New England Patriots star Tom Brady described Julian Edelman's fourth-quarter catch in Super Bowl LI as "one of the greatest".

Edelman produced a moment of magic during a game-tying drive in the Patriots' incredible 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, which marked the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

He miraculously plucked a ball inches from the turf after Robert Alford had tipped it up in the air, and the Patriots went on to force overtime.

"I couldn't believe it. It was one of the greatest catches," Brady, the MVP of the game, told a news conference.

"We've been on the other end of a few of those catches and we came up with it. It was a pretty spectacular catch. He had a hell of a game."

Brady added: "I don't know how the hell he caught it. I mean, I don't think anybody - I don't think he does, but that's the way it goes."

Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns on his way to winning a fifth Super Bowl.

The quarterback got plenty of support, however, as James White scored three TDs – including the match-winner in OT.

"He's just everything you want in a team-mate and a football player - dependable, consistent, durable," Brady said of White.

"The best attitude, brings it every day and we just kept going to him. So I think that speaks for itself."

The Patriots were 28-3 behind in the third quarter, but Brady said he tried his hardest to ignore the deficit, despite the position he found himself, and his team, in.

"I wasn't thinking much, you know?" he said.

"I was thinking that we just got to score and then we scored the touchdown and it was nine [points] and then we got the turnover.

"There was a lot of s*** that happened tonight. And I got hit pretty hard, so yeah.

"It's 28-12 and then we got 28-20 and then 28-28 and then 34-28. Another play coming down to the end. How about that?"