J-Speaks: Super Bowl LIII Preview

On Feb. 3, 2002 was the start of the continuing legacy of winning and teamwork of the New England Patriots and the legendary quarterback duo of future Hall of Famers in quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. A nine-play, 53-yard drive engineered by Brady was capped by a game-winning 48-yard field goal by future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri that gave the Patriots a 20-17 win over the then St. Louis Rams and eventual Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, LA. This Sunday, Vince Lombardi trophies later Brady, Belichick and the Patriots hope to add another chapter to their legacy in Super Bowl LIII when they take on the now Los Angeles Rams this Sunday night as they did exactly 17 years ago. 

For the Patriots (13-5), the No. 2 Seed from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the Rams (15-3), the No. 2 Seed from the National Football Conference (NFC) their matchup is one of one team trying to add to its legacy and the other trying to create one of their own. 

To bring the Pats nearly two decades of dominance into context, this will be the ninth Super Bowl appearance for them led by Coach Belichick and Brady as the team won their 16^th AFC East Division title as they earned their 10^th straight postseason appearance and a First-Round Bye for a ninth straight postseason, which is the longest streak in NFL history. 

The Patriots reached this point by being the only team in the NFL to go undefeated at home this season at 8-0 behind another magnificent season by Brady, who at age 40 finished No. 7 in passing yards with 4,335 on a completion percentage of 65.6, finishing 10^th in touchdown throws with 29 and just 11 interceptions, and was sacked just 21 times during the regular season. 

As good as Brady was, the Patriots were offensively were more known this year for their running attack led by the trio of rookie Sony Michel (209 rushes, 931 yards, 6 TDs), James White (94 rushes, 425 yards, 5 TDs), who has been a great pass catcher out of the backfield with 87 receptions for 751 yards and seven touchdowns, and Rex Burkhead. 

That rushing trio is a big reason the Patriots ranked No. 5 in the NFL with 2,037 yards on the ground; tied with the Denver Broncos for No. 4 in rushing touchdowns with 18 and No. 5 in rushing yards per game during the regular season at 127.3 rushing per game in the regular season. 

As the Patriots entered December 2018, they were rolling at 8-3 and had their eyes set on a final push before the postseason but two straight losses at their divisional rival the Miami Dolphins (7-9) 34-33 in Week 14 on Dec. 9, 2018 on a game-winning pass off a double lateral that running back Kenyan Drake took the last 52 yards for the touchdown. 

In Week 15, the Patriots fell at the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6-1) 17-10, where they were just 3 for 10 converting on third down; had only 96 yards rushing and 106 yards on 14 penalties. 

The Pats closed out the regular season with victories over their division rivals the Buffalo Bills (6-10) 24-12 in Week 16 on Dec. 23, 2018 and the New York Jets (4-12) in Week 17 on Dec. 30, 2018. 

In the Divisional Round, the Patriots hosted a team that they have simply dominated during the Brady/Belichick era the now Los Angeles Chargers. 

That dominance continued as the Patriots dominated the first half leading 35-7 and took down the Chargers (12-5) again 41-28 behind 155 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 34 carries, with 129 of those yards and three touchdowns on the ground coming from Michel on 24 carries. 

The Patriots finished with 498 yards of total offense to 335 for the Chargers and did not have a turnover or take a sack in the game and went 5 for 7 in the redzone. 

Brady was magnificent once again in the postseason going 34 for 44 passing for 343 yards and a touchdown. Veteran wideout Julian Edelman was sensational with 151 receiving and White had 15 catches for 97 yards. 

Brady improved his career mark (regular season and postseason) against future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers to 8-0 and 9-2 overall with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions against the Chargers. The only two losses against the Chargers were against now signal caller for the New Orleans Saints Drew Brees during the 2002 and 2005 regular season. 

In their ninth consecutive AFC Championship Game 13^th in the last 18 seasons, most all-time at the Kansas City Chiefs (13-5), the Patriots were not only taking one of the most hostile crowds in the NFL at Arrowhead Stadium and the NFL’s latest sensation in league MVP to be in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who left quite an impression on the reigning AFC champions in their house in Week 6 as he went 23 for 36 passing for 352 yards and four touchdowns in the 43-40 loss by the Kansas City Chiefs at the Patriots thanks to the fifth field goal in five tries by place kicker Steven Gostkowski in the final seconds on Oct. 14, 2018. 

The game played out very similar to that tilt where the Patriots had control in the first 30 minutes leading 14-0 at intermission as the Chiefs had the ball offensively for just 16 plays, gaining just 32 yards in only 8:53 when they had the football. Also, Mahomes was sacked three times.  

In the second half the Chiefs high octane offense got that much needed spark by wideout Sammy Watkins with a 54-yard reception off a Mahomes pass. The drive was capped by a 12-yard touchdown off a slant pattern by All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce that cut the deficit to 14-7. 

The Patriots managed did add to the lead thanks to a 47-yard field goal by Gostkowski that raised the deficit back to double-digits at 17-7. 

The Chiefs after not being able to engineer any offense in the first three quarters got things going in the fourth as halfback Damien Williams capped a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive breaching the third and fourth periods with a one-yard touchdown reception that cut the deficit to 17-14.

Williams finished a following drive with a 23-yard touchdown reception that gave the Chiefs the lead at 21-17. 

The Pats came back mounting a 10-play 75-yard drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown run by Michel that put the them back on top 24-21. 

The Chiefs answered with a five-play, 68-yard scoring drive where Watkins caught a pass and ran for 38 yards down the Patriots’ two-yard line. Williams capped the drive with a two-yard run that put them back on top 28-24. 

Late into the Patriots next drive, the Chiefs thought they had the game won and punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIII when Ward intercepted Brady on 3^rd and 10 at their 34-yard line but linebacker Dee Ford was called for being offside that nullified the turnover and kept the drive going. 

After Pats’ tight end Rob Gronkowski caught a 25-yard reception from Brady to the Chiefs’ two-yard line, halfback Rex Burkhead capped the six-play, 65-yard drive with a four-yard score that put the Pats back on top 31-28. 

The Chiefs were not finished as Mahomes engineered a scoring drive where he first completed a 21-yard pass deep right to running back Spencer Ware to the Patriots 48. Then a deep 27-yard pass pass to the left to wideout Demarcus Robinson to the Patriots 21-yard line. After a pass from Mahomes on 2^nd and 10 was incomplete, place kicker Harrison Butker was called on to tie the score and he hit a 39-yard field goal with eight seconds left that nodded the game 31-31. 

In overtime the Patriots got the ball by winning the coin toss and the Chiefs never saw the ball as the Patriots had three conversions on third down of their what would be the game clinching 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a two-yard Burkhead run that won the game 37-31 and put them back in the Super Bowl for the third straight season. 

Brady finished the night 30 for 46 for 348 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Michel and Burkhead combined for 153 of the Patriots 176 yards rushing and four touchdowns. 

The pass catching was as it has been done all year by committee as veteran Julian Edelman had 96 receiving yards on seven catches. Gronkowski, who has contributed more as a blocking tight end in the running game as opposed to a receiver in the passing game had six receptions for 79 yards. White and wideout Chris Hogan had 49 and 45 receiving yards on four and five catches respectably. 

“This is all about a team goal this is not an individual thing,” Brady who went 30 for 46 passing for 348 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions said to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington about the Patriots punching their ticket to their ninth Super Bowl. 

“To go to Arrowhead and win there against another great team speaks a lot about our character. Speaks about how the way we’ve improved over the course of the season and we got one more game to go, and hopefully we can finish it the right way.”

In defeat Mahomes, who had a stellar second half was 16 for 31 for 295 yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions but was sacked four times. 

As for the opponent the Patriots will be seeing on Sunday in Atlanta it will be the Rams (15-3), whose trek to Super Bowl LIII started two years ago when they hired Sean McVay to be their head coach. 

McVay, who recently just turned 33 years of age was hired specifically to help make No. 1 overall pick in 2016 quarterback Jared Goff, who the Rams traded up to get into a great one. 

McVay and Goff have been a marriage made in heaven as the Rams have led the NFL in scoring at 31.4 points per game the last two seasons, and that has been a major reason they have won the NFC West the past two seasons. 

Goff who went 0-7 as a starter with five touchdowns passes and seven interceptions as a rookie had 28 passing scores and just seven picks in his second season, and turned in the best season of his three-year career ranking No. 4 in passing yards (4,688); tied for No. 6 in touchdown passes (32) and posted a 64.9 completion percentage. 

Goff’s emergence had a lot to do with having a solid receiving core in the wideouts Robert Woods (86 receptions, 1,219 yards, 6TDs), Brandin Cooks (80 receptions, 1,204 yards, 5TDs), Josh Reynolds (29 catches 402 yards, 5 TDs) and tight ends Gerald Everett (33 catches, 320 yards, 3TDs) and Tyler Higbee (34 catches, 292 yards, 2TDs). 

Having a great running game led by All-Pro Todd Gurley II (256 rushes, 1,251 yards, 17 TDs), who also contributed to the passing game (59 catches, 580 yards, 4TDs) and C.J. Anderson (43 rushes, 299 yards, 2TDs) who was signed as the regular season wound down because Gurley was hurt the last two games of the regular season. 

The question for this team though is could their defense play at the consistent level as the offense? 

The answer should be an emphatic yes, especially with the likes reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald, whose 20.5 sacks led the NFL during the regular season; fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (59 solo tackles, 4.5 sacks), and Michael Brockers. Linebackers Cory Littleton (125 total tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTs), Mark Barron, Samson Ebukam (40 tackles, 3 sacks), Dante Fowler, Jr., who was acquired earlier in the season from the Jacksonville Jaguars. A secondary that features Marcus Peters (8 passes defense, 3INTs), Troy Hill (5 passes defensed, 2 INTs), John Johnson III, Sam Shields, and Aqib Talib. 

The entire team faced a lot of questions following two straight losses at the Chicago Bears 15-6 in Week 14 on Dec. 9, 2018 the high-powered Rams offense on a very cold night against the very stingy Bears defense produced just 214 yards and just two field goals from place- kicker Greg Zuerlein. Goff went 20 for 44 for only 180 yards passing, no touchdowns and four interceptions and was sacked three times. 

One week later, the Rams lost at home 30-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who outscored the home team 27-13 the final three quarters. 

While the Rams had 407 yards of total offense on the night, they were just 4 for 12 on third down; had 82 yards rushing while giving up 111 yards on the ground to the Eagles; turned the ball over three times and going just 2 for 6 in the red zone. 

While Goff was 35 for 53 passing for 339 yards, he had no passing touchdowns, had one interception, and was sacked twice. 

The Rams managed to get back on track with two straight wins to close the regular season winning at the Cardinals 31-9 in Week 16 on Dec. 23, 2018 and versus the San Francisco 49ers 48-32, thanks to the play of Anderson, who had 167 and 132 rushing yards respectably, scoring a total of two touchdowns clinching a First-Round bye in the NFC postseason. 

In the Divisional Round versus the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys (13-4), the Rams used a dominant rushing attack and held the Cowboys in check on the ground to earn a 30-22 win, their first playoff win in 14 years. 

That ground attack led by Gurley II and Anderson ran for a franchise postseason record 273 yards on 39 carries, scoring three touchdowns. 

Anderson, who had 123 yards rushing and two scores, and Gurley II had 115 yards on the ground with one touchdown became the fourth pair of teammates in NFL postseason history to each rush for 100-plus yards. It also represented the most yards on the ground by the five-time Super Bowl champion Cowboys. 

“I just think the big boys played really well upfront. The O-lineman, we moved their D-lineman off point. Me and Todd picked spots,” Anderson said to CBS Sports’ Jamie Erdahl after the win. 

“Everybody was concerned about Todd, but Todd looked just as fast and allusive as her always looked, and I just tried to compliment behind that.”

This night of success for Anderson in particular was a culmination of being humbled by being released in the off-season by the Denver Broncos, who he helped to win Super Bowl 50 and by the Carolina Panthers earlier in the season. 

That when he got to the Rams, he woke up extra early to get to their facility to learn the offensive playbook and earning the trust of Coach McVay and the rest of the offensive staff, which he clearly did. 

“I think it’s more of what I learned being released from three different teams. I think it was never giving up on myself,” Anderson told Erdahl. “Always trusting my ability, and then when I got the opportunity here just came in and put the work in.”

While Goff did not have a passing touchdown in the contest, he was a solid 15 for 28 passing for 186 yards, no interceptions and now sacks. 

The defense held Cowboys running back Ezekiel, the NFL’s leading rusher at 1,434 yards during the regular season to just 47 yards on 20 carries, though he did score a touchdown. 

Of the 266 yards Cowboys’ signal caller Dak Prescott threw for in the loss, only 65 of those yards were courtesy of star wideout Amari Cooper on six catches. 

In the NFC Championship Game in the house of the No. 2 Seeded New Orleans Saints, the Rams feel behind early 13-0. 

What allowed the Rams to stay within two scored is the fact that they held the Saints high octane offense their first two drives to field goals and thanks to a six-yard touchdown run by Gurley II to cap a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive in the late stages of the second quarter, the Rams trailed 13-10 at intermission. 

The Saints pushed the lead back to double-digits at 20-10 when backup quarterback Taysom Hill caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees. 

The Rams cut the deficit back to three at 20-17 when Higbee capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown catch from Goff. 

From that point on, the Rams defense would hold the Saints in check as they did not score another touchdown the rest of the game and Goff in the middle of the fourth period led the Rams on a nine-play, 85-yard drive, which featured a 39-yard reception on 3^rd and 3 to Everett to the Saints 45-yard line, and a 33-yard reception by Reynolds to the Saints seven-yard line. 

The Rams could not get a touchdown and Zuerlein kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20. 

The Saints mounted a nine-play drive of their own that went 57 yards in 3:22 that concluded with a 31-yard field goal by Will Lutz that put the Saints back on top 23-20.

Unfortunately for the Saints, that next to last drive of regulation could have continued if a hard to miss pass interference call by defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Saints wideout Tommylee Lewis right before the pass from Brees was made inside the Rams five-yard line.  

With their season hanging in the balance Goff led the Rams on another nine-play drive with 1:41 left taking them 45 yards to the Saints 30-yard line and Zuerlein connected on a 48-yard field goal that tied the score at 23-23.  

The Saints got the ball first in overtime after winning the coin toss but on the third play of their drive in the extra period Brees got his throwing arm hit by Fowler, Jr. and his fluttered pass was picked off by Johnson III, who hung on to the interception as he stumbled backwards. 

With the ball on the Saints’ 39-yard line a few plays later, Goff’s pass to Higbee on 2^nd and 13 on the Saints 42-yard line following for six yards to the Saints and put Zuerlein in position kicked the game-winning 57-yard field goal that won the game for the Rams 26-23, punching their ticket to Super Bowl LIII as the representatives of the NFC. 

“Unbelievable man. Can’t put into words,” Goff, the youngest quarterback to ever win an AFC championship game said to FOX Sports Chris Myers after the win. 

“The fight we have…. Our defense playing the way they did. To force it into overtime. The defense gets a pick. Greg makes a 57-yarder to win that was good from about 70. Unbelievable.” 

Goff added about the drive that got put Zuerlein in position for Zuerlein’s game-winning kick, “Just trying to score. Just trying to get in field goal range. I actually messed a couple of things up there on a couple of those plays but was able to get the ball to Tyler there and he made a play.” 

On Sunday it will be exactly 17 years since the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl defeating the then St. Louis Rams. That began the legacy of them being one of the greatest franchises in not just the NFL but in all four of the major North American professional sports.

That legacy consists of a 20-3 home record in the playoffs, counting their win versus the Chargers in the Divisional Round, which was their ninth straight win at home in the playoffs and the 13^th career postseason win in this round under Belichick. Nine wins in the Conference championship round, counting their win at the Chiefs in their 13^th appearance. 

They reached that point by earning an NFL record nine straight First-Round byes in 10 straight playoff appearances, winning the AFC East in 16 of the past 18 seasons, which is also the most all-time in NFL history.   

They hope in their ninth Super Bowl appearance in the last 18 seasons, the most in NFL history this Sunday to add to that legacy of becoming the first NFL team to win six Vince Lombardi trophies in NFL history. To win their 29^th playoff game, the most in NFL postseason history in 39 chances led by Belichick and Brady. 

When the Patriots take the field on Sunday, becoming the third team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in three straight seasons their gameday roster will feature 38 players on a team that played for them Super Sunday on the roster; 36 players that played in a Super Bowl and 27 players that can say they won a Super Bowl, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. 

In comparison to the Rams, they have three players that have won a Super Bowl, which includes Anderson and four Rams players that played in the game.

Brady, who has five Super Bowl rings (most all-time) will be looking to win his sixth ring on Sunday added to his legacy where his postseason resume consists of 73 touchdown passes, 10,917 passing yards courtesy of 984 completions on 1,554 attempts. Included in that 10,917 yards are 16 career 300-yard passing games. 

“Always just spoke about winning. That’s what I love to do,” Brady, who will be making his ninth appearance in Super Bowl this Sunday said to the media at the start of this week, “That’s why I’m here. That’s why this team I think is, you know, done such a great job.” 

“I think everyone here is just committed to winning, and really doing whatever it takes to win, and whether that’s Julian, you know moving from quarterback to receiver. Whether that’s Mike Vrabel playing tight end for us or defensive players lead blocking on the goal line or Troy Brown, or Julian playing DB (defensive back) at different times. I mean, everyone just kind of does whatever it takes and that’s a great place to be.”  

For the Rams, they hope that a win in Super Bowl LIII will be the jump start to a dynasty of their own led by young QB/Coach duo in Goff, who will be the youngest starting QB in Super Bowl history this Sunday and McVay, who will be the youngest head coach at age 33 to coach in a Super Bowl. 

“It’s a real credit to the group around you,” McVay said to FOX Sports’ Terry Bradshaw during the George S. Halas trophy presentation after the win. “This whole day represents what our team’s about. Offense, defense, special teams making plays. Got great coaches. This is about the Rams today and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”   

Last season, the Rams postseason was cut short in the Wild Card Round falling versus the Atlanta Falcons 26-13 on Jan. 7, 2018. Their playoff journey has gone a little further this postseason and hope to cap it off with their Super Bowl win since they defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 on Jan. 30, 2000.  

Super Bowl LIII between the AFC Champion New England Patriots versus the NFC Los Angeles Rams will take place Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA on CBS. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/13/19 12 p.m. “The NFL Today” on CBS with James, Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms, with report from Jamie Erdahl; 1/20/19 6 p.m. “State Farm Postgame Show,” of NFC Championship Game “Los Angeles Rams versus New Orleans Saints,” on FOX Sports with Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson, Tony Gonzalez, Erin Andrews, and Chris Myers; 1/27/19 1 p.m. “Postseason NFL Countdown,” presented by Snickers with Suzy Kolber,  Randy Moss, Matt Hasselbeck, Louis Riddick, Charles Woodson; 

www.espn.com/nfl/team/stats/schedule/_/name/ne; www.espn.com/nfl/team/stats/schedule/_/name/lar; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Patriots; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick#Head_coaching_record; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady#Playoffs;and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017-18_NFL_playoffs.