Well, the whole world was dead wrong about how it would go down, and the New England Patriots are the 2018-2019 Super Bowl Champions after beating the Los Angeles Rams.
However, if you had told any Patriots fan that Tom Brady would throw zero touchdowns and an interception, they wouldn’t have turned on the game!
It wasn’t surprising that the game was close, that both running games weren’t electrifying, or even that the Maroon 5 halftime show stunk. What surprised the whole sports world was that the two best offenses in the league broke an NFL record for the fewest total points scored in a Super Bowl (16).
The Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 in a game casual football fans will remember as the most boring Super Bowl ever. But while the offenses did not show up to play the defenses sure did. Last week I predicted a score of 38-34 and the whole world waited for the shootout that would never come to be.
Both quarterbacks struggled, as Tom Brady threw for just 262 yards, going 21/35, while the Rams’ Jared Goff went 19/38 for just 229 yards with an interception and no touchdowns.
The defensive coordinators of Brian Flores and Wade Philips put together perfect game plans to limit their opposing offense.
The Patriots made Goff uncomfortable by having linebackers come up to the line of scrimmage, causing confusion about who was going to blitz (or not blitz), which resulted in four sacks and 12 quarterback hits. This also helped stop the Rams running game as their two backs only had 18 carries for 62 yards. The Rams had two sacks with four quarterback hits and played tight coverage on Brady’s receivers, which resulted in him only having two reliable targets in Rob Gronkoski (six receptions for 87 yards) and Super Bowl MVP Julien Edelman (10 receptions for 141 yards).
The game was a defensive struggle going into the fourth quarter, tied 3-3. Brady and the Patriots’ offense took the field with 9:43 left in the game. Before this drive, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reportedly told his guys that the plays they were about to run had never been practiced because he just made them up with Brady on the sidelines.
The first play went to Gronk on a fade-wheel route for 18 yards. They then ran the same play three times in a row, completing passes to Edelman for 13 yards, Rex Burkhead for seven yards and Gronk for 29 yards putting them on the Rams 2 yard-line and setting up the game’s only touchdown for running back Sony Michel (18 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown).
For an NFL season that was all about offense and passing, Belichick and the Patriots had a simple message for the young Goff and Sean McVay: our offensive and defensive lines are going to dominate yours, we’re going to run the ball down your throat, control the time of possession and we’re going to pressure your quarterback, which eventually led to Goff throwing a game sealing interception.
While this wasn’t the most exciting game, as well as the least viewed in 10 years, there are three main takeaways.
First, Brady and Belichick are the best ever at their positions. Second, Brady, Belichick and the Patriots now have six championship rings as the dynasty continues to destroy the hearts of all the haters outside Patriot Nation. Third, they aren’t done quite yet, leaving all the doubters eating their words.