There’s been plenty of attention on James White, the Julian Edelman impossible shoe catch and the Dont’a Hightower strip sack that quickly opened the door for an impossible Patriots comeback in Super Bowl 51.
But what stands out to me most aside from these headliners, was how each and every Patriots weapon came through with a huge clutch play, without which, the comeback likely would’ve fallen short.
Here’s a rundown of the key receiving stats:
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Edelman | 13 | 5 | 87 | 0 | 27 |
| James White | 16 | 14 | 110 | 1 | 28 |
| Danny Amendola | 11 | 8 | 78 | 1 | 20 |
| Malcolm Mitchell | 7 | 6 | 70 | 0 | 18 |
| Martellus Bennett | 6 | 5 | 62 | 0 | 25 |
| Chris Hogan | 7 | 4 | 57 | 0 | 18 |
And here are the big plays from each of those receivers after Atlanta took a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, aka crunch time.
Julian Edelman: 4th quarter, 2:28, down 28-20, Edelman makes impossible catch for 23 yards to Atlanta’s 41.
James White: Three touchdowns and a two-point conversion, 45 yards receiving, 26 yards rushing.
Danny Amendola: 17-yard catch on 4th and 3 from NE46. Game-tying touchdown, 14-yard reception in overtime.
Malcolm Mitchell: 63 receiving yards in fourth quarter, including a conversion on 3rd-and-11.
Martellus Bennett: 25-yard catch on 3rd-and-1 in fourth quarter, drawn defensive pass interference in overtime to set up GWTD.
Chris Hogan: 16-yard reception on 3rd-and-10 from NE9 on game-tying drive, 18-yard catch in overtime.
As you can see, this is a long ways away from the old Edelman and Gronk show, with a sprinkle of Amendola. While LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis had quiet games, everyone stepped up and had at least one clutch moment. Yes, Tom Brady was on fire, but we’ve seen our share of mistakes in key moments that cost us two more Super Bowls.
Those didn’t happen this time and everyone chipped in.