Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the trophy ceremony after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images)
The best and worst from the Patriots’ stunning 28-24 win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Best
Unlikely star. Seattle’s Chris Matthews made the biggest catch by an unknown player since David Tyree’s helmet grab. The undrafted wide receiver from Kentucky — via the CFL — made the first catch of his NFL career an acrobatic 44-yard gain. And he tied the score near halftime with an 11-yard TD reception.
Butler did it. Rookie defensive back Malcolm Butler rebounded from Jermaine Kearse’s breathtaking catch to sneak in front of Ricardo Lockette for the title-clinching pick.
Look at Lynch go. Tailback Marshawn Lynch caffeinated the Seattle team with his relentless style. He wore down the Pats in the second half, but was a spectator on Seattle’s final offensive play.
Worst
Pass fail. Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called one of the worst plays in Super Bowl history. With Seattle at the Patriots’ 1-yard line, clock to crunch and Marshawn Lynch frothing, Russell Wilson fired a pick to rookie DB Malcolm Butler.
Lane change. Jeremy Lane boasted that the Seahawks would stop Rob Gronkowski. The cornerback intercepted Tom Brady — the quarterback’s first red-zone pick in the playoffs since 2007 — but never returned. Lane broke his left arm when he was tackled.
Bad Bruce. Seattle’s Bruce Irvin was ejected after starting a brawl as the Pats attempted to run out the clock.
Game balls
Tom Brady
He overcame two poor decisions on picks to stage a legacy-defining fourth-quarter drive. Picking on the injury-ravaged Seahawks secondary, Brady eluded pressure, stepping up in the pocket to find Julian Edelman and Shane Vereen. Brady set a Super Bowl record for completions with 37. None was bigger than his last. He found Edelman for a go-ahead touchdown in a fourth quarter that was as impressive as it was convincing.
Malcolm Butler
The undrafted rookie from West Alabama made a play that will provide him free dinners for life in the greater Boston area. After wide receiver Jermaine Kearse pulled off a David Tyree moment with a bobbling, falling catch against Butler, the cornerback responded moments later. With the Seahawks inexplicably passing from the 1-yard line, Butler jumped a slant to Ricardo Lockette. He picked off the pass, sealing an improbable fourth-quarter comeback.
Chris Matthews
The undrafted wide receiver from Kentucky delivered the best game of his life on the biggest stage. He entered the game with no NFL receptions. As in zero. He caught a 44-yard pass that set up a score, then hauled in an 11-yard touchdown. He eclipsed 100 yards but missed out on a trip to Disneyland when the Seahawks failed on their final drive.
