It’s not easy to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but if anyone knows how to do it, it’s the Atlanta Falcons. Ever since they blew 25 point lead against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the team has been labeled as chokers, and rightfully so.
This past week, some heart-wrenching details came out about the game, from former Patriots corner Malcolm Butler. During a recent interview with 12 News in Phoenix, Butler was asked if he had talked to new teammate Robert Alford at all about the Super Bowl comeback and not only have the two talked about it, but Alford apparently told Butler that the Falcons were so confident that they were going to win that they were already celebrating at halftime.
“I talked to him about it, I asked him if he wanted his ring back,” Butler said. “He told me a story, he said he was in the locker room at halftime, he told me he was about to pop a bottle and things like that, it was so funny. And then we came back and beat them.”
“I’m just imagining him at halftime,” Butler said. “Robert, he’s a funny guy, got a lot of energy, tells a lot of jokes, and he told me at halftime they were in there dancing and hooraying and then we came back and beat them, so I think that was pretty fun.” The fact that the Falcons were “dancing and hooraying” in the locker room makes the Super Bowl loss even more crushing, if that’s even possible.
As for Alford, after the pick-six in the first half, he was involved in another wild play in the second half. A big reason the Patriots were able to win is that Julian Edelman made a miraculous catch with just over two minutes left in the game. On the play, Alford tipped the ball and then Edelman was somehow able to come down with it just inches from the ground. That drive ended with a touchdown and eventually, the Patriots would win the game in overtime, which means they were the only ones celebrating after the game.
