Revisiting Super Bowl 49: Inside infamous Patriots vs. Seahawks matchup, from Malcolm Butler INT to Marshawn Lynch's dominance

Before the game was even played, Super Bowl 49 had all the makings of a classic.

Not only were the New England Patriots back in the game looking for their first championship in a decade, but the lead-up to the Super Bowl was dominated by "DeflateGate" headlines as the scandal unfolded. 

On the other side, the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks were on the heels of a thrilling comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game and were looking to ride a dominant defense to back-to-back titles.

When the odds settled, the line for Super Bowl 49 was even. The game was a pick 'em, making it the most recent Super Bowl with even odds, and the action on the field showed precisely why. 

Here's a look back at Super Bowl 49 and the memorable moments that made it. 

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Who won Super Bowl 49?

The Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl 49 to capture their first championship in 10 years.

To do it, the Patriots needed to complete what was, at the time, the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history: 10 points. New England trailed 24-14 entering the fourth quarter and even punted the ball away in the early minutes of the quarter while down by 10, but the Patriots' defense shut out the Seahawks in the fourth quarter while Tom Brady led a pair of touchdown drives.

The defining play of the game, and one of the defining plays in Super Bowl history, came when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line to seal the Patriots' win and prevent Seattle from winning back-to-back titles. 

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Super Bowl 49 highlights

Malcolm Butler interception

Few knew the name Malcolm Butler when Super Bowl 49 began, as the former undrafted free agent had just one NFL start under his belt, but he proved on the Patriots' final defensive play that he paid close attention in practice.

When the Seahawks ran a passing play on second-and-1 from the 1-yard line, needing a touchdown to take the lead and likely win, Butler read it perfectly, getting in front of Ricardo Lockette and intercepting Wilson to end the threat. With so little time left on the clock, the play effectively ended the game and won the Patriots a championship.

Al Michaels was on the call, and his words are etched into the memory of every Patriots and Seahawks fan: "Pass is...intercepted at the goal line by Malcolm Butler! Unreal!"

Richard Sherman reaction

No one was more devastated than Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, who could only watch helplessly as his chance at a second Super Bowl win went up in smoke.

NBC cameras captured Sherman's reaction on the sideline in Glendale, with the All-Pro cornerback putting his hand to his head in frustration in what would become a popular meme for all types of situations in the years that followed.

Super Bowl 49 was filled with memes:
-Left Shark
-Malcolm Butler's pick
-Reemergence of the Patriots dynasty
-Richard Sherman's heart getting ripped out pic.twitter.com/Kv2KYNX99t

Jermaine Kearse catch

The best Super Bowl catch that future generations might never hear about belongs to Seahawks WR Jermaine Kearse, who baffled the NBC broadcast crew by somehow keeping a pass from Wilson off the ground long enough to secure it for a 33-yard gain on Seattle's final drive.

Replay showed the ball bounce off Kearse's legs after it was tipped by Butler, and the Seahawks receiver managed to keep the ball suspended in the air with his right arm before finally corralling it with both arms for a completed catch.

This Jermaine Kearse catch would go down as the greatest catch in Super Bowl history if what happened next didn’t happen… pic.twitter.com/4mlqz7Td4z

Michaels' call summed up the disbelief: "And it's broken up again...and...is it...but somehow...did he wind up with the football?" the veteran broadcaster said. 

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Patriots-Seahawks fight

After the Patriots took a knee with 20 seconds remaining, tensions boiled over. Several Patriots and Seahawks players went at it in the end zone, with Seattle's Bruce Irvin and New England's Michael Hoomanawanui taking each other to the turf. Rob Gronkowski also took a shot from Michael Bennett and took a swing of his own at a scrum of Seahawks. 

End of Super Bowl #Seahawks vs #Patriots. Bruce Irvin ejected for throwing a punch. Bennett gets in on Gronk after, Please also watch Matt Slater. That part is amusing. pic.twitter.com/tRjC2FXIRq

Irvin was ejected, but the fight ultimately didn't have an impact on the result. The Patriots took a knee on their next snap and ran out the clock to seal a Super Bowl 49 victory.

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Tom Brady stats

• Comp. rate: 74.0% (37/50)
• Pass yards: 328
• TD: 4
• INT: 2
• Rush yards: -3
• Rush TD: 0
• Sacks: 1
• Fumbles: 0
• Passer rating: 101.1

Interceptions in the first and third quarter were setbacks for Brady and the Patriots, but the Patriots quarterback finished his night with 328 yards and four touchdowns on a 74 percent completion rate thanks largely to a brilliant fourth quarter.

Brady was 14-of-16 for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter, going 9-for-9 on the Patriots' go-ahead drive to win his third of five Super Bowl MVP awards.

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Russell Wilson stats

• Comp. rate: 57.1% (12/21)
• Pass yards: 247
• TD: 2
• INT: 1
• Rush yards: 39
• Rush TD: 0
• Sacks: 3
• Fumbles: 0
• Passer rating: 110.6

Wilson only attempted 21 passes to Brady's 50 as the Seahawks leaned on their running game, but he still threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson's lone interception, of course, came on Seattle's final offensive snap when Butler prevented what could have been a Super Bowl-winning touchdown.

Marshawn Lynch stats

• Carries: 24
• Rush yards: 102
• Rush TD: 1
• Yards per carry: 4.3
• Receptions: 1
• Rec. yards: 31
• Rec. TD: 0

Lynch had a terrific day against a tough Patriots defense, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries while adding a 31-yard reception. Because Pete Carroll and the Seahawks opted to pass the ball from the 1-yard line, Lynch's numbers from Super Bowl 49 are largely forgotten in favor of questions about his usage at the end of the game.

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Who won Super Bowl 49 MVP?

Despite Butler's heroics, Tom Brady was named he MVP of Super Bowl 49.

Brady threw two interceptions in the win, but he was brilliant in the fourth quarter, finishing 14-of-16 for 130 yards and two touchdowns in that final 15 minutes alone. On the go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter, Brady was a perfect 9-for-9 passing.

Brady finished the day with 37-of-50 passes completed for 328 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The honor was Brady's third of five Super Bowl MVP awards he would win in his legendary career.