A wall banner running the length of the somber Atlanta Falcons locker room at NRG Stadium read “IN BROTHERHOOD, WE RISE.”
On Sunday, the Falcons fell.
They nosedived harder and farther than any team in Super Bowl history.
The Falcons collapsed, blowing a 25-point lead in a 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots.
“I’m at a loss for words right now,” receiver Taylor Gabriel said, “just because I can’t believe it.”
The Falcons came in as the NFL’s highest-scoring team with an offense triggered by league most valuable player Matt Ryan, superstar receiver Julio Jones, and a dynamic backfield tandem of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.
All of those players performed well, and the defense appeared to rattle quarterback Tom Brady, en route to a 21-3 halftime lead.
The game appeared to be in hand after Coleman caught a short pass from Ryan midway through the third quarter to push the margin to 28-3.
But the Falcons could not make it stand up.
“I was impressed with how hard the guys fought and battled for it,” Coach Dan Quinn said. “That’s why we’re hurting so bad right now.”
Said offensive lineman Jake Matthews: “It sucks. We had the opportunity to do it at the end.”
The Falcons probably lost the game before it got to overtime.
The Patriots cut the deficit to 28-12 with a field goal with 9 minutes 44 seconds left in regulation and the Falcons began to make crucial errors.
On third and one at the 36-yard line, they tried a pass but linebacker Dont’a Hightower sacked Ryan and forced him to fumble. Lineman Alan Branch recovered the ball and Brady made the Falcons pay by throwing a touchdown pass to Danny Amendola. The Patriots added a two-point conversion to pull to within 28-20.
Did Quinn second-guess the decision to pass on third down?
“When it doesn’t work, for sure,” he said. “But I don’t second-guess our play-calling or wanting to throw it. Honestly, we’ve got terrific guys. We know how to match up. We know how to get open.”
The Falcons might have been too aggressive on their next possession.
Ryan and Jones connected on a spectacular play along the right sideline for a 27-yard gain and a first down at the Patriots 22 with 4:40 remaining.
“I thought we were in good position,” Ryan said.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is surrounded by reporters and photographers after defeating the Falcons, 34-28, in overtime of Super Bowl LI.
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Quarterback Tom Brady celebrates after the Patriots defeated the Falcons, 34-28, in overtime at Super Bowl LI. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press)
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates with wife Gisele Bundchen and daughter Vivian Brady after winning Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots running back James White (on ground) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Falcons in overtime of Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots players celebrate with commemorative edition newspapers after their overtime win in Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots owner Robert Kraft holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the awards presentation for Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers gets his turn with the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the Super Bowl LI postgame ceremony.
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Patriots Coach Bill Belichick celebrates with running back James White, who scored three touchdowns, after defeating the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Coach Bill Belichick celebrate after winning the Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is interviewed by broadcaster Terry Bradshaw during the award ceremony. Brady became the first four-time MVP of the Super Bowl.
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Patriots players celebrate after defeating the Falcons in overtime of Super Bowl LI.
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Patriots running back James White breaks a tackle attempt by Falcons defensive back Ricardo Allen to score the game-winning touchdown from two yards in overtime.
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Patriots running back James White fights Falcons defenders, including Jalen Collins, left, and Robert Alford, for the final inches as he scores the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
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Patriots receiver Danny Amendola scores a two-point conversion on a pass late in the fourth quarter to tie the score against the Falcons, 28-28.
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Patriots running back James White scores on a five-yard touchdown run against the Falcons late in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots running back James White evades Falcons defensive back Deion Jones on a big gain during the fourth quarter.
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Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu is brought down by Patriots defensive back Logan Ryan during the fourth quarter. There were no penalties for facemasking, and the play was nullified by a holding call.
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Falcons receiver Julio Jones makes a catch over Patriots defensive back Eric Rowe along the sideline during the fourth quarter. Atlanta’s drive, though, stalled and the Falcons had to punt.
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Patriots receiver Danny Amendola catches a six-yard touchdown pass against the Falcons defensive back Keanu Neal during the fourth quarter.
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Patriots running back James White reacts after scoring on a two-point conversion against the Falcons, cutting the Atlanta lead to 28-20 in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady reacts after a two-point conversion during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LI. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press)
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Patriots receiver Julian Edelman (11) catches a tipped pass among three Falcons defenders during the fourth quarter.
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Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower forces Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to fumble on a pass attempt during the fourth quarter.
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Patriots running back James White scores before Falcons defensive back Jalen Collins can bring him down during the third quarter, cutting New England’s deficit to 28-9.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady runs for a first down against the Falcons during a scoring drive in the third quarter.
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Patriots receiver Julian Edelman can’t catch a deep pass against the Falcons during the third quarter.
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Patriots running back James White is dragged out of bounds by Falcons defensive back Robert Alford during the third quarter.
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Falcons running back Tevin Coleman scores on a six-yard reception against Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich during the third quarter, giving Atlanta a 28-3 lead.
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to Tevin Coleman during the third quarter.
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Falcons receiver Taylor Gabriel celebrates after catching a pass against the Patriots during a scoring drive in the third quarter.
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Lady Gaga performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LI.
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Lady Gaga made no political statement during her halftime show, instead concentrating on performing her hits after a patriotic opening.
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Lady Gaga leaps from the stage, tethered by wires, during the halftime performance of Super Bowl LI.
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Falcons defensive back Robert Alford (23) celebrates with teammate Courtney Upshaw after scoring a touchdown on a 82-yard interception return to give Atlanta a 21-3 lead in the second quarter.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady watches Falcons defensive back Robert Alford (not pictured) return an interception 82 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter in Super Bowl LI. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tries to tackle Falcons defensive back Robert Alford after he intercepted a pass during the second quarter. Alford ran it back 82 yards for a touchdown.
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Falcons defensive back C.J. Goodwin, right, breaks up a pass intended for Patriots receiver Malcolm Mitchell during the first half.
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Falcons tight end Austin Hooper catches a touchdown pass ahead of Patriots defensive back Patrick Chung during the second quarter, giving Atlanta a 14-0 lead.
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan throws a touchdown pass to Austin Hooper during the second quarter.
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The Patriots never have an issue restocking their roster because veterans typically take less to play for a title contender. But don’t expect it to be easy – or cheap – for New England, which has $65 million in cap space, to retain defensive linemen Jabaal Sheard, Alan Branch and Chris Long, tight end Martellus Bennett (pictured), linebacker Dont’a Hightower, tailback LeGarrette Blount and cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan.
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Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) is brought down by Falcons defensive back Keanu Neal (22) during the second quarter.
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Falcons running back Devonta Freeman breaks into the clear against the Patriots for a five-yard scoring run during the second quarter.
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Falcons running back Devonta Freeman dives into the end zone after scoring the opening touchdown of Super Bowl LI.
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Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a five-yard run against the Patriots during the second quarter.
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Falcons receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch in traffic as he’s brought down by Patriots defensive back Logan Ryan during the second quarter.
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Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is tracked down by Patriots defensive backs Malcolm Butler (21) and Devin McCourty (32) after a big gain in the first quarter of Super Bowl LI.
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is sacked by Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers during the first quarter.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes under pressure from Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett during the first quarter.
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Patriots receiver Malcolm Mitchell (19) catches a pass against Falcons defensive back Jalen Collins during the first quarter.
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Falcons defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw (91) sacks Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the first quarter.
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Falcons defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw reacts after sacking Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the first quarter.
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Atlanta Falcons players take the field before the start of Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston.
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Quarterback Tom Brady (12) and the New England Patriots takes the field before the start of Super Bowl LI.
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Former President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush are introduced before the coin toss for Super Bowl LI.
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Luke Bryan sings the national anthem before the start of Super Bowl LI.
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Performers from the cast of “Hamilton” -- (from left) Jasmine Cephas Jones, Rene Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo -- sing “God Bless America” before the start of Super Bowl LI.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press) But Freeman was dropped for a one-yard loss on first down and lineman Trey Flowers sacked Ryan for a 12-yard loss. A completion to receiver Mohamed Sanu was offset by a holding penalty against Matthews, pushing the Falcons back to the 45 and out of field-goal range. Ryan’s pass for Gabriel on third and 33 fell incomplete, forcing the Falcons to punt and give the ball back to Brady.
“I thought we played the way we play,” Ryan said when asked if the Falcons had played too aggressively. “We always play aggressive and play to win and we had opportunities as players.
“We had opportunities and we made some mistakes on the field that … ended up costing us.”
Especially against Brady, who picked apart the defense.
“They had time and they made plays,” linebacker Deion Jones said. “It’s the truth. Brady is a great quarterback and he did what he needed to do.”
Now the Falcons can only think about next season.
They will move into a new stadium, but offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is leaving to become coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
“A loss like tonight, although it’s difficult,” Quinn said, “I would like to think that this group, we’re putting our stamp and we’re just getting started to be what we can be.”
gary.klein@latimes.com
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @LATimesklein
