FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The stakes obviously weren’t as high as they were in Super Bowl XLIX for one of the most memorable plays in New England Patriots history, when cornerback Malcolm Butler made his improbable game-saving interception. But what unfolded Sunday on the Patriots’ clutch defensive stop against the Houston Texans that handed the ball back to quarterback Tom Brady for his stellar game-winning comeback drive against was very XLIX-like.
Even coach Bill Belichick noted the link between them.
“Yeah, there are some similarities,” he said. “The ball wasn’t on the 1-yard line, but as far as the personnel grouping, it was a goal-line grouping against a multiple-receiver offensive set.