Benjamin Hoffman and Bill Pennington
Julian Edelman and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots celebrated their 13-3 victory over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Julian Edelman and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots celebrated their 13-3 victory over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times
In the Year of Offense, the N.F.L.’s championship game didn’t have much. A dreary Super Bowl that featured a combined 13 punts ended with a sixth title for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who beat the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, on Sunday.
As he has so many times, Rob Gronkowski was there when Tom Brady needed him most, picking up a pair of huge first downs on what proved to be the decisive drive in the Patriots’ victory.
It was a year defined by offensive brilliance, but at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the game turned into a defensive slugfest defined largely by the game’s punters.
Neither team had reached the red zone until midway through the fourth quarter but Brady, looking to get something going, twice exploited a coverage mismatch on Gronkowski, completing passes of 18 and 29 yards to his big tight end, which set up Sony Michel’s 2-yard touchdown run that put New England up to stay.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made a fourth quarter reception.
The throwback connection between quarterback and tight end proved to be too much for Los Angeles on a day when Coach Sean McVay’s highlight-reel offense was forced to punt on its first eight possessions of the game — and 9 times overall — and was limited to just 205 total yards.
“We played together as a team, we won this game as a team,” Gronkowski said in an on-field interview. “This whole year was the biggest team Super Bowl I’ve ever been a part of in my life.”
Brady finished the day having passed for 262 yards while Goff, who reached the Super Bowl in his third season, struggled the entire game and finished with 229 yards.
Julian Edelman, with 10 catches for 141 yards, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, completing his comeback from a devastating knee injury last year by winning his third career Super Bowl.
“I’m pretty ecstatic,” Julian Edelman said in an on-field interview “I’m emotionally pooped. Mentally and physically pooped.”
In what would prove to be a crushing blow to the Rams, the Patriots were able to follow up Gronkowski’s touchdown with a turnover, as Jared Goff was intercepted by Stephon Gilmore late in the fourth quarter, allowing New England to slow the game down and walk away with a victory.
For Brady the win gave him a sixth Super Bowl ring, breaking a tie with the Hall of Fame defensive end Charles Haley for the most by an individual player, and it tied the Patriots with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most by any team.
Here’s how the Patriots’ won their sixth title:
4th Quarter: Patriots Add Some Insurance
The Patriots just needed to chew up clock, and they did that and more, reeling off 72 yards on nine plays, taking up 3 minutes and 5 seconds, and increasing their lead with a 41-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. They now lead 13-3 with 1:12 remaining in the game.
The key plays on the drive included a 26-yard run by Sony and a 26-yard run by Rex Burkhead.
The Rams will receive the ball, but down by 10 points with no timeouts they would need to score immediately, execute an onside kick, and then score again.
New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore made a fourth quarter interception.
4th Quarter: Rams’ Rally Ends With Interception
Possibly inspired by New England’s touchdown, the Rams began racing down the field with a series of long plays, but after Jared Goff’s pass to Brandin Cooks just barely fell incomplete at the goal line, Goff tried to challenge the New England defense on a second consecutive play and he paid for it when Stephone Gilmore was easily able to step in front of the pass for an interception.
Bill Pennington: Tremendous anticipation by Stephon Gilmore on the interception. Goff tried to go to Cooks in the same spot as the previous play that nearly resulted in a touchdown, but Gilmore was staring at Goff the entire play — he all but turned his back and ignored Cooks. When Goff’s pass fluttered, Gilmore watched it into his hands the whole way.
4th Quarter: Brady to Gronk Was All This Game Needed
Tom Brady needed to get something going and Rob Gronkowski was happy to oblige. Two connections between the future Hall of Famers led to the game’s first touchdown, which was scored on a 2-yard run by Sony Michel. The Patriots now lead, 10-3.
The drive started with Brady taking advantage of blown coverage by Samson Ebukam to set up an 18-yard catch by Gronkowski. Just three plays later, Brady went to Gronk again, this time for a 29-yard gain that ended with the supersized tight end sliding to a stop just 2 yards short of the end zone.
From there it was fairly simple as Michel has been almost unstoppable at the goal line in the postseason and he went into the end zone easily.
Bill Pennington: The Rams desperately need a sustained offensive drive. Their defense is exhausted.
4th Quarter: Johnny Hekker Keeps Punting
The Rams managed to have a nine-play drive generate just 23 yards as a result of penalties and Johnny Hekker punted for a ninth time. This game has surely been terrific for Hekker’s parents, as he is up to 417 punting yards, but for everyone else it has been remarkably frustrating to watch as neither team has been into the red zone yet.
At this point it is seeming like the game will come down to a turnover generating points rather than either offense suddenly waking up, though with either squad points could suddenly accumulate quickly.
4th Quarter: Rams Defense Holds Strong
If you like punters, this game is great.
After the Patriots picked up a first down by way of a defensive holding penalty, they got a second on an entertaining 19-yard run by Sony Michel in which the rookie running back bounced off several defenders before being brought down.
Michel picked up another 6 yards on a pair of carries to close out the third quarter, and then on the first play of the fourth quarter, Tom Brady’s pass attempt to James White fell incomplete, setting up yet another punt.
There have been 12 punts so far.
Rams running back C.J. Anderson lost control of the ball in the fourth quarter.
3rd Quarter: Rams Tie It Up, 3-3
Greg Zeurlein just barely lived up to his Legatron nickname, tying the game with a 53-yard field goal that was not one of his signature booming kicks but did enough to get over the crossbar. The game is now tied, 3-3.
The Rams offense had gotten the ball back quickly thanks to some terrific defensive work from Marcus Peters, and they picked up a first down with a short throw to Josh Reynolds and a run by C.J. Anderson.
Encouraged by the conversion, Jared Goff threw deep to Brandin Cooks for a picture-perfect 16-yard gain.
A run by Anderson went for 3 yards, Goff threw an incomplete pass off Anderson’s back side to avoid a sack, and on 3rd-and-7, but Goff once again rocketed a ball downfield, connecting with Robert Woods for an 18-yard gain.
Goff threw incomplete to Cooks in the end zone, with Jason McCourty making a nice play to prevent the touchdown, but Goff picked up 3 yards on second down with a short pass to Anderson. On 3rd-and-7, Goff was absolutely demolished by Dont’a Hightower for a 9-yard loss that forced the field goal attempt.
While the sack of Goff was a bit demoralizing, the young quarterback looked far more confident on this drive.
3rd Quarter: Another Punt, but This One a Record-Breaker
The Rams had some excitement, but not the kind they wanted, narrowly avoiding a safety on a drive that started on their own 2-yard line.
The Rams got a little breathing room to start the drive with a pair of 2-yard runs by Todd Gurley. On 3rd-and-6 from the Rams’ 6-yard line, Jared Goff threw wildly to his right to avoid a safety, with the pass falling incomplete.
Johnny Hekker came out for his eighth punt and proceeded to set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt that was aided by a remarkably friendly bounce.
Hekker is up to 8 punts for 378 yards and has been a huge help in keeping Los Angeles from falling further behind in this game.
3rd Quarter: Edelman the Lone Bright Spot for Patriots
Marcus Peters broke up a third-down pass intended for Julian Edelman, forcing New England to punt on its first offensive play of the second half.
The Patriots had started the drive on their own 8-yard line after a terrific punt by Johnny Hekker, but they were able to pick up a huge 27-yard gain by Edelman on a short pass from Tom Brady. Once again, Los Angeles took the blow in stride and continued to play tight defense.
Edelman is up to 8 catches for 120 yards early in the third quarter, but the Patriots have announced that their defense will be short-handed the rest of the way, as Patrick Chung is officially out with an arm injury.
3rd Quarter: Rams Start 2nd Half With Another Stalled Drive
Todd Gurley is here, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent yet another Rams punt to start the second half.
The star running back took a second down handoff and raced through the New England defense for a 16-yard gain. He followed up that burst with two runs that combined for 5 yards, but on 3rd-and-5 Jared Goff’s pass to Brandin Cooks was knocked to the ground by Stephon Gilmore.
Patrick Chung, the Patriots’ veteran safety, had to come out of the game after appearing to break his right arm on Gurley’s second run of the drive. He was replaced by Duron Harmon.
Patriots strong safety Patrick Chung on the sidelines after being injured in the third quarter.
3rd Quarter: Both Offenses Need to Figure Something Out
After an almost unwatchable first half, this game can easily be taken over by either team in the second half.
For the Rams, the key will be finding a way to run the ball. Todd Gurley has been almost entirely absent with no explanation, and he and C.J. Anderson have combined for just 20 yards on seven carries. That has let New England’s defenders pin their ears back and go after Jared Goff on every play. The third-year quarterback has not responded well, completing 5 of his 12 passes, with 18 of his 52 yards coming on a pass to Robert Woods that very likely was an incompletion.
In the second half, Goff needs to get back to his confident downfield throws, letting Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods break off some big plays, and if the running game can’t help establish that room, Goff will simply have to get the ball out faster.
For the Patriots, running the ball more would help, but they could improve simply by having the Rams regress to the mean on defense. Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman have all played great games, thanks in part to the Rams putting pressure on Brady, but the Los Angeles defense had to spend nearly 20 minutes on the field in the first half, and both Peters and Robey-Coleman are prone to mistakes if they are challenged repeatedly.
The Rams definitely qualify as more frustrated as they failed to score any points despite generating an interception, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs, but with how close New England has tended to stay to their opponents in Super Bowls, the missed field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the first quarter could easily come back to haunt New England.
Levine and Travis Scott during the performance of the rapper’s hit “Sicko Mode.”
Halftime Show Lives Up to First-Half Action
After a lackluster first half to the Super Bowl, halftime show headliner Maroon 5 took the stage — a giant ‘M’ stretching 40 yards across the field — to a barrage of fireworks and flames. Unfortunately the 100 million fans at home weren’t given a respite from the game’s mediocrity.
The highlight of the show came about halfway through, when a drum line and choir joined Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine to belt out the hit “Girls Like You.” (At home, the highlight for many was the SpongeBob SquarePants interlude.)
In theory, Travis Scott and Big Boi were Maroon 5’s co-stars. Scott rapped “Sicko Mode” — heavily censored on television — early in the show, and Big Boi appeared late in a classic car, wearing a fur jacket. He sang the Outkast hit “The Way You Move” with Levine playing the role of Andre 3000.
In practice they only sang one song a piece. Levine even joined Big Boi, unfortunately playing the role of Big Boi’s Outkast co-star, Andre 3000.
Scott ended his brief appearance at the halftime show on top of the crowd.
Scott ended his brief appearance at the halftime show on top of the crowd.CreditAJ Mast for The New York Times
It was truly the Adam Levine show, as he ran through all of Maroon 5’s hits: “Harder to Breathe,” “This Love,” “She Will Be Loved” and finally ending the show with “Sugar.” Levine grew progressively less clothed throughout the 15-minute show, and as he sang the final bar of “Sugar” he was shirtless, with flames crackling all around him.
With the Super Bowl in Atlanta, the N.F.L. had a surfeit of local musicians to choose from for the halftime show: Outkast, T.I., Lil Jon, Future, 2 Chainz and Migos. The list goes on and on.
It seems quite telling of something that they chose Maroon 5. — Kevin Draper
Halftime: What Was That?
The first half was a mess of punts and offensive ineptitude, with neither team looking like the powerhouses they had been throughout the playoffs.
It’s the lowest first-half score since Super Bowl IX, when the Steelers led the Vikings, 2-0, at the half.
The Rams defense has played better than anyone could have predicted, holding the Patriots to just 3 points and repeatedly stopping promising drives with tenacious pass defense and occasional bursts of interior pressure. But that still added up to Los Angeles being down at halftime thanks to a horrendous effort from the Rams’ offense, with all six Rams drives ending in punts.
The Rams offense generated just 57 yards in the first half, with Jared Goff dealing with a great deal of pressure and not being able to get anything going, which is at least partially a result of Los Angeles not being able to establish the run at all behind Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson.
Tom Brady threw for 160 yards in the half, repeatedly picking up first downs to Julian Edelman, but thus far he has been almost entirely stymied by the Rams’ defense which has clearly made a point of delivering hard hits and not being discouraged despite the occasional Edelman outbursts.
The stars of the game, if anyone qualifies, are Edelman, who has 93 receiving yards, and Johnny Hekker, who has punted for 267 yards.
Bill Pennington: In three postseason games this year, Bill Belichick’s Patriots have now given up 7 points. That’s against some pretty decent competition: Chargers, Chiefs and Rams.
2nd Quarter: Patriots Turn the Ball Over on Downs
Tom Brady’s throw to Rob Gronkowski on a 4th-and-1 from the Rams’ 32-yard line led to an unexpected turnover on downs, ending another promising New England drive.
Brady had started the drive with an 11-yard pass to Julian Edelman in which Edelman ran over Aqib Talib to secure the first down.
After a short run by Rex Burkhead, Edelman picked up another first down, this one with a 9-yard catch-and-run in which he was able to get to the edge to secure an extra yard or two.
The Patriots picked up another first down a few plays later thanks to the Rams having 12 men on the field, but after Brady threw incomplete on consecutive passes he found himself with a 3rd-and-10, and his pass to Patterson fell just short of converting when Marcus Peters knocked Patterson down just short of the marker.
That set up the 4th down play in which Gronkowski could not quite get to Brady’s pass.
Bill Pennington: Jared Goff is rushing his throws, out of sync in the pocket. The Rams ought to take a page out of the Patriots’ playbook and settle for some shorter throws. Getting the ball out of Goff’s hand quicker might yield a couple completions and help with his confidence and sense of timing in the pocket.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans
2nd Quarter: Five Possessions, Five Punts for Rams
The Rams, who averaged 32.9 points a game this season, have had the ball five times and they have punted five times.
Todd Gurley was finally back on the field, which seemed like it could be a morale boost for Los Angeles, and he picked up 8 yards on a pair of rushing plays to start the drive. On 3rd-and-2, Jared Goff rolled out after a play-action fake, avoided one sack, but then was knocked backward for a 14-yard loss thanks to terrific pressure from Kyle Van Noy.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff after being sacked by New England Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy in the second quarter.
2nd Quarter: Rams Find, then Lose, Some Rhythm
The Rams offense could not answer the Patriots’ score, going 23 yards on 5 plays, giving the ball back to New England with a punt.
It had briefly looked like the Los Angeles offense had woken up when Jared Goff found Robert Woods on the sideline for an 18-yard gain that may have benefited from a bad call, as Woods did not clearly get both feet down. New England held strong after the play, allowing a 3-yard pass, knocking C.J. Anderson back for a 3-yard loss, and then playing great defense on Josh Reynolds on a third-down pass that fell incomplete.
Los Angeles has had absolutely no offensive rhythm in this game while their defense has been far more impressive.
2nd Quarter: Patriots Take the Lead
Stephen Gostkowski connected on a 42-yard field goal attempt, putting the Patriots up 3-0 with 10:29 left in the first half.
The scoring drive was set up as a result of a crucial third down reception by Julian Edelman — no surprise there — as he turned a 3rd-and-1 into a 25-yard gain.
New England struggled after that connection, failing to convert a first down even after Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski on a short pass, but they had gotten close enough for Gostkowski to hit fairly easily, making up for his miss earlier in the game.
2nd Quarter: Offenses Look Flat
The teams punted on consecutive drives, but the Rams made a defensive statement on their last stop of the first quarter, putting some real pressure on Tom Brady while also dealing with some long gains from New England’s receivers.
The quarter closed in a scoreless tie, with neither team threatening beyond Stephen Gostkowski’s missed field goal attempt, but Los Angeles has to be encouraged after John Franklin-Myers produced a strip-sack, Marcus Peters very nearly intercepted a pass, and Aaron Donald forced an incompletion as he whipped Brady to the ground, a play that led to New England’s first punt.
The Rams have yet to do anything on offense in this game, but they have an interception, they are getting to Brady, and they have endured a few of Julian Edelman’s signature third-down conversions without giving up a score.
Bill Pennington: The Patriots ran twice as many plays as the Rams in the first quarter. Rams had only one first down and were 0-for-3 on third down. The Rams defense is playing with a lot of energy and fire but the offense looks lifeless and uncertain
1st Quarter: Rare Miss for Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski
New England had a chance to go up 3-0 but Stephen Gostkowski missed wide-left on a 46-yard field goal attempt.
The Patriots had started the drive on their own 12-yard line, but got into their typical rhythm, executing a series of short plays that consistently moved the chains. The Rams twice had huge defensive opportunities slip away from them, once when Julian Edelman ripped off an 11-yard catch-and-run on 3rd-and-9, and once when Nickell Robey Coleman’s crushing hit of Rex Burkhead on a 2nd-and-14 was determined to be a defenseless receiver violation and an automatic first down.
New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal in the first quarter.
A nice play-action fake following the penalty led to a 19-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, but it was followed by a run attempt by Rex Burkhead that went for 2 yard, a deep pass attempt to Chris Hogan that fell incomplete in the end zone, and a run by James White that went for 3, leading to Gostkowski’s ill-fated field goal attempt.
As a result of what appeared to be communication issues, New England was forced to use two of its timeouts on this drive.
Bill Pennington: The Patriots haven’t scored but if the Rams secondary doesn’t move closer to the line of scrimmage and tighten up its coverage, it’s going to be a long day for them. Brady will take those throws underneath all day long.
Gostkowski had not missed a kick in his last five games including the playoffs. But he did miss five of 32 field goal attempts in the regular season and one extra point try.
Los Angeles Rams inside linebacker Cory Littleton after intercepting Tom Brady during the first quarter.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times
1st Quarter: Brady’s First Pass Intercepted, but Rams Go Nowhere
The Patriots were driving down the field fairly easily, picking up a pair of first downs on three consecutive runs, but Nickell Robey-Coleman, the defensive back who committed the controversial pass interference in the N.F.C. championship, was able to tip away a pass attempt to Chris Hogan, leading to an interception by Cory Littleton. Absolutely a huge turnover on a drive where the Patriots looked to be marching their way to a first quarter score.
The Rams managed just two yards on their first two offensive plays, with a 2-yard run by Todd Gurley and an incomplete pass by Jared Goff. On 3rd-and-8, Goff tried to hit Josh Reynolds on a crossing route but the team’s third wide receiver could not handle the pass and it fell incomplete, leading to a Johnny Hekker punt.
Courtesy: (nytimes.com)
