"Return to Glory" — that's the celebratory headline The Boston Globe is using to describe Sunday night's remarkable fourth-quarter comeback by the New England Patriots, who defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win Super Bowl XLIX.
The story on the other coast, as you might expect, is more sober: "Heartbreak as Seahawks lose in last seconds," says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
As NPR's Scott Neuman wrote last night:
"At halftime, it was two touchdowns each. It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that New England caught a decisive momentum that set the stage for the rest of the game.
"In the end, it was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's three-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman late in the fourth and Seattle's stumble, allowing an interception with seconds remaining, that pushed the game decisively New England's way."
That play came from New England cornerback Malcolm Butler, who intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line with 20 seconds left. You can watch how it unfolded here:
Here's what NPR's Tom Goldman, who was at the game in Glendale, Ariz., said on Morning Edition:
"We went into Super Bowl XLIX with a well-known list of Patriot heroes — Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Vince Wilfork. We emerged with a new name on the list — Malcolm Butler, a 24-year-old rookie cornerback who jumped the route, in football speak, intercepting the pass and earning a lifetime of free drinks throughout New England."
And, as you might expect, the Patriots' win spurs debate on just where quarterback Brady stands in the pantheon of greats. With four touchdown passes, he moved past the legendary Joe Montana for most touchdown throws in Super Bowl history.
The Globe's Christopher L. Gasper says Brady "can now be considered the greatest QB of all time." And, NPR's Goldman adds, "with four titles shared by Brady, last night's MVP, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the two who've been maligned recently for the Deflategate controversy proved last night they are a duo as dynamic as ever."
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