By Will Schwartz ’17, Staff Writer

Greatest Ever.

These two words were left resonating in the minds of every viewer of Super Bowl LI. Were they in reference to the game itself? Legendary Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? New England’s otherworldly coach, Bill Belichick? Or perhaps the ridiculous grabs made by Julian Edelman and Julio Jones in the final stages of a thrilling fourth quarter? Any of these could be possible, as the Patriots’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons was unlike any other Super Bowl, both in entertainment value and in its impact upon NFL history.

So many times over the course of the past year, the Patriots have been counted out. When they learned that they would lose Brady for a quarter of the regular season, pundits discounted their Super Bowl chances altogether. When surprisingly talented backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fell with a shoulder injury, and even more notably, when a back injury cost All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski his season, many people doubted the Patriots’ ability to recover. Never were the Pats counted out more than on Super Bowl Sunday, when the Falcons took a 28-3 lead in the third quarter. All of America left the team for dead, and turned to the snack table. However, they showed more resiliency than any other squad in NFL history, turning what seemed like a disastrous failure into the most impressive and exciting triumph the league has ever seen.

As a football game, there has hardly been a better viewing experience than this. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta’s league-leading offense exploded, having their way with New England’s top-ranked scoring defense all the way into the third quarter. Electrifying halfback Devonta Freeman broke off big run after big run, while MVP quarterback Matt Ryan sliced and diced the Patriots talented defensive backfield. The Falcons defensive line made life hard for Tom Brady, bringing consistent pressure up the middle, racking up hits on more drop backs than not. Viewed by many as the underdog, Atlanta proved that they were up to the task and belonged on the game’s biggest stage. It’s not hard to imagine that their high-octane offense and talented young defense will be leading them back in years to come.

However, as he has done so many times over his magnificent career, Tom Brady turned the game around in a way only he possibly could. Aided by key plays from the defense and an impressive showing from his misfit bunch of scrappy wide receivers, he erased a 25-point deficit, including 19 in the fourth quarter, while racking up a Super Bowl-record 466 passing yards. Although masterful coaching and game planning have been credited for many of Brady’s victories, this was not the case this time. As Newark Academy’s very own standout quarterback, Mike Connolly ’17, stated, this victory “demonstrates Brady’s ability to…cater to the abilities of a supporting cast made up of mostly discarded and overlooked players.”  Wideout Chris Hogan was a college lacrosse player, who never played division 1 FBS football. Tight end Martellus Bennett had bounced from team to team before finding his place in Foxborough. And of course, Julian Edelman was an undrafted free agent quarterback from Kent State, who found a home with New England and Brady, and has become one of the league’s most consistently productive receivers. Despite being surrounded by a collapsing pocket, Brady made pinpoint throws into tight windows play after play to these supporting players, in a masterwork performance that left nobody doubting who was in command of the football game. After Brady’s most trusted target Julian Edelman hauled in one of the most improbable catches any of us will ever see, there was a sense that this was an exorcism of the ghosts of Super Bowls past, finally providing a more positive bookend to the heartbreaking grab by the Giants’ David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII. From that moment on, the Patriots had a new sense of confidence, punching the ball in for another touchdown and a second two-point conversion, tying the game and sending it into the Super Bowl’s first-ever overtime period. In this final frame, Brady once more relentlessly willed his team down the field, setting up James White’s sudden death, game-winning touchdown.

Sometimes, even though the Super Bowl is the biggest game in sports, there comes a moment that’s bigger than the game, or even the sport as a whole. Such was the end of this game for Tom Brady. This was vindication for a man who has been doubted at every step of his career, and has finally undisputedly cemented himself as one of the greatest of all time. With seven Super Bowl appearances and five victories (with his only two losses being to the Giants), Brady stands alone among NFL quarterbacks in these and many other categories. After pulling off by far the biggest comeback in the Super Bowl history, Brady broke down on the field, overcome with emotion, following the culmination of the most trying season of his life. It started with attacks on his character, seclusion from his teammates, and the ever-present questions about his age. On top of it all, his mother has been battling a life-threatening disease for 18 months, and had not been able to attend a single game all year until this one. Watching a man who has everything, and has achieved everything, experience a rare human moment truly drove home the immense magnitude of this game and its end result. Hoisting the trophy above his head, while league commissioner Roger Goodell helplessly watched on, Brady let loose one more defiant scream, “LET’S GO!” to the New England faithful before breaking into an ear-to-ear smile. It’s hard to tell what’s in store for the future of this quarterback, who will turn 40 a month before next season starts, but for now, along with all of Patriots nation, he stands alone at the top.