It didn't remind me of anything in football terms. Nobody has ever blown that type of advantage in a championship game, college or pro. Not in my lifetime.
That's what makes it so preposterous and why the Falcons deserve far more ridicule than they are receiving. There's been too much praise toward Brady and the Patriots. They basically inherited stupid decisions and said thank you very much several times.
Trent Dilfer and Ed Werder had the best summaries, both on ESPN last night. Werder shut down all the focus on New England and said Atlanta gave it away via incompetent situational football. Dilfer emphasized that we glamorize the aggressive approach to such extent that we ignore all the examples when the conservative route gets you to the finish line. Super Bowl thrown away. Nothing serious. All Atlanta had to do was exhaust the play clock throughout the second half, run the ball on those 3rd and short situations and when they were in field goal range, and use basic kickoff return formations instead of paranoia toward an onside kick while leaving only one return man deep to get slaughtered at the 10 yard line or nearby.
I was at a watch party with 30 other people. It dwindled to less than 10 at the finish. Almost everybody was rooting for Atlanta and assumed it was over. Several had kids who had school today so they went home as a family. Only two of us were openly rooting for New England. As always, I was hoisted as the oddball gambler, the guy who knew all the props. The host of the party kept asking me to detail when some betting aspect was in the balance. Fine, I told him. When Atlanta jumped ahead 21-0 that covered the prop of highest lead of the game. That over/under was 16.5. When Gostkowski made the field goal to end the second quarter it decided the prop of most points scored in a quarter. That was 21.5. There were 24 points scored in that quarter. The over/under itself came down to New England's second two point conversion. The total was 57. If the Patriots fail on that 2 pointer then the under is all but a certainty, since the game is stuck at 28-26 with a low percentage onside kick to come. But if New England makes the two pointer then the over is a guaranteed win, since it's 28-28 and obviously the game can't end there.
The young Patriot fan and I laughed like hell towards the finish. He was certain long before I was, and was chortling on every play and more or less falling over on the couch. I was more reserved and trying to be respectful to the handful of remaining stunned Falcons backers. It was difficult. I was savoring the choke. I wanted Matt Ryan's face on a split screen throughout.
The collapse was most reminiscent of golf majors when an upstart player hits the wall over the final holes and you can see the terror on their face, knowing there's no way they can regroup and play competent golf to finish it off. It happened as recently as early 2016 when Ariya Jutanugarn suddenly couldn't keep the ball out of the water or make a basic par over the final holes of the first LPGA major, squandering a big lead in the women's equivalent of the Masters. Jutanugarn hadn't won an event at that stage but she did regroup to win multiple times including a major and Player of the Year. I hope and trust the Atlanta Falcons don't follow that path, and instead wobble toward lifelong misery.
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
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