HOUSTON _ Three minutes and 30 seconds.
That was all the time Tom Brady had to mount an epic comeback. And 92 yards was all that stood between the Patriots, the end zone and the improbable.
Buoyed by the presence of his ailing mother, Galynn, who traveled to Houston to witness Super Bowl LI in person, Brady had set out to do what no other NFL quarterback had done before: win five Super Bowl titles. But for much of the game, it was the future Hall of Famer who seemed out of sorts.
The Falcons had dominated, their defense had been suffocating and it was their quarterback, Matt Ryan, the regular-season MVP, who was slinging the ball with ease for much of the game.
Meanwhile, New England couldn't generate anything on offense. That is, until the late in the fourth quarter.
Brady had previously come back from 21-point deficit three different times in his career, but he had never pulled off that feat in the playoffs.
Until Super Bowl LI.
With the game on the line and time running out, Brady again proved why he's the greatest of all-time. And with a little help from some David Tyree-like Super Bowl luck _ courtesy of a Julian Edelman catch in which the ball was as close to hitting the ground without hitting it as was possible _ the Patriots scored 31 unanswered points to steal what seemed like a sure victory from the Falcons' grip in a 34-28 overtime victory.
Brady, the Super Bowl MVP, broke Kurt Warner's Super Bowl record for passing yards, finishing the game with 466. He was 43-for-62, both Super Bowl records for most completions and attempts in a game. And for the fifth time in seven tries, Brady is a champion.
"I'm so proud of our guys, the coaches, the team, it's unbelievable," Brady said after the win. " ... It's just a great group."
Tears then welled in his eyes as he was asked about dedicating the game to his mother.
"They're all happy just to have everybody here and it's going to be a great celebration," he said, smiling.
It was an extraordinary ending to a rollercoaster season that began with him serving a four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate saga. But during Super Bowl week, Brady seemed unfazed by questions about the presumed awkward exchange with Roger Goodell should he win the Super Bowl. Instead, Brady was concerned with one thing: his mother.
Though he chose not to go into details, he was emotional as he acknowledged that her condition had been weighing on him and his entire family. During a Westwood One radio interview, Brady dedicated the game to his mother. "She's the one I want to win for," he said of his mom, who has been dealing with an illness for the past 18 months and had been unable to travel to games this season.
Sunday was the first time in a long time that she was able to see her son play in person. And he capped an already special moment in thrilling fashion.
