The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons were mic’d up for Super Bowl LI and the result has been aired on the NFL Network. You can watch clips from it here and it is also available on YouTube. It will be replayed in full at 6:00 PM EST on Thursday, February 9th on the NFL Network.
The Patriots were represented by WR Julian Edelman and LB Dont’a Hightower, although RB LeGarrette Blount was around the microphone on the sideline. The Falcons had QB Matt Ryan and WR Mohamed Sanu.
I’ve compiled a few of the highlights, but make sure you catch the whole hour-long special this evening.
Matthew Slater Pregame Speech
“Fellas, as we go out here, I want you all to think about the story, man. Your story. D Lew [RB Dion Lewis], traded, cut. J Dubs [RB James White], couldn’t even get on the field your rookie year. Dola [WR Danny Amendola], walk on. You [WR Julian Edelman], no position. PC [Patrick Chung], had to go to another team, now you one of the best safeties in the league. Remember the journey, fellas. It all led to this. Playmakers on three.” - Slater
Slater was hyping up all the returnmen before the game in what is honestly an incredible speech to fire up the players. It’s clear that this message stuck with the players because Edelman and Amendola were shouting the “we couldn’t make another team” line after the game.
Devin McCourty Pregame Speech
“For two weeks, we’ve talked about the people that doubt us. Well, today’s not about them. Today’s about your loved ones. Your wives. Your moms. Your sisters. Everybody that supported you. Your hometown. Everybody behind you today. You don’t just win for yourselves. We win for everbody today. That’s why we play. Let’s dominate today. One more time. For everybody that loves us. Let’s go. Dominate on three.” - McCourty
Falcons players after the Patriots fell behind 21-0
“He ain’t never met nothing like this.” - Sanu
“That’s Tom Brady, though.” - WR Taylor Gabriel
“I know, I’m never comfortable. We about to put up 40-something on their ass. But they ain’t never seen something like this.” - Sanu
Julian Edelman to Tom Brady after halftime
“Let’s go baby. It’s going to be a hell of a story.”
Tom Brady to offensive linemen after falling behind 28-3
“Got to play harder, got to play tougher. Harder, tougher, everything. Everything we got.”
Sanu after Tom Brady’s scramble in the third quarter
“You know when you’re watching film and you hold the slo-mo? That’s what we’re watching now. They just wasting time. I mean, they can’t stop us, they just wasting time.”
Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia after Patriots make it a one-score game
“We’re still in a go-for two mode, if we score again, when we score again.”
One official to another after score is 28-20
“Hey, this could get interesting.”
LeGarrette Blount’s reaction after Julio Jones’ 4th quarter catch
Matt Ryan to offensive linemen after getting knocked out of field goal range
“What the f— guys. Did you hold?”
Julian Edelman while wrestling for ball after his miraculous catch
“I caught it! I caught it! I caught it!”
Edelman to Falcons CB Robert Alford on the next play
“That’s crazy. My bad.”
Edelman to Tom Brady at the start of overtime
“Let’s go and win this thing, baby. For your mom. For your mom, bro.”
Blount to Galynn Brady after the game.
“This was for you.”
Make sure you catch the re-run Thursday evening at 6:00 PM EST on the NFL Network.