Super Bowl Live Blog: Tom Brady Named MVP
Final -- Patriots 28, Seahawks 24: That's it ladies and gentlemen! The New England Patriots are Super Bowl Champions again!
This is the fourth Super Bowl for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and Brady was named MVP of the game after throwing four touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter. It's his third Super Bowl MVP trophy.
"It's just awesome. What an experience," Brady said after the game. "There was a lot of mental toughness by our team, and ultimately we made enough plays."
Owner Robert Kraft said this title was just as special as the team's first 14 years ago
"To all the Patriots fans out there, wherever you are, this is our fourth Super Bowl championship in the last 14 years. The first one we won, I thought was pretty special because it happened at a unique time in our country when it meant a lot. I never thought another trophy could feel as special, but this one absolutely does. And every true Patriots fan understands it!
"We are all Patriots, and tonight, once again, the Patriots are world champions!"
We will have full coverage of this one all night long, so stick with CBSBostonsports.com, 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV for all the celebration!
Fourth quarter, :20, 28-24 Patriots: Disaster averted! Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson at the goal line! The Patriots are going to win!
Fourth quarter, 56, 28-24 Patriots: Lynch ran it down to the 1-yard line.
Fourth quarter, 1:06, 28-24 Patriots: The impossible catch, Part II. The Patriots have to be thinking that this can't be real.
Kearse couldn't make a catch, and he fell on his back, but the ball kicked off Kearse's foot and into his chest as he lay on his back. Unbelievable.
First-and-goal from the 5-yard line.
Fourth quarter, 1:41, 28-24 Patriots: Second down, deep ball to Matthews. Browner broke it up.
Fourth quarter, 1:50, 28-24 Patriots: Malcolm Butler made a nice play to break up a pass to Kearse on first down, and Wilson couldn't get the play off following that. He had to burn a timeout, but I don't think that'll come back to bite them. The Seahawks have plenty of time.
Fourth quarter, 1:55, 28-24 Patriots: The good feelings in New England were tempered after the Seahawks' first play on the following drive. Lynch ran a route up the left sideline, and Wilson fitted a nice pass to him for a 31-yard gain. Jamie Collins was chasing Lynch in coverage.
It's first-and-10 from midfield for the Seahawks after the two-minute warning. The Seahawks need a touchdown. The Patriots need to make a play. This is as real as it gets.
Fourth quarter, 2:02, 28-24 Patriots: The Patriots have a lead. Wow.
Tom Brady hit Julian Edelman for a simple three-yard touchdown to cap off a masterful 61-yard drive, and the Patriots lead by four points.
Tom Brady was surgical -- absolutely surgical -- on that drive. He went short, he went medium, and he stood tall in the pocket. Even after an offensive pass interference penalty negated a first down that had put the Pats in field-goal range, Brady waited for Gronkowski to get open over the middle for a textbook 20-yard catch-and-run.
Brady finished the drive 8-for-8 for 65 yards and a touchdown. He is the best.
Fourth quarter, 6:52, 24-21 Seahawks: The Patriots D came up big. Malcolm Butler got away with pass interference on first down, as he tripped over his own feet and then got a hand on the feet of Lockette. On second down, Lynch was stopped up the gut for a gain of just five yards, and Wilson threw to nobody on third down, forcing the punt.
Edelman made a fair catch at the New England 36-yard line. The Patriots need about 35 yards to get into field-goal range to tie the game, and they need 64 yards to take a lead.
Fourth quarter, 7:55, 24-21 Seahawks: Ladies and gents, we're going to have one heck of a finish here in Arizona. Brady just found Amendola for six, and this game just got a whole lot more interesting.
The drive started with a sack of Brady, and two plays later it looked to be in peril. But Brady stepped up near the line of scrimmage and delivered a strike over the middle to Edelman. Kam Chancellor laid a monster hit on Edelman, one that should have drawn a 15-yard penalty for a hit on a defenseless receiver. Nevertheless, the drive stayed alive, and after a 9-yard pass to Vereen, the Patriots got their free 15 yards courtesy of an Earl Thomas late hit out of bounds.
Brady hit Edelman again, this time for a 21-yard gain. Though Brady missed Edelman for what should have been a very nice touchdown (Edelman ran an incredible route), he atoned on the next pay, patiently waiting for Amendola to get open in the end zone. Brady delivered the dart and it's a three-point game.
Buckle. Your. Seatbelt.
Fourth quarter, 12:10, 24-14 Seahawks: The Patriots needed their defense to make a play, and they did.
After stopping Lynch on two straight carries (Wilfork was a monster on second down), Ninkovich broke free up the gut and sacked Wilson
Edelman returned the ensuing punt 15 yards out to the New England 32-yard line, and the Patriots are going to have to get a little desperate here. If they can score on this drive, we could have one of the most exciting finishes to a Super Bowl on our hands. If they don't .... not so much.
Fourth quarter, 14:10, 24-14 Seahawks: On third-and-1, the Patriots went with a power run to the right side. Schofield forced his way past Vollmer into the backfield, giving Blount nowhere to go. The Pats had to punt. They're running out of time.
End of third quarter, 24-14 Seahawks: If the Patriots are going to win this one, it's going to take a pretty wild comeback.
They'll face a third-and-1 to start the fourth quarter, following a 3-yard Vereen run and a 6-yard Develin catch.
Third quarter, :55, 24-14 Seahawks: The Patriots caught a break, as Wilson hung a picture-perfect pass to Kearse on third down. But Kearse dropped it, and the Seahawks had to punt.
The Patriot's cornerback situation has gotten a bit dire, as Malcolm Butler is now in the game. Logan Ryan had been playing pretty poorly, so there you have it.
First-and-10 Patriots from their own 14-yard line.
Third quarter, 3:15, 24-14 Seahwaks: A promising start to the drive, as Edelman hauled in a 21-yard catch on the left sideline, but it was negated by a holding call on Bryan Stork.
Edelman picked up 11 yards on second-and-20, but Brady's pass to Amendola on third down was a bit off. Even if it had been on the mark, Amendola might have gotten crushed by Bobby Wagner up the left seam.
So the Patriots punted, and Ryan Allen's kick bounced into the end zone for a touchback.
The defense, which has been getting run over for three straight drives, is going to need to make a play to turn this game around.
Third quarter, 4:54, 24-14 Seahawks: The Seahawks made that one hurt.
A 15-yard Wilson scramble (plus a 5-yard defensive holding penalty on Browner) got the Seahawks to the 23-yard line. Lynch then ripped off a ferocious 14-yard run. Two plays later, Doug Baldwin was left all alone in the right corner of the end zone (and I do mean all alone -- no white jersey was within 10 yards, due to a traffic jam over the middle), and Wilson lobbed an easy touchdown pass. The umpire set a pick on Darrelle Revis, but it looked like he got beaten anyway.
The defending champs lead by 10.
Third quarter, 8:07, 17-14 Seahawks: Tom Brady's got two touchdown passes, but now he has two interceptions, too.
He tried to force a pass over the middle to Gronkowski, but Bobby Wagner stepped right in front of it and picked it off.
Facing their first deficit of the night, the Patriots came out at their own 20-yard line with Rob Gronkowski in the backfield, next to Tom Brady. Gronkowski motioned to the line, and Brady hit Edelman on a quick route on the left side. Kam Chancellor closed quickly to limit it to a three-yard gain.
Blount picked up just one yard on the following play, setting up a third-and-6. Brady absorbed a huge hit by Bennett but still delivered a bullet to Gronkowski on a slant pattern to move the sticks.
But the drive ended shortly thereafter, as Brady tried to connect with Gronkowski over the middle, but Bobby Wagner was underneath Gronkowski and made a play on the ball. Wagner picked it off, but a penalty on Sherman on the return moved the Seahawks back to the 50-yard line.
Third quarter, 11:09, 17-14 Seahawks: The Seattle offense started the second half much like it ended the first -- dominant.
Marshawn Lynch found a massive hole open up for him on the second play of the half, gaining 15 yards. Wilson then launched a deep ball up the left sideline to -- who else? -- Chris Matthews, who won the jump ball battle with Kyle Arrinton for a gain of 45 yards. Arrington was there in coverage, but Matthews simply made a great play on the ball.
After two runs by Lynch and Turbin, the Seahawks faced a third-and-1 from the 8-yard line. They handed off to Lynch, and Ninkovich burst in from the left end and caught Lynch from behind. Great play by Ninkovich to force the field-goal attempt.
The 27-yarder was good, and the Seahawks have their first lead of the game.
Third quarter, 15:00, 14-14: The third quarter is underway, as Gostkowski's kick goes through the end zone.
Halftime, 14-14: Some halftime stats for you:
Tom Brady: 20/27, 177 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Russell Wilson: 4-for-7, 84 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 2 carries, 24 rushing yards
LeGarrette Blount: 10 carries, 37 yards
Marshawn Lynch: 12 carries, 45 yards
Danny Amendola: 4 receptions, 44 yards
Shane Vereen: 7 receptions, 42 yards
Rob Gronkowski: 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD
Brandon LaFell: 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD
Chris Matthews: 2 receptions, 55 yards, TD
Ricardo Lockette: 1 reception, 23 yards
Halftime, 14-14: Tie football game, thanks to a bold decision by Pete Carroll.
Facing a first-and-10 from the 11-yard line, Carroll elected to run a play rather than just kicking a field goal. It turned out to be wise, as Wilson hit Matthews on a route that looked identical to LaFell's from earlier. Logan Ryan was not in a good position to make a play on that ball.
The Seahawks got their drive started with a 19-yard run by change-of-pace back Robert Turbin. Wilson then picked up 17 yards on a designed run on which Wilson stiff-armed Jamie Collins in the backfield. That's no easy feat.
So facing a first-and-10 from the plus-45, Wilson took a shogun snap, rolled right and threw the ball away to nobody. He then connected with Ricardo Lockette for a 23-yard gain, and a 15-yard facemask penalty on Arrington pushed Seattle up to the Seahawks at the 11-yard line.
With 6 seconds on the clock, Pete Carroll decided to give his offense one shot at the end zone. It paid off.
That was a very ugly drive by the Patriots defense. They did nothing well, they took a bad penalty, and they allowed the Seahawks to drive 80 yards in just 29 seconds.
The Seahawks sent a short kick, and time expired on the first half. Seattle will get the football once Katy Perry is done singing all of your favorite songs.
Second quarter, :31, 14-7 Patriots: Rob Gronkowski is not a human being.
The behemoth tight end just ran a simple streak up the right sideline, drawing K.J. Wright in coverage. Brady threw a pass to the right boundary in the end zone, leaving it nice and high for Gronkowski, who reached up with his giant mitts and caught the ball over his head. He held onto it while being knocked to the ground, and with that, the Patriots once again lead by a touchdown.
That was an ultra-impressive, eight-play, 80-yard drive that required just 1:45.
Shane Vereen was crucial on that drive, catching three passes for 43 yards.
Second quarter, :40, 7-7: The Patriots are driving. Thanks in part to a seven-yard run by Edelman and a 16-yard catch-and-run by Vereen, the Pats are poised to score before halftime.
They have a first-and-10 from the 32-yard line.
Second quarter, 2:00, 7-7: Brady hit Amendola on a short route along the left sideline, and Amendola juked his way past Maxwell for an 11-yard gain prior to the 2-minute warning.
Second quarter, 2:16, 7-7: We are all tied up.
And it was ... Chris Matthews who set it up. Of course it was.
The rookie with zero catches all year hauled in a 44-yard bomb from Russell Wilson, despite Kyle Arrington's best efforts in coverage. Matthews didn't even have a target this year. Sports are crazy.
Anyway, that set up the Seahawks at the New England 11-yard line. The game plan from that point forward was Lynch, Lynch and more Lynch. He bulldozed his way to a 3-yard touchdown run, and the game is tied.
The key play on that drive came on a third-and-6. Wilson hit Kearse right at the sticks, and Brandon Browner made an outstanding tackle to drive him backward. But Seattle got a good spot -- I think it was a good spot, but it easily could have been marked a few feet shorter -- and the drive continued.
Also of note: Dont'a Hightower was shaken up after the touchdown.
Second quarter, 7:07, 7-0 Patriots: So much for building that lead.
Brady's first-down pass got knocked down behind the line of scrimmage. Edelman picked up seven yards on a crossing pattern on second down, but a multiple-human collision killed Brady's plans on third down, and he threw incomplete after seeing big Rob Gronkowski lying on the ground after some incidental contact
Ryan Allen's punt was not a great one, and the Seahawks take over at their own 30.
Second quarter, 8:05, 7-0 Patriots: Another Seattle drive, another three-and-out.
Chandler Jones blasted off the right end on first down, and he picked up a sack on Russell Wilson. Lynch picked up just five yards on second down, and Logan Ryan played excellently in one-on-one coverage on a deep ball up the right sideline to Jermaine Kearse.
Edelman had a decent little 10-yard punt return, and the Patriots take over at their own 27-yard line, looking to make this a two-score game.
The Patriots are in complete control of this game. Russell Wilson still has not completed a pass (he's 0-for-2 and he's taken two sacks), and Lynch has not really lived up to the "Beast" tag.
That can obviously change in a hot minute, what with all those playmakers in the Seattle secondary, but it's been so far, so good for New England.
Second quarter, 9:47, 7-0 Patriots: The Patriots have themselves a lead.
Tom Brady connected with Brandon LaFell on a post pattern right at the goal line, and LaFell made the bread basket catch while crossing the goal line.
The key play on the drive took place two plays prior, after a deep ball to Gronkowski fell incomplete, and a Shane Vereen run for just one yard set up a third-and-9 from the Seattle 35-yard line.
Brady calmly stood in the pocket and waited for a streaking Julian Edeman to gain some separation across the middle. Brady delivered a dart, and Edelman was able to catch it in stride and take off for a huge 23-yard gain.
That set up a first down at the 12-yard line. The Patriots went with a short run to Blount, and then Brady hit LaFell for the TD.
The Patriots have run 28 plays. The Seahawks have run eight.
Second quarter, 13:57, 0-0: On a third-and-9, Russell Wilson dances around in the pocket for about 12 seconds before eventually launching a ball downfield to nobody in particular. Out came Ryan for his second punt, which came down to Edelman at the 35-yard line. He slipped through two tackles but could gain just one yard before going down.
End of first quarter, 0-0: The Seahawks got picked up a first down, their first of the night, thanks to an 7-yard Wilson scramble (he juked Ninkovich out of his jock) and a bruising 4-yard run by Lynch.
On the next play, Wilson had all day in the pocket but nowhere to go with the ball. He eventually took a two-yard sack near the left sideline, with Darrelle Revis stepping up and making a nice tackle.
Scoreless first quarter in the books, and with that, the streak of the Patriots never scoring in the first quarter of a Super Bowl under Belichick continues.
First quarter, 1:39, 0-0: A promising drive goes for naught. Tom Brady threw an interception in the end zone, a jump throw to nobody, and Jeremy Lane was there to make the easiest interception of his life.
He returned it out to the 14-yard line and got hit pretty hard. He remains down on the turf, but that play was huge for Seattle.
Here's how the Patriots got that deep into Seattle territory:
Save for an 11-yard pass to Julian Edelman on the second play of the drive, the Patriots went with a heavy dose of LeGarrette Blount on that drive. He rewarded them with some strong running, which helped set up a second-and-8 at the Seattle 24-yard line. Because Blount had gotten so many carries, the defense bit on the playaction fake, leaving Amendola wide open on a short out route on the left side. Amendola picked up 10 yards, setting up a first-and-10 from the Seattle 14-yard line.
From there, Brady hit Michael Hoomanawanui on a short five-yard route along the right sideline to set up a second-and-6. They went back to Blount on second down, but he was hit behind the line of scrimmage after Michael Bennett got right past Ryan Wendell.
On the third down that followed, Brady forced the pass that he shouldn't have, and he cost the Patriots at least three points.
First quarter, 10:14, 0-0: The Seahawks came out looking to go Beast Mode early and often, giving him two straight carries for eight yards. On third-and-2, they went back to Lynch, who was stopped at the line of scrimmage by a stout defnsive line. Vince Wilfork was immense in the midde, forcing Lynch into Jamie Collins, and Lynch had nowhere to go
Jon Ryan's punt came down to Julian Edelman at the New England 32-yard line, and he made the fair catch.
Quite the start for New England's defense.
First quarter, 11:34, 0-0: The Patriots came out in a shotgun, spread offense, with Rob Gronkowski wide right, near the sideline. Brady took the shotgun snap and threw to Gronkowski near the line of scrimmage. He gained just two yards.
On second-and-8, Brady hit Amendola on a quick out route on the left side. Amendola ducked under a tackle by Richard Sherman to turn it into a nice six-yard gain.
On third-and-2, Brady again took a shotgun snap, and he found Shane Vereen open in the left flat to move the sticks.
With the offense settling in, Josh McDaniels went with back-to-back handoffs to LeGarrette Blount. He picked up four yards, setting up a third-and-6 at the 35-yard line. Brady stood in a collapsing pocket and fired toward Vereen, but the pass was low and hit the dirt.
Ryan Allen punted from his own 21-yard line to the Seattle 16-yard line, and Kyle Arrington clobbered Bryan Walter at the point of the catch.
The Seahawks were flagged for running into the kicker, but considering that was only a five-yard penalty on a fourth-and-6, the Patriots declined the penalty.
It's first-and-10 Seahawks from their own 17-yard line.
First quarter, 14:57: The opening kick went deep to Danny Amendola, who returned it out to the 17-yard line.
The Super Bowl is underway.
4:27 p.m. MT: The coin has been tossed.
The Patriots selected heads, the toss came up tails.
Seattle elected to defer.
The Patriots will start this game with the football.
4:22 p.m. MT: Idina Menzel just sang a darn good rendition of the national anthem, the airplanes flew overhead, and we're just minutes away from the coin toss and then the kickoff.
4:12 p.m. MT: The Patriots were introduced as a team, with Tom Brady leading the way as Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" blared over the stadium speakers.
Once the Patriots made their way to their sideline, sporting their white road jerseys, it was the Seahawks' turn. They came out as a team, while The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" played over the speakers.
4:10 p.m. MT: The teams are making their way to the field. This is it now.
4:05 p.m. MT: The pre-pregame shows are over. The teams are making their final preparations. We're about 30 minutes and a national anthem away from the start of the Super Bowl.
Ready?
3:51 p.m. MT: Time for a fashion update!
First and foremost, it appears as though Belichick will be going with the navy hoodie. He is avoiding the red one. All things considered, that's probably good for the heart health of many superstitious fans.
And secondly, Marshawn Lynch went through warmups with his gold cleats. If he wears those in a game, he'll be handed a big fine.
2:52 p.m. MT: I'm going to be honest with you folks: I don't know what the heck Marshawn Lynch is wearing.
I do know that I'm glad I do not have to tackle him today.
2:34 p.m. MT: The inactive lists are out, and for the Patriots, the key name is the one not on it: Bryan Stork.
The rookie center, as expected, will play. That's huge news for the Patriots offense, as it's a different unit when Stork, Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell man the middle.
Here are the players who won't suit up. No surprises here.
DL Zach Moore
WR Josh Boyce
WR Brian Tyms
DL Joe Vellano
OL Jordan Devey
RB Jonas Gray
RB James White
The Seahawks inactive list does not include any surprises. Kam Chancellor, as expected, is active, though he went through a little extra training during warmups and was wearing a knee brace. He went down Friday at practice, and the team said it was just a bruise ... but you don't need a knee brace for a bruise.
Seattle inactives:
QB BJ Daniels
CB Marcus Burley
C Patrick Lewis
OG Keavon Milton
DE David King
OT Garry Gilliam
WR Kevin Norwood
1:55 p.m. MT: Bill Belichick arrived at the stadium wearing jeans and a red T-shirt. The guy has been so unusually relaxed and calm this week, it's almost disturbing. After the DeflateGate nonsense that dogged him and Tom Brady last week, I expected a surly Belichick all week in Phoenix. Instead, he's been laid-back and calm, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if he retires tomorrow morning and heads to Hawaii for a month. (Sidenote: I would be surprised by that scenario. Just trying to convey a feeling here, folks.)
Now, those of you who keep track of such things know this, but Belichick famously wore a red hoodie during Super Bowl XLII, an unwelcome change for many and the reason the Patriots lost their 19-0 season, according to many. Is he exorcising some red demons tonight?
12:57 p.m. MT: And they're off!
12:30 p.m. MT: Holy moly -- that quite the headache, but at long last, I have made it into the stadium. Two hours waiting for a parking pass, 40 minutes driving a few miles to the parking lot, and then about a mile-long walk got me to the media entrance, where there was a 30-minute line. Now I'm here in the media workroom, with just four hours left till kickoff.
I think our play-by-play guy and color commentator are ready:
The sun has officially come out for the first time in about four days, and the atmosphere outside is tremendous. There are marching bands, cheerleaders, face painters, speakers blasting music, food, drinks, souvenirs. It's like the best football-themed carnival in the world.
I will say, even though the number of Patriots fans in the area has risen dramatically in the past 48 hours, the majority of fans out there are still sporting their Seahawks jerseys. So I do expect the stadiums to be filled with more Seattle fans, but there are certainly enough Patriots fans to help counteract that noise.
And in the best development of all, the roof is open. Football's better when it's played in fresh air.
To help kill the remaining time, check out some good reads on our site:
Massarotti: Celebrating The Patriots On Super Bowl Sunday
Socci's Notebook: Patriots Trying to Make History, As Students of History
10:30 a.m. MT: As I make my trek into University of Phoenix Stadium, the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport brings you an update that should officially deflate "DeflateGate."
Eleven of the 12 footballs used in the first half were judged by the officials to be under the minimum of 12.5 PSI, but just one was two pounds under. Many of them were just a few ticks under the minimum.
Many of the footballs used in the AFC title game, which all have Walt Anderson's initials on them, were returned to circulation among the rest of the Patriots game-day footballs. Because Anderson was the referee for two other Patriots games this season, there are more than 30 footballs with his initials in the team's possession. It appears the league has the football D'Qwell Jackson intercepted and took to the sidelines to ultimately hand over to his equipment staff.
What a shock! All that talk about deflated footballs was a whole lot of nothing.
If it weren't the day of the Super Bowl, there'd be a lot to say about Chris Mortensen, and then Mark Brunell and Jerome Bettis. Alas, there's a game today.
6 a.m. MT: It's finally here. Super Sunday.
The two-week gap between championship weekend and the Super Bowl is always a painful, interminable wait, but this year, given the 24/7 raging debate about air pressure in footballs, the wait was even tougher to bear than usual.
Of course, there remains some more time to wait. The game kicks off about eight and a half hours from now, so it figures to be a long day, but at least we are here.
I'll be updating this live blog throughout the day from University of Phoenix Stadium with any news that trickles out throughout the day, and I'll be providing commentary throughout the entire game, until a champion is crowned.
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
