GLENDALE, Ariz. — Julian Edelman has waited his entire life for the play that transpired with 2:02 left in Super Bowl XLIX.
Whether he’ll remember it is the real question.
Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor knocked Edelman silly on the prior drive Sunday night, when the New England Patriots cut the Seattle Seahawks’ lead to three points on Danny Amendola’s touchdown catch. Somehow Edelman kept consciousness and tried to keep going down the field, even though his knee was down.
Edelman stayed in, apparently passing concussion tests on the sideline, then scored the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes left. Then possibly the craziest play in Super Bowl history happened.
The Seahawks drove down the field, and Twitter was telling the Patriots to let them score. They couldn’t stop Seattle, right?
But Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler picked off a Russell Wilson pass at the 1-yard line, ripping the ball away from Ricardo Lockette and a Super Bowl title away from the Seahawks, as New England won 28-24.
The Patriots now have four Super Bowl championships, and Tom Brady widely will be considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
The way to beat the Seahawks is to dink and dunk down the field, completing passes that exploit the Seahawks’ deep Cover 3 defense. The Patriots stuck with that plan, even after falling to a 10-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter.
Edelman deserved the MVP for his nine-catch, 109-yard, one-touchdown performance, even though Brady won the honor. Check out some other key players from the game:
BRADY
The MVP, as voted by the Super Bowl media, completed 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. The picks were costly, but the touchdowns meant so much more.
MALCOLM BUTLER
The rookie came in for Kyle Arrington midway through the second half and made big play after big play. His final was the absolute closer, however.
SHANE VEREEN
The running back earned himself a contract, catching 11 passes for 64 yards, snagging footballs with one hand and helping the Patriots dink and dunk down the field.
Thumbnail photo via Mark Humphrey/Associated Press
