It's not easy to blow a 25-point lead in the second half of an NFL game, but as everyone knows, the Falcons managed to do exactly that against the Patriots back in Super Bowl LI.
Although the Falcons definitely weren't celebrating at the end of that game, it seems they were celebrating at halftime and we know that thanks to an interesting story this week from Malcolm Butler. The former Patriots defensive back now plays for the Cardinals and one of his new teammates is Robert Alford, who was playing for the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
During a recent interview with 12 News in Phoenix, Butler was asked if he had talked to 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."
Although the Falcons would blow a 28-3 lead, that wasn't the score at halftime. At that point in the game, the score was just 21-3 and a big reason for that is because Alford stunned the Patriots with a pick-six off Tom Brady in the second quarter that put the Falcons up 21-0. New England got a field goal before the half, but the Falcons still had a comfortable 18-point lead.
"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" locker room almost 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 because 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.
Excited for the biggest NFL schedule in history? Follow along on the CBS Sports app and get the latest insights from our team of NFL insiders, plus news from our team of experts, as well as data insights on every player. If you already have the CBS Sports app, make sure to favorite the your favorite team so you don't miss a thing!