Patriots vs. Seahawks: Super Bowl 2015 Winners, Box Score and Fantasy Stats

The New England Patriots won one of the most thrilling games in NFL history on Sunday, rallying to beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX.

Quarterback Tom Brady was as terrific as he's ever been, picking apart the Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary by executing a precise, short passing game in peerless fashion. It marked the fourth Super Bowl victory for Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

A couple lapses in decision-making and stout Seattle defense led Brady to throw two critical interceptions, which contributed to the 10-point deficit New England had to overcome in the last quarter.

Brady threw touchdowns to Danny Amendola and then Julian Edelman within the last eight minutes of the game, which helped him transcend what had been an even touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Check out an overview of the top fantasy performers from the latest clash for the Lombardi Trophy. The full box score can be seen at ESPN.com:

Team	QB	Comp/Att./Yds. Pass	Rush/Yds.	TD/INT	Points
Team	RB	Rush/Yds	Rec./Yds	TD	Points
Team	WR	Rec	Yds	TD	Points
Team	TE	Rec	Yds	TD	Points
NE	Tom Brady	37/50/328	2/-3	4/2	25.1
SEA	Russell Wilson	12/21/247	3/39	2/1	19.8
NE	LeGarrette Blount	14/40	—	0	4
SEA	Marshawn Lynch	24/102	1/31	1	19.3
NE	Shane Vereen	4/13	11/68	0	8.1
NE	Julian Edelman	9	109	1	16.9
SEA	Chris Matthews	4	109	1	16.9
NE	Danny Amendola	5	48	1	10.8
SEA	Doug Baldwin	1	3	1	6.3
NE	Rob Gronkowski	6	68	1	12.8

Other than the interception he threw on an ill-fated slant just one yard away from a possible winning touchdown, Russell Wilson played just as well as Brady—if not better.

The following graphic from ESPN Stats & Info suggests Brady was far superior in the last 12 minutes of the game in galvanizing a historic comeback:

But Wilson consistently challenged New England's stout secondary down the field after not completing a pass until the second quarter. Part of the problem was the job Darrelle Revis did in shadowing Doug Baldwin, whose only catch on him was a short TD in which the referee picked Revis to a degree.

NFL.com's Chris Trapasso has a couple of numbers that may change the perception of how Wilson played, sans the costly blunder at the end (which wasn't completely his fault):

Funny that Wilson's only pick came on his shortest pass of the game, a split second which saw him go from passing Brady as a fantasy performer and winning a second Super Bowl to taking a crushing defeat.

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith was among those who felt the Seahawks should have given the ball to Marshawn Lynch, who racked up over 100 yards on the ground and ignited Seattle's final drive with a 31-yard reception:

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot logged the explanation Seahawks coach Pete Carroll provided for the questionable play call at the end:

Unheralded 6'5" Seahawks playmaker Chris Matthews hadn't caught a reception in the NFL before going off for 109 yards receiving, matching the game-high total of the far more lauded Julian Edelman. But in years to come, what the Patriots and their fans will remember most will be Edelman's winning grab on an out pattern from three yards out.

Edelman doesn't quite get the credit he deserves and probably never will as long as Brady is throwing him the ball. What's notable about the big fantasy stars in Super Bowl XLIX is that the majority of them were overlooked entering the NFL.

None of the four Seattle wide receivers who caught passes were even drafted. The same is true for Amendola, and the difference-making, final connection was a former sixth-rounder (Brady) hitting a seventh-round, converted college QB (Edelman).

That just goes to show how great both teams are at developing talent and setting up an environment where their players can reach their full potential.

Such a special organizational trait is something that transcends the box score. It can save teams from the modern perils of parity and strapped salary-cap situations. It also is a testament to the mental toughness many of the Super Bowl's biggest stars have had to persevere amid such humble NFL beginnings.

If New England and Seattle face off in a rematch in Super Bowl 50 next year, few will likely be surprised. Plenty of football has to be played before thoughts of that dream scenario can truly be entertained, but both sides have the pieces in place to hoist the Lombardi Trophy again soon enough—or at least come darn close to doing so.