Film chronicles Patriots season, dramatic Super Bowl win

Associated Press

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 | 6:40 p.m.

BOSTON — From Julian Edelman pledging to win for Tom Brady's mom to Atlanta's swagger before a historic Patriots comeback, NFL fans are getting new insight into the Super Bowl with a film documenting New England's win.

A 78-minute film chronicling the Patriots throughout its run to the franchise's fifth title was released Tuesday by Cinedigm, the NFL and NFL Films.

"Super LI Champions: New England Patriots" includes game-changing plays during New England's 25-point comeback , such as Julian Edelman's juggling catch in the fourth quarter. But it also highlights candid banter on both sidelines throughout the game.

There are poignant moments like Edelman telling Tom Brady just before overtime: "Let's score and win this thing for your mom. For your mom, bro." Brady revealed after the season that his mother, Galynn Brady, had been dealing with health problems throughout the season.

There's also an exchange between Atlanta receivers Taylor Gabriel and Mohamed Sanu that will surely haunt some Falcons fans.

"(Brady's) shaking his head. He ain't never met nothing like this," Sanu says as he watches Brady walk off the field after throwing a second quarter interception that Atlanta returned for a touchdown to take a 21-0 lead.

"It's Tom Brady, though, man," Gabriel interjects.

"I know. I'm never comfortable," Sanu replies. "We about to put 40-something" points up against them, he said.

Meanwhile on the opposite sideline, New England running back LeGarrette Blount offered what proved to be prophetic words for fellow rusher James White.

"Keep balling, James," Blount told his teammate. "We gonna come back and get it. We got to. Ain't no other options."

The Falcons led 28-3 in the third quarter but were shut out the rest of the game as New England completed the largest comeback in Super Bowl history led by White's two touchdowns in the second half and game-winning run in overtime.

NFL Films began producing commemorative films on the Super Bowl winner in 1985. Senior producer Todd Schmidt has been a part of about a dozen of those projects and said the comeback by the Patriots created a unique challenge for the producers that work simultaneously on films on both Super Bowl participants.

"There is an Atlanta Falcons film that will never see the light of day, but that film was ready to be finished if they hung on," Schmidt said. "We've been doing it since the '85 Bears so we kind of have a system in place... But then something like that fourth quarter happens."