Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes as the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win their fourth Super Bowl in the last 15 years.
The Seahawks, defending champions from last year, looked as if they would steal a late win when they were camped on the 1-yard line with just 20 seconds to play. But rather than use Marshawn 'Beast Mode' Lynch - who had 102 rushing yards in the game - to power the ball in for what would surely be a game-winning score, Seattle elected to throw.
The Seahawks were attempting to become the first team since the Patriots in 2004-05 to win the title in consecutive years.
It started well for them when Brady threw an interception in the first quarter but he bounced back to throw his NFL record-setting 50th post-season TD pass - an 11-yarder to Brandon LaFell on the next drive. He threw a 22-yard pass to Gronkowski with 31 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead, after Marshawn Lynch had earlier run in a score for Seattle.
With time running out in the first-half Wilson drove Seattle down the field quickly, finding Chris Matthews, who had never before caught an NFL pass, twice to tie the game 14-14 at half-time.
After Katy Perry's spectacular half-time show, that included a surprise appearance from Missy Elliot, the Seahawks had the momentum, with a Steven Hausckha field goal and then a Doug Baldwin touchdown extending their lead to 10 points heading into the final quarter.
But the Patriots took over in the fourth quarter, with Danny Amendola and then Julian Edelman scoring two touchdowns within less than a minute of each other to put them into a lead.
Those two passes saw Brady stand alone with 13 touchdown passes on the NFL's biggest stage.
However, the drama was not finished there and Russell Wilson guided his team to the 1-yard line with less than a minute to go - it looked as if the Seahawks would defend their crown. Inexplicably the Seahawks threw the ball that was to be intercepted by Butler, and after a penalty and a scuffle between the two sets of players the Patriots had won.
The win after being 10 points down matched the biggest comeback in NFL history.
"I just had a vision that I was going to make a big play and it came true," said Butler, an undrafted rookie from West Alabama. "I'm just blessed. I can't explain it right now. It's crazy."
Additional reporting from AP
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments