards to go along with three touchdowns. His final score looked like it would leave a lasting memory. Instead, it was the start of misery for the Patriots.
Brady hit Rob Gronkowski to give the Patriots a 33-32 lead with 9:22 in the game. The score marked the Patriots first lead of Super Bowl LII. Instead, Brady stood on the sideline and watched Foles orchestrate a 14-play, 75 yards touchdown drive. Starting with 9:22 left, by the time Foles hit Zach Ertz for the 11-yard, just 2:25 was left on the clock.
It was a slow, painstaking drive for all Patriots parties. But there was still hope, there always is with Brady. That small glimmer vanished in a moment’s time. With 2:16 left, on the second play of the series, Brady was strip-sacked by Brandon Graham. Derek Barnett recovered, giving the Eagles the ball back. Kicker Jake Elliott then hit a 46-yarder and the Eagles led, 41-33.
“In the end, we just couldn’t quite make enough plays, and that was all on me,” Bill Belichick said. “Disappointing, but I’m proud of the way our team competed."
Brady got the ball back on the 9-yard line with 58 seconds left. His first three passes fell incomplete before he hit Amendola for 13 yards on fourth down. Two passes to Gronkowski brought the Pats to midfield with 13 seconds remaining. With one last play, Brady heaved a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone. The ball bounced off several players’ hands and fell incomplete as time expired.
Green confetti rained down from U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Patriots walked into a dark tunnel to their locker room, ending their season.
“Never really got control of the game. Never really played on our terms. Just didn’t make enough plays when we needed to,” Brady said. “Someone needed to make a play and those guys made it.”
Brady had plenty of help on offense. Gronkowski (116 yards, two touchdowns), Amendola (152 yards and Chris Hogan (128 yards, touchdown) were all fantastic. In the end, the Patriots’ defense couldn’t stop the Eagles.
At halftime, the Eagles held a 22-12 lead and the Patriots’ defense seemed overwhelmed. That defense was playing without Malcolm Butler, who was on the sideline but not in the game, and the offense lost Brandin Cooks to a concussion in the second quarter.
The teams swapped field goals to start the game, before Foles started to light into the Patriots secondary. Philly scored their first touchdown at 2:34 into the second quarter when Alshon Jeffery beat Eric Rowe for a 34-yard score. Midway through the second quarter, LeGarrette Blount ripped through the Patriots’ front seven en route to a 21-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversation try failed and Philly led, 15-6.
Things deteriorated when Foles caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton at the end of the first half to put the Eagles up, 22-12. The Patriots came out in the third quarter firing. Gronkowski caught a 5-yard pass at 12:15 of the third, but the Eagles answered with a Corey Clement 22-yard touchdown on the ensuing series.
A 26-yard touchdown reception by Hogan inched the Patriots closer at the end of the third quarter. Following an Eagles field goal to start the fourth, Philly was up 32-26. The Patriots still had victory in sight – until they didn’t.
“They were driving the ball, we were driving the ball, they were scoring, we were scoring. It was definitely a shootout,” Gronkowski said. “Going into the second quarter you knew it was going to be a shootout and you’d need all 60 minutes.”
After the game, the future of the Patriots is uncertain. Bill Belichick wouldn’t comment when asked if he would be back, saying he was only focused on this game. Gronkowski wouldn’t commit to playing in the future, saying he would reevaluate his future. Brady said he hopes to be back.
“It’s 15 minutes after the game ended. I’d like to process this a little bit,” Brady said. “I wouldn’t see why I wouldn’t be back.”
Brady still had his eye black on and the disappointment was evident. It's been a while since he was on the receiving end of this feeling.
“No one’s feeling sorry for us,” Brady said.