Super Bowl 2015 Highlights: MVP, Top Player Moments from Patriots vs. Seahawks

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady further etched his place in NFL history Sunday night, leading an epic comeback to snatch Super Bowl XLIX from the Seattle Seahawks and notch his third MVP award.

Staring a potential third straight Super Bowl defeat in the face entering the fourth quarter, Brady helped navigate the Patriots out of a 10-point deficit in the game's final eight minutes. With some help from his defense in an unbelievable final frame, Brady got the job done with two late touchdown passes to take the lead for good.

Bleacher Report capped up his accolade from Sunday:

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Tom Brady: MVP #SB49 pic.twitter.com/npneWahPWI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 2, 2015"

The four-time Super Bowl champion had his moments, throwing two interceptions in the game, but he more than made up for it with an incredible 37-of-50 passing clip for 328 yards and four touchdowns. The Pats needed every one of them to pull out a 28-24 victory and end the Seahawks' quest for a repeat.

Not that you'd expect any different in this age of passing efficiency, but Brady broke a Super Bowl record with his 37 completions, per NFL Network's Jeff Darlington:

Long before Brady had to mount any sort of comeback, though, he got his team off to a splendid start.

OK, the success didn't come immediately. Brady threw an interception to Jeremy Lane on New England's first-quarter visit to the red zone, but he made up for it the second time down there by finding Brandon LaFell on a pretty 11-yard slant route for the game's first touchdown.

LaFell had himself a boogie after the catch, and rightfully so, as shown by the NFL on Twitter:

The Seahawks hung around once the Pats got on the board, but that effort became a bit tougher when Brady connected with favorite target and tight end Rob Gronkowski on a 22-yard score just seconds before the half. But an improbable Seahawks touchdown just before halftime made it a tie game going into the second half.

The momentum continued to push away from Brady and Co. as the second half began. The Seahawks took the lead on a field goal on their first second-half drive, and then Brady committed a costly pick in the middle of the field to linebacker Bobby Wagner to put the Seahawks in position for another touchdown.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Suddenly, the Patriots trailed 24-14. Brady's fourth ring was slipping away, and he had to mount another comeback—this time against one of the most feared defenses in NFL history—to get it back.

As we've become accustomed to in his career, Brady's best came out in the clutch moments. Along with some key stops from his defense (which forced three punts and a turnover on its final four drives), Brady got the ball with 12 minutes and a chance to get back in the game.

That's exactly what he did, leading the Pats down the field with his short-passing prowess and connecting with Danny Amendola in the back of the end zone to make it 24-21, as shown by the NFL on Twitter:

Another key defensive stop for the Patriots followed, and the five-plus minutes of football that trailed will forever be dissected and discussed.

When Brady and the Pats got the ball back, they took it right down the field again—this time on a 10-play, 64-yard drive that took almost five minutes off the clock. New England had no trouble getting into position to tie the game, but it had winning on its mind.

Brady found Julian Edelman—who exploded for 109 yards in the game—on the outside for a score that ended up deciding the game and marked his fourth touchdown toss of the contest. But with two minutes, two seconds still on the clock when Seattle got the ball back, Brady would need a big play from his defense to secure his MVP trophy.

When Jermaine Kearse made an incredible circus catch to help put the Seahawks on the goal line, it came down to one player to make said play—and it just so happened to be undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler, as shown by SportsCenter:

Just seeing Russell Wilson drop back and throw the ball took millions watching by surprise, as the Seahawks were sitting at 2nd-and-goal at the 1-yard line with Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. Instead, they opted to avoid the Patriots' goal-line front and take a matchup in the passing game that didn't pay off.

As shown by ESPN Stats & Info, the Patriots' fate shifted dramatically in the course of those two plays:

Brady may have been the MVP, but the award almost assuredly would have gone to someone on the Seahawks sideline had Butler not made that play. 

Either way, it was Brady who led the Patriots back from the dead, and it was Brady who deservedly took the MVP honors after the game. And that sheer sight had many wondering just where the win should put Brady in the conversation of the best of all time.

That doesn't seem to be much of a conversation for The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre and Darrelle Revis, per NFL Network:

Of course, with Sunday's game so fresh in everyone's mind and an important investigation sure to drag on, much of that is still yet to be determined. And with the way Super Bowl XLIX unfolded, perhaps it's best to put that discussion on the back burner for a bit.

Instead, bask in the glory of one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory. While there's unbelievable heartbreak and disbelief on one sideline and utter joy on the other, that's typically how the best Super Bowls end.