HOUSTON _ The Falcons blew a perfect opportunity to win the franchise's first Super Bowl.
New England quarterback Tom Brady led a furious rally from a 25-point deficit to pull out a 34-28 victory over the Falcons on Sunday in overtime before 70,807 fans at NRG Stadium.
It was the biggest collapse in Super Bowl history. It was the Patriots' fifth NFL championship.
Under the guidance of second-year head coach Dan Quinn the Falcons fell apart after holding a 28-3 lead with 8:31 to play in the third quarter.
Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards, and was named Super Bowl MVP. The Patriots rally was capped when running back James White slammed into the end zone on 2-yard in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who had a key fumble on sack by Dont'a Hightower, completed 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons, on just the franchise's second time in the league's grandest game, had a rash of miscues, penalties and bad coaching calls that led to their demise.
"We just made some mistakes that put us behind the chains," Ryan said. "This is a tough loss."
.jpg?w=600)
