WAS too long IMHO.

all the while watching lady gaga

Sure, Atlanta sat for an hour.

WTF were the Patriots doing?

Same old double standard!

Being located near the physics people at MIT is definitely an advantage.

Seen evidence both ways, probably doctored to fit your desires. Sound familiar?

Not their first rodeo.

than other teams. While teams like the Eagles were gassed in the 4th the Patriots were conditioned and hydrated by the 4th. Bill Belichick talked a lot about this prior to this Super Bowl saying how it's a longer game with the halftime and TV timeouts and when the body is used to the game being over with there is still 45 minutes or so left to go in the Super Bowl. I really hate watching Super Bowl because in a lot of ways it is like watching Week 1 with teams gassed unable to stop drives late in the game.

...of the linked article..

The Patriots for many years now when they have reached the Superbowl have actually practiced this running through simulations, taking a full hour off, then back on the practice field.

During the second half with the lead and the clock running, 14 Atlanta snaps came with more than 10 seconds remaining on the play clock. Many of them were at 15 seconds or more and a couple at 18+. I wish I had the specifics in front of me. I posted them on some sports sites the day after the game.

That outcome was far more an unforced error than amazing comeback. One of the reasons comebacks like that are so rare is that the lead team has to cooperate considerably. Atlanta did.

All a team has to do is make the most of the possessions they have and focus on quick stops on defense. I think the problem is too many teams give up at that point instead of keep plugging away. You can screw up a few possessions and make up for it with later possessions. The fact that the lead was in the 3rd meant new England had plenty of time but even in the 4th it is doable as long as the team doesn't give up.

I think this is the largest 4th quarter comeback in nFL history
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198711080crd.htm

It does remind me of the Colts/Chiefs playoff game a few years ago when the winning team probably could have kneeled down the rest of the game and still won but gave away the ball on quick possessions but I think Super Bowl fatigue had more to do with this outcome.

The Super Bowl is much longer than a regular game not just because of the halftime but also the TV timeouts. By the 4th players for both teams are winded and unable to stop a drive unless the clock runs out it is like watching week 1 in that regard.

This was exactly what I was thinking reading that article. When I start a normal game at 4:20 (4:30 kickoff) it is usually on until sometime around 7, give or take 30 minutes. With the Super Bowl it lasts until midnight usually with all the extra stuff. I actually found a breakdown of it http://www.ibtimes.com/how-long-does-2017-super-bowl-halftime-show-last-viewing-info-patriots-vs-falcons-2486183