Super Bowl XLIX is over. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, and what a game it was. In a game that featured three turnovers and four lead-changes, there were plenty of turning points from which to choose.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady uncharacteristically threw two interceptions over the course of the game, but he did not let that beat him, completing 37 of 50 passes (74.0 percent) for 328 yards and four touchdowns—three of which came in the red zone, where the Seahawks had struggled all season (24th in the NFL, allowing 60.0 percent touchdown conversion in the red zone).
The Seahawks entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead. In Russell Wilson’s three-year career (playoffs included), Seattle had been a perfect 18-0 when entering the final frame with a double-digit lead. How did the Seahawks let their seemingly insurmountable lead evaporate?
Let’s go over the five biggest turning points to find out.
1. Brady Throws Pick to Jeremy Lane
The Patriots marched right down the field on the Seahawks defense, chewing up nearly eight minutes of the clock and covering 58 yards. Tom Brady threw an errant pass to the end zone, and cornerback Jeremy Lane picked it off, killing the drive.
It was third down, so at the very least if Brady’s pass fell incomplete, New England would have settled for a short field goal from kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Instead, Lane returned the pick 14 yards to set up Seattle deep inside its own territory.
2. Lane Injures Arm
Two turning points on the same play? Yes, that happened. It was gruesome, as you can see from the picture taken by Getty Images. With Lane out of the game, Brady was able to pick on his replacement, Tharold Simon, which led to the first score of the game—an 11-yard strike from Brady to receiver Brandon LaFell in the second quarter.
Lane’s absence gave Brady confidence to go after the vaunted Seahawks defense, leading to a strong first half in which he completed a Super Bowl first-half record 20 of his 27 passes (74.1 percent) for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He then beat Simon again late for the game-winning touchdown to Julian Edelman.
3. Seahawks’ Late-Half Touchdown
You want to talk about a turning point, let’s talk about Russell Wilson’s 80-yard drive in just 29 seconds at the end of the first half. The Seahawks had just allowed Brady and company to march down the field and score a go-ahead touchdown with only 31 ticks of the clock remaining in the second quarter.
Rather than taking a knee and getting to halftime knowing they would get the ball to start the third quarter, Wilson and the offense went on the attack.
With plays of 19, 17 and 23 yards to set up the Seahawks at the New England 11-yard line with six seconds on the clock, Wilson dropped back and fired a jump ball to surprise star-of-the-game receiver Chris Matthews. The little-known receiver came down with it for the 11-yard score to tie the game at 14 apiece at halftime.
4. Brady Leads Two Drives
With 2:02 left in the biggest game of the 2014 season, Brady fired a pass to Edelman on a route the receiver had run the possession before and connected for a three-yard touchdown. But that was the final play of a two-drive span that defined Super Bowl XLIX.
Brady led two drives in the fourth quarter. The first began with 12:10 remaining in regulation and New England trailing by 10 points. Nine plays and 68 yards later, he found receiver Danny Amendola for a four-yard touchdown to cut the lead to just a field goal. The Patriots defense held the Seahawks to a three-and-out on the next possession, and after a Jon Ryan punt Brady took over with 6:52 to go.
All he did was lead a 10-play, 64-yard drive culminating with the strike to Edelman to put New England up for good.
5. Malcolm Butler Seals the Win
For a little-known rookie free agent out of West Alabama, cornerback Malcolm Butler sure came up big when the Patriots needed him most. He made two big plays on the Super Bowl-sealing defensive drive.
The first came immediately following the two-minute warning when he knocked away a pass from Wilson intended for receiver Jermaine Kearse. Butler needed every ounce of athleticism he had to get up and over Kearse to bat away the well-thrown ball—if not for his play, Kearse may have scored.
On his game-clinching interception of Wilson, he perfectly timed his jump on receiver Ricardo Lockette’s slant route, beating the fourth-year pro to the ball at the goal line.
Photo: USA Today