Super Bowl: Falcons, Patriots battle for NFL championship

One of the most anticipated sporting events of the year kicked off in Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium on Sunday evening as the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots battled for the National Football League championship in the Super Bowl.

Fans descend on Houston

Over 71,000 fans packed into NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, Sunday afternoon ahead of the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff. 

Falcons, Patriots take field

Tom Brady took the field for the Super Bowl, and fired up New England fans with a couple of fist pumps as he finished a run toward the end zone covered with the Patriots logo.

Brady was trying to become the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls. It would give him one more than Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana.

The Patriots were going for their fifth title as well. From the sound of things during the pregame, they had plenty of support at Houston's NRG Stadium.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan appeared focused as he threw the ball around. 

Atlanta wins coin toss

The Falcons' kicker Matt Bosher got the game under way, after Atlanta won the coin toss but opted to defer their selection until the second half. 

Both teams, however, exchanged punts on their first two drives. 

For the first time in nine games, Atlanta was not able to score on its opening possession. Both Brady and Ryan were sacked early as both teams' defences held firm. 

According to reports, tickets prices for Super Bowl LI were ranging from $2,700 US to $5,000 apiece on the online resale market. 

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Scoreless 1st quarter

While many were expecting a shootout, the first quarter of Super Bowl LI ended without a point.

The biggest highlight was Devonta Freeman's 37-yard run for Atlanta. But the Falcons didn't get another first down on that possession.

Brady also struggled to get going early. But in all four of his previous wins, the Super Bowl veteran also failed to score in the first.

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Atlanta breaks deadlock

After forcing a turnover, the Atlanta Falcons took a 7-0 lead on Freeman's five-yard touchdown run with 12:15 left in the second quarter.

The five-play, 71-yard drive was set up by Deion Jones who forced a fumble by Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount that was recovered by Robert Alford.

Ryan, the NFL MVP, then connected twice with Julio Jones, to get the Falcons in scoring position. 

Falcons continue to take flight 

Atlanta took a 14-0 lead after Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper with 8:48 to go in the first half.

With the second quarter winding down, the Falcons continued to make the Patriots pay for their mistakes. With 2:21 left, Brady, under pressure, threw a potentially game ending interception that resulted in Alford's 82-yard touchdown run. 

The Patriots, however, did manage to get on the board before the quarter winded down, on Stephen Gostkowski's 41-yard field goal. 

Nevertheless, if Brady is going to become the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls, he and the Patriots will have to do something that has never been done—overcome a 21-3 deficit.  

Gaga soars 

While the Patriots struggled on the field, Lady Gaga soared, kicking off halftime festivities at NRG Stadium before dropping down on wires to the stage at centre field. Gaga's high energy performance was filled with explosive dance moves as well as a football related mic drop. 

Patriots deflated 

The Falcons started the third quarter right where they left off — in the Patriot's end zone. 

Matt Ryan continued to have the hot hand, after connecting with tight end Tevin Coleman, who then ran for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 28-3 lead. 

They may have been down but New England weren't out...yet. After scrambling to secure a first down, Brady managed to find running back James White for the Patriots' first touch down. Gostkowski, however, was unable to convert the extra-point, after hitting the right upright to leave the score at 28-9 for the Falcons. 

Comeback?

The New England Patriots got a little closer, but were still a long way from pulling off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. 

First, Gostkowski kicked a 33-yard field goal with 9:44 left to narrow the Falcons' lead to 28-12. And then, Dont'a Hightower forced a Ryan fumble, which Brady was able to convert into a touchdown after a six-yard scoring pass to Danny Amendola. 

With 5:56 to play, White completed the two-point conversion to further narrow the Falcons' lead to 28-20. 

Brady's drive for 5 still alive

The New England Patriots tied Super Bowl LI, with 25 unanswered points.

Julian Edelman's catch was the highlight of New England's 91-yard drive that tied the game near the end of regulation. Edelman somehow got his red-gloved hands on a Brady pass that bounced off Atlanta cornerback Alford's hands, hit off his knee, his shin and then almost hit the turf.

The ridiculous then became reality when Brady connected with White for a touchdown before Edelman made the two-point conversion. 

Up next, for the first time, overtime in the Super Bowl. 

Patriots win Super Bowl LI 

In a historic comeback, the Patriots wiped out a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons in overtime on Sunday, in Houston, Texas. 

The Patriots, who seemed to have nothing go their way all night, came alive with a 19-point fourth quarter to force overtime where they put the finishing touches on their record comeback when White scored on a two-yard run.

With the win, Brady becomes the first quarterback to win five Super Bowl championships.