Super Bowl 53
(2) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at (2) LOS ANGELES RAMS
PATRIOTS: Another year and here they are. Champions of the American Football Conference for the third straight year, fourth time in five seasons and ninth time in 18 years. This is the greatest run I’ve seen a football team ever have. Whenever I think of the New England Patriots, the word consistency comes to mind because that’s exactly what they are, the definition of consistency. This tandem of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still at it even after all these years. I remember when they made that first Super Bowl together in New Orleans, Louisiana. 18 years later, they’re still going strong and here they are preparing for their ninth Super Bowl as a duo. I think everyone was beginning to throw the towel in on them at times this year. They were undefeated at home in 2018 but struggled away from Gillette. I believe you heard more of the rumblings of them seeing better days during the month of December. They lost that heartbreaking game to the Miami Dolphins in week 14. The following week, they traveled to Pittsburgh and dropped a game against a Steelers team that they had owned as of late over the years. Here’s a word of advice for you if you are reading this: Never count the Patriots out. What I just stated about their struggles in December is a distant memory. They won those final two regular season games and clinched that second seed in the AFC Playoffs. What I admire about this team is how they stay true to their identity meaning they aren’t going to step outside their comfort zone to beat you. A perfect example of this is they know they don’t have that big playmaker on the perimeter with their wide receivers so what do they do? They beat you by going underneath and working the middle of the field. As a defense, they play differently now. For years, they’ve always had a guy whose main purpose was to rush the passer. From Richard Seymour, Chris Long, Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones, they’ve always had one. They’re not built to rush the passer now because they depend on the secondary to play tight underneath across the board so the front seven can apply some type of pressure. They’ve been here before, they’re familiar with this big moment and they will try to bounce back this year after losing in the big game last year. With a win, they will become the second team in NFL history to win six Super Bowls as a franchise tying the Pittsburgh Steelers.
RAMS: I will be the first to admit to you all that I was completely wrong about them. I knew they would win the NFC West without question, but I didn’t think they’d be much of anything. When they signed many of the big names they did, I compared it to the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles because they signed many big named players to key positions and things didn’t pan out. Once the season started, they came out the gates rolling and established themselves as one of the best teams in the league winning their first eight games in a row. That grabbed my attention. The Los Angeles Rams are by far risk takers because they took a big chance on an inexperienced guy named Sean McVay. I think things have panned out well for him and I can rattle off some stats. In his first two seasons, he’s won 24 games (11 in his first year and 13 in his second year) and the team has one of the best records in the league over a two-year span. I’ve been amazed with what he’s been able to do with Jared Goff. Prior to Sean being hired by L.A., he looked lost with then head coach Jeff Fisher. Coaching truly makes all the difference and Sean has a background as an offensive minded guy. He’s groomed Jared and made him the most improved player of 2017 and he took another step this year throwing 32 touchdown passes. This offense will always be built around Todd Gurley. As a defender, you must account for him as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. He can finish a game with 170 yards rushing along with an additional 100 yards receiving with a few receptions. Out of all the players the Rams acquired during the off-season, acquiring Brandin Cooks was the best because he gives them depth and a number one option for Goff down the field. This defense had its struggles at times, but lately it’s been all up from here. They had a major issue shutting down the run throughout the regular season. In the postseason, they’ve held their opponents to under 50 yards per game. They also shut down Ezekiel Elliott in the divisional around and a week later, they held their own against Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. The last time the Rams were in the Super Bowl, they were still playing in St. Louis, Missouri and Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk were still active players. They are both members of the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Rams will look to bring a title back to the city of Los Angeles.
So, you’re reading this and you’re wondering where are my x-factors, final analysis and score prediction are? This is where I’m having you wait. On Sunday about 20 minutes before kickoff, join me on social media and I will make a video discussing everything along with my winner of the big game and prediction for MVP. I will see you all then.
