Super Bowl 2015: Quarter-by-Quarter Score, Final Stats for Patriots vs. Seahawks

Tom Brady added another key bullet point on his resume for the debate about the greatest quarterback to ever play. Malcolm Butler secured his place in football history. And the New England Patriots claimed their fourth Super Bowl title by edging the Seattle Seahawks in a thriller.

It's actually quite rare for a major sporting showcase to match the hype these days. A large amount of time is spent getting into a frenzy, and the events themselves can sometimes fall flat—last year's Super Bowl being an obvious example.

That wasn't the case here. The Patriots and Seahawks both played well enough to walk away as champions and one play out of 125 was the difference. So let's check out the key details from Super Bowl 49 followed by a recap and some reaction.

Scoring Breakdown

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Patriots	0	14	0	14	28
Seahawks	0	14	10	0	24

Key Stats

Category	Patriots	Seahawks
Total Yards	377	396
Passing Yards	320	234
Rushing Yards	57	162
3rd Down	8 of 14	3 of 10
Penalties	5 (36 yards)	7 (70 yards)
Turnovers	2	1
Possession	33:46	26:14

Super Bowl XLIX Recap and Reaction

After what happened to the Denver Broncos one year ago, when things spiraled out of control almost immediately, the first quarter was unsurprisingly played with an abundance of caution. Neither team wanted to make the big mistake.

Things finally started opening up in the second quarter. Both teams scored 14 points, even though it seemed like New England was playing the far more steady game. Thus, there were two lingering questions heading into halftime.

The first was how the Patriots weren't leading the game. The second was where Chris Matthews came from. The unheralded wide receiver came out of nowhere to make a major impact for the Seahawks. That included a touchdown with just two seconds left in the half.

Ed Werder of ESPN highlighted that's what makes the NFL—and often sports in general—great:

Seattle carried the momentum from that last-second score into the second half. It dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Patriots 10-0. Given the outstanding defense its played the last few years, that's almost an insurmountable lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Brady and the Pats were undaunted. They needed two 14-point comebacks just to survive their first playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. Those type of experiences build confidence.

Sure enough, the legendary quarterback connected with Danny Amendola to get back within three. Then they grabbed the lead with just over two minutes left as Julian Edelman broke open near the goal line and caught the go-ahead score.

The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee passed along a touching moment from after the game involving Edelman:

What happened next will be discussed for a long, long time. Russell Wilson found Marshawn Lynch for 31 quick yards down the sideline. A few plays later, he threw up a jump ball for Jermaine Kearse, who made an eye-popping juggling grab while falling down.

That gave Seattle 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line. Lynch picked up four on the next play. That brought up second down from the 1-yard line and probably the most powerful running back in the league in the backfield. The decision that followed was shocking.

Wilson tried to force a quick slant to Ricardo Lockette. Butler jumped the route, made a great play and the rest is history.

Pete Carroll took the heat afterward. In reality, nobody will probably ever know whether the decision was truly his, Wilson's or that of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports believes the latter two should be blamed:

Either way, the wrong decision was made, and it allowed the Patriots to end the NFL season in dramatic fashion. The game also turned into ratings gold, as noted by NBC Sports PR:

Football season never really ends anymore, though. The next one just begins. The Patriots get their day in the spotlight today, but it won't take long for the offseason talk to start heating up. Free agency and the 2015 draft are on the horizon.

But the Patriots' comeback, Kearse's catch and the mind-boggling decision at the end ensure this game will live on in the memory of sports fans. It certainly sets a high standard for Super Bowl 50 to live up to next year.