Super Bowl LIII was rough.
The Los Angeles Rams along with their ferocious defensive front were in the face of Tom Brady early in the game. Brady was uncomfortable proving the New England Patriots were not going to score 30 plus points.
The Rams had one job offensively, score. The Rams offense could not get on track. The Rams defense gave effort in Super Bowl LIII forcing Brady off the field on third downs.
You have to point the finger at the second-ranked highest scoring offense in the National Football League this season in the most top scoring season in the history of the NFL who only put three points on the scoreboard will not cut it.
The script had the same ending for this part of the film, Brady drove the Patriots down the field for another one of his classic drives to win the Patriots record-tying sixth Super Bowl, 13-3 over the Rams.
The lowest scoring Super Bowl ever. Rams became the second team in Super Bowl history to fail to score a touchdown since the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.
The defense was the name of the game, especially in a season in which offensive records were set. No Super Bowl had gone into the fourth quarter without a touchdown. This one did, tied 3-3 — even though these teams combined to average over 60 points a game.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick outcoached Sean McVay, the youngest Super Bowl head coach at age 34 for the Rams. Belichick put together a defensive scheme the Rams did not see coming, allowing the fewest points in a Super Bowl (tied with Dallas in 1972 against Miami). At 66, Bill Belichick became the oldest winning Super Bowl coach.
Scoring 13 points against the Rams, as the Patriots did Sunday, would have earned a team a 1-17 record against the Rams in the 2018 season. The only time Los Angeles failed to hit 13 points was when the Chicago Bears held them to six in Week 14, but the Bears was arguably the better defense over the much-celebrated best defense in football.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff finished 5-of-9 for 68 yards on play-action passes, with Belichick forcing him to try to win the Super Bowl as a conventional dropback passer.
“Last time I checked, defense wins championships,” Rams running back C.J. Anderson said.
In arguably the most crucial drive of the game for the Rams, with 4:17 left, All-Pro Stephon Gilmore picked off an underthrown pass by Goff, who seemed blinded by the big stage all night, at the New England 2. Goff finished 19 for 38 for 229 yards and was sacked four times.
“You are numb in a way, you are trying to process it all,” Goff stated. “We know what happened we got outplayed. For an offense we are capable of being, for them to do what they did to us is impressive.”
Todd Gurley who is currently the highest paid running back in the NFL has been missing in action the entire postseason. Gurley, coming off knee issues, managed 35 yards rushing in the biggest game of his career.
“In my mind, we were supposed to win this game,” two-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald stated. “They made more plays than we did. It sucks.”
Julian Edelman, who missed the 2017 season with a knee injury, was the game’s MVP with ten receptions for 141 yards. He tied a record with seven receptions in the first half.
We all know who the NFL’s MVP is. T. B. 12.
Brady passed Charles Haley to become the only player with six Super Bowl titles and the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl (41 years, 184 days).
No one prepares harder than Brady.
Brady, who has won four Super Bowl MVP trophies, wasn’t his best — except when throwing to Edelman. But he was in the zone when he drove the Patriots down the field for five plays, 69 yards in 2 minutes and 49 seconds capped off by the Sony Michel’s two-yard touchdown run midway in the 4th quarter giving the Patriots the only touchdown in the game.
Brady now has six game-winning drives in his Super Bowl career; no others have more than two (Eli Manning and Terry Bradshaw).
“It was an unbelievable year,” Brady said. “We fought through it more so than anything. It is unbelievable to win this game. The Rams defense played their butts off; they made it tough on every play.”
It was Brady’s 30th career postseason victory; only four franchises other than the Patriots have that many (Steelers, Cowboys, Packers, and 49ers).
Brady also holds career Super Bowl records for most passes (392), completions (256) and passing yards (2,838).
The Patriots were 3-5 on the road this season; their fives loses were to team who did not make the playoffs. However, they were redeemed after they got the playoff bye week on wildcard weekend.
Patriots are now 37-20 all-time in the postseason (37 wins sets NFL playoff record).
“We’ve been this far and loss which is tough,” Brady said. “We had a lot of resolve the last couple of weeks. I wish we played a little better on offense but we won, I can’t believe it.”
Criticism, not the success fuels T.B. 12. “I pray to win another Super Bowl,” Brady stated. “I will never ask again.” He continued to remind everyone; he will not retire from the game he still loves and plans to return for another season.
Hit the reset button.
