FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Thirteen years after their first trip to the Super Bowl together and a decade since their last title, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady stamped their places in the history books Sunday.

The pair earned their fourth Lombardi Trophy together thanks to an epic comeback in a 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

New England’s sixth trip to the big game under the future Hall of Fame duo was much like its previous five Super Bowls. It was a one-score game down to the wire.

The guy who made the key play this time was one of the least likely of candidates. Undrafted rookie free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler picked off a slant throw from Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line with less than 30 seconds to play, securing the victory.

While most of the world thought Seattle would turn to running back Marshawn Lynch on the second-and-goal play from the 1-yard line, Butler was prepared for the pass play and took full advantage of his chance at unlikely Super Bowl stardom.

“I knew they were going to throw it,” Butler said of a play he failed to defend properly in practice last week. “We knew they were going to throw the ball. I was so emotional. I had a feeling I was going to make a big play, but not this big.”

Brady took home his third Super Bowl MVP, setting a game-record with 37 completions (on 50 attempts) for 328 yards. He threw four touchdown passes and two interceptions, finishing with a 101.4 passer rating.

Brady used a short passing attack and quick throws to the likes of wide receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola and running back Shane Vereen to attack Seattle’s banged-up but still formidable Legion of Boom secondary.

However, with the game on the line, the possible addition to his Hall of Fame legacy on the line, Brady was on the sideline watching and hoping like the rest of Patriots Nation.

“Unbelievable play by Malcolm,” Brady said. “We didn’t call a timeout, and the clock was winding down and we realized, this is basically it if we stopped them. I saw the interception and couldn’t believe it. It was just an incredible play. What a play, a championship play. My guys made them.

“A lot of guys just did some great stuff out there. Took everybody. We knew it was going to take everybody. It was a 60-minute game. Just proud of how everybody played.”

The win puts Brady in the class of Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowl rings. It puts the Patriots in the rare air of teams with four titles with the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots — really Brady and Belichick — continued the legacy that has them as the dominant team of the 2000s and now well into this decade.

Still, that success and the most recent win for the 37-year-old quarterback hasn’t changed his drive. Asked if he was thinking about his legacy and his team’s spot in history based on the Super Bowl XLIX win, Brady would have none of that talk.

“I’ve got a lot of football left,” Brady said.

The Patriots are on top of the football world once again. Brady and Belichick took another impressive step toward football immortality and legend. And it is another special team in New England history.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Belichick said. “I can’t say enough about the players. It’s a great group of competitors. As mentally and physically tough a group as I’ve been around. They’re special.”

Yes, they are champions.

REPORT CARD VS. SEAHAWKS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B-plus — Aside from two plays QB Tom Brady described as “crappy” that led to his two interceptions on the night, New England’s passing attack was efficiently productive against the Legion of Boom. Brady utilized mostly quick, short passes to set a Super Bowl record with 37 completions (on 50 attempts). He threw for 328 yards with four touchdowns and the two picks for the 101.1 passer rating. RB Shane Vereen led the way with a game-high 11 catches for 64 yards, while WR Julian Edelman had another nine catches for 109 yards and a score. TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Brandon LaFell and WR Danny Amendola also had touchdown receptions. New England went with its two-minute personnel for the bulk of the final quarter to come back from a 10-point deficit and pull off the victory. Seattle’s bigger, stronger secondary had some trouble sticking with the Patriots’ smaller receivers and underneath throws. Brady was more than good enough to earn his third Super Bowl MVP.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: C-minus — New England had some success with RB LeGarrette Blount in the first half, but that didn’t translate to extended success in the ground game. Blount finished with 40 yards on 14 carries for a 2.9-yard average. New England ran 19 times for 60 yards as a team against the NFL’s No. 3 rushing defense. Blount had just four carries for 3 yards in the second half due to a combination of limited production and the fact that the Patriots were facing a deficit for most of the final 30 minutes.

–PASS DEFENSE: B-minus — The Patriots’ pass defense was dominant early on and very good for most of the day, save for a few big plays allowed to a most unlikely Seahawks receiver. QB Russell Wilson did not complete a pass in the first quarter, despite the fact that he often had plenty of time to look for an open target. Wilson finished the game completing 12 of 21 passes for 247 yards with two touchdowns and just the one interception, the play that ultimately decided the game, for a 110.6 passer rating. His biggest target was WR Chris Matthews, a former CFL player who had no career NFL catches entering the game. Matthews had four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also set up two other touchdowns and was a thorn in the Patriots’ side, beating CBs Kyle Arrington and Logan Ryan for plays. CBs Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner were solid for the most part. The pass rush wasn’t great, picking up three sacks, though one was an impressive effort by DE Chandler Jones. Seattle’s passing attack isn’t the most vaunted in the league, but CB Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception ultimately decided the game.

–RUSH DEFENSE: C-minus — RB Marshawn Lynch did basically what Beast Mode does. The big back broke tackles and pushed the pile against the Patriots’ front to the tune of 24 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. His longest run was 15 yards, but he consistently kept things moving forward. Overall, Seattle ran 29 times for 162 yards and the one score, including 39 yards on Wilson’s three scampers. The Patriots’ run defense was up and down all season, and Sunday night’s work against Lynch was not one of its better days. Seattle was able to control the tempo of the game through the running game and set up big plays off of it.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B — The kicking game was pretty much a non-factor against the Seahawks. Neither team did anything to make the big play or big mistake. PK Stephen Gostkowski nailed all five of his kickoffs for touchbacks, but he did not attempt a field goal. Ryan Allen averaged 49 yards for four punts. He had a long of 64 yards with one downed inside the 20 and one touchback. Edelman did a solid job fielding his three punts in traffic, including a long return of 15 yards. Amendola had a 22-yard average on two kickoff returns. Mostly, though, it was a quiet Super Bowl in the kicking game.

–COACHING: B — Bill Belichick and his coordinators — Josh McDaniels on offense and Matt Patricia on defense — came up with impressive game plans on both sides of the ball to counter an impressive Seattle squad. Offensively, the short, quick passing game out of various formations and personnel groups worked to near perfection. Defensively, things were a bit less consistent as Seattle was able to establish the run and then take advantage of matchups down the field for big plays. Still, the defense came up with enough plays and calls at key times to get the job done in victory. Belichick was clear to praise his coordinators for their work the last two weeks while he was distracted dealing with the controversy and NFL investigation into New England’s alleged use of underinflated balls in the AFC title game. Belichick said he was able to catch up with his work. McDaniels called a near flawless game on offense, while Patricia’s group was able to hang on just long enough in the end to take advantage of Seattle’s mistakes.