ATLANTA (AP) — Stephen Gostkowski was wide left on a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have given New England the early lead in the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.
It also marked the first missed kick by any NFL kicker this season in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons.
After the Patriots' first offensive possession ended in an interception by Tom Brady — just the second on the opening drive of a playoff game in the quarterback's career— the Rams went three-and-out.
New England got the ball at its 12, and questionable officiating quickly became an issue when Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman was penalized for hitting a defenseless receiver after Brady's pass to Rex Burkhead on second-and-14 went for a 4-yard loss.
Instead of third-and-18 from the Patriots 16, New England got a first down at the 35. Brady then marched the offense down the field — only to see the usually reliable Gostkowski miss.
Robey-Coleman was involved in the now-infamous play during which he was not penalized for his hit on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis. No flag was thrown for pass interference for the helmet-to-helmet nature of the hit — for which Robey-Coleman was fined $26,739 by the NFL — possibly altering the outcome of Los Angeles' 26-23 overtime victory.