Super Bowl 53 is quickly approaching.
The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams will be duking it out in Atlanta for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. But before we start discussing this matchup, let’s look at how the AFC and NFC Championship games went down.
AFC Championship
The Patriots will advance to the Super Bowl after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime.
This was a hell of a game to watch from start to finish and it’s only fitting that it came down to the wire. Up until late in the game, the defense on both teams was the star of the show. That is, until the two quarterbacks, Brady (Patriots) and Mahomes (Chiefs), took over.
The Patriots jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on their first possession. However, the Chiefs had a golden opportunity following linebacker Reggie Ragland’s interception on a pass that was intended for tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Chiefs then proceeded to do absolutely nothing with the football, thanks to incomplete passes from Mahomes and a feisty pass-rush from the Patriots. By halftime, Mahomes had been sacked three times.
The Chiefs managed to get some points on the board following a touchdown pass from Mahomes to Kelce in the third quarter. However, a common theme for the Chiefs this game was their inability to capitalize off of the Patriot’s mistakes. Before overtime, the Chiefs had difficulty turning their interceptions and fourth-down stops against the Patriots into scoring drives and this, ultimately, is why I think the Chiefs are not going to Super Bowl 53.
The offensive units on both teams really came alive towards the end of the game, but for the Chiefs, it was too little too late. In a flashback to Super Bowl 51 when New England played Atlanta, the Patriots won the overtime coin toss and never gave Mahomes a chance. The Chiefs’ defense bent and had no answer for WR Julian Edelman. Countless third downs were converted by the Patriots and an inevitable game-winning touchdown was scored, crushing Kansas City’s Super Bowl hopes.
NFC Championship
After a controversial play at the end of the game, the Los Angeles Rams will be heading to Super Bowl 53 after defeating the New Orleans Saints 26-23 in overtime.
Let’s be clear here: the better team won this game. The Rams’ got away with a blatant interference penalty, there’s no doubt about it. The Saints’, however, deserved to lose that game and I’ll list out the reasons why.
The Saints got off to a strong start in the game, scoring two field goals and a touchdown by halftime for a 13-10 lead over the Rams. The Rams managed to creep back up and close the gap on the Saints, meaning New Orleans blew a decent lead on their home turf. The Rams were relentless and refused to quit.
Following the controversial no-call on the pass interference, the Rams would go on to kick a game-tying field goal and send the game to overtime. The Saints blew a lead and let the game come down to one play. There are no excuses to blow a lead on your own field in the conference championship.
The Saints won the overtime coin toss and started off with the ball, but sadly for New Orleans, QB Drew Brees had his pass intercepted by John Johnson following a failed run attempt. Rams’ kicker Greg Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal attempt was successful and the Rams proceed on to Atlanta.
Super Bowl Preview: New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams
Oh boy, the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl again… how exciting.
As much as I hate to see New England back in the Super Bowl, allow me to play the devil’s advocate for them… because we have to give credit where it’s due. The Patriots have had a run of dominance that’s spanned decades, resulting in five Super Bowl championships, countless division titles and a spot in the history books. Brady and coach Bill Belichick brought a winning culture to a long-losing franchise and that deserves respect, cheating scandals aside.
It’s hard to really even dislike Brady as a person. He’s an incredible guy off of the field. The only thing I dislike about Brady is that he’s been in eight Super Bowls since he started playing in 2000. If people disliked me for one reason only, I’d like for it to be that. Belichick is a genius of a head coach, and to me is the main reason the Patriots have dominated.
But enough of all that, how are the Patriots looking going into the Super Bowl?
This New England team is one of the weaker ones I’ve seen since the turn of the millennium, despite making it to a third consecutive Super Bowl. Brady is still playing like he’s in his mid 20’s and there are some other good weapons on offense like Edelman and recently-drafted RB Sonny Michel. What concerns me is their defense. It’s not a bad defense by any means, but I’m just not completely sold that it’s elite caliber.
In the regular season, New England’s defense ranked 21st in the league in yardsmallowed, though the number of points allowed isn’t all that bad compared to other defenses. However, their defense seems to step it up come playoff time, so I doubt it’ll be much of an issue if the offense can shine like always. The Patriots will be a formidable opponent.
The Rams seemed to have revived the “Greatest Show on Turf” with a new cast of offensive weapons.
Rams QB Jared Goff, who honestly looked like a huge bust earlier on in his career, has turned things around drastically. I credit this to the removal of old head coach Jeff Fisher and the hiring of new head coach Sean McVay. McVay, previously the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, has transformed the Rams into an offensive machine with a formidable defense to boot.
Not much needs to be said about RB Todd Gurley, who rushed for 1,251 yards this season, or WR Brandin Cooks, the former Patriot who has received for over 1,000 yards every year since 2015. Breakout WR Robert Woods has had a tremendous year and rounds out a lethal offense with more than enough depth to go the distance.
The Rams’ defense is nothing to be scoffed at either. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is an absolute monster and is one of the best defensive players in the game. Newly acquired nose tackle Ndamukong Suh fits into this defense perfectly. The Rams’ defense actually didn’t fare much better during the regular season than the Patriots’, as Los Angeles finished 19th in yards allowed.
It’ll be interesting to see if Goff can forever shake off the “bust” label by winning a Super Bowl. Brady and Belichick have the opportunity to tie the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record for most Super Bowls at 6.
Super Bowl Sunday is coming up this February, and I’m sure it’ll be one to remember.
